As the final tournament of the FedEx Cup regular season, the Wyndham Championship usually attracts a handful of big names looking for one last chance to salvage a season or secure a playoff run that will pave the way for future glory. The tournament landed none bigger to sign up for a week in Greensboro, North Carolina, this year than three-time major champ Jordan Spieth, who at No. 63 in the season-long FedEx Cup standings has work to do if he plans to make a deep playoff run and also needs to improve his world rank, which has dipped to No. 37. Spieth lost a playoff to Patrick Reed at tournament host Sedgefield Country Club in 2013.
Spieth may need to write for sponsor invites to play in some of his favorite events next season such as the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am if he doesn’t work his way into the top 50 and qualify for the second leg of the playoffs at the BMW Championship, which secures a berth in the signature events after next week’s playoff event in Memphis.
Spieth isn’t the only marquee name who signed up for the humidity and southern hospitality that this pocket of the Tarheel State is famous for – at least this time of year for the humidity.
Sungjae Im, who is ninth in the FedEx Cup, and Shane Lowry at 10th, are both looking to protect their status in the Comcast Business Top 10, which pays a hefty bonus to the top 10 in the season-long points race after the Wyndham Championship. Akshay Bhatia, who grew up just down the road in Wake Forest, North Carolina, is ranked 15th in the FedEx Cup, and Scot Robert MacIntyre at No. 17, still could sneak in and possibly bounce them — or someone else who decided to rest up for the playoffs — out.
Last year’s British Open champ Brian Harman, ranked 15th in the world and U.S Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley, No. 21 in the world, Wake Forest University grad Cameron Young, 24th in the world, as well as Billy Horschel, No. 33, in the world, are prominent figures who aren’t stressing about their playoff position but still angling to improve their chances of finishing in the top 30 and a spot in the Tour Championship at East Lake.
Finishing in the top 50 has never been a bigger deal and that has the likes of another Wake product, Will Zalatoris, No. 45 in the FedEx Cup, Harris English, No. 48, Austin Eckroat, No. 49, Nick Taylor, No. 50, Patrick Rodgers No. 51, and Justin Rose, who catapulted to No. 52 with his runner-up finish at the British Open a few weeks ago, all trying to scoot in or hang on for dear life to a spot in the top 50 – which will be determined next week in Memphis. But playing well at the Wyndham could go a long way to helping their chances and making the St. Jude (relatively) stress-free.
The most important number at the Wyndham is 70 – that’s how many players will advance into the first of the three playoffs events. Emiliano Grillo, who is representing Argentina in the Olympics this week, is No. 68, and France’s Olympian Victor Perez, No. 71, are coming all the way from Paris to battle the top-70 bubble. Brendon Todd is the current “Bubble Boy” at No. 70.
Lucas Glover, who is No. 76 in the FedEx Cup, is in much better shape than he was last year heading into the Wyndham Championship — he was No. 112 — before he won the title to back-door his way into the playoffs, but he’s still got work to do if he’s going to have a shot to defend the following week at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Matt Kuchar, who is the only player to qualify for all 17 editions of the playoffs, is coming off a T-3 at the 3M Open but still has a lot of ground to make up if he’s going to keep that streak alive. He enters the Wyndham Championship at 113th in the FedEx Cup standings. As the saying goes, you’ve got to be in it to win it.
There are others who not only have playoffs to consider but also Presidents Cup hopes. The biennial event between the U.S. and the International Team will be held in late September and the window for qualifying on points or to make a good impression for a captain’s pick is winding down. No matter who you are in the field of 156 at the Donald Ross-designed Sedgefield CC, there’s something to play for at the 35th and final regular season Tour stop.
