PGA Tour Picks: Wyndham Championship

By Tom LaMarre

Welcome to the PGA Tour’s version of the Last Roundup, otherwise known as the Wyndham Championship, which begins Thursday at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C.

This is the last opportunity for golfers to improve their positions in the FedEx Cup standings heading to the playoffs, which begin next week with The Northern Trust at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass., featuring the top 125 players in the point standings.

That will be followed by the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club outside Chicago, with only the top 70 players in the points, and the FedEx Cup playoffs are capped by the top 30 playing in the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

The Wyndham Championship has been the last chance to move up in the standings since 2007.

Last year, J.T. Poston claimed his first PGA Tour victory in his home state by one stroke in the Wyndham Championship over 2011 Wyndham champion Webb Simpson with a closing 8-under-par 62 and climbed 56 spots to 27th in the FedEx Cup standings.

Poston was still enjoying his victory when he was jarred back to reality by officials talking to him about a flight to Boston for The Northern Trust.

“Somebody from Wyndham came and asked me about flying there pretty much as I was walking to the 18th green for the trophy ceremony,” said Poston, who could use a strong showing in his title defense since he is 58th in the FedEx Cup standings. “So, it was all kind of hitting me pretty fast.

“It’s a Playoff event. The next two weeks are big weeks for me as far as seeing if I can get to the Tour championship.”

However, Poston might have had a bit of hangover from his victory, tying for 59th in The Northern Trust before bouncing back with a tie 16th in BMW, but barely missed the Tour Championship by finishing 32nd in the standings—still the best of his career.

Also in the field this week trying to improve their position in the standings are former FedEx Cup champions Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth, Brandt Snedeker, Bill Haas and Billy Horschel, along with the sixth-ranked Simpson, seventh-ranked Brooks Koepka and ninth-ranked Patrick Reed.

Chase Seiffert, who is No. 125 and in the last qualifying spot, also is in the field along with Nick Watney, who is one point point Seiffert, who trails No. 124 Bronson Burgoon, also by only one point.

Last season, only Andrew Landry and Patton Kizzire climbed into the top 125 based on their performances in the Wyndham, but until Sunday night dozens will be full of hope among those on the outside looking in.

BEST BETS

1. Webb Simpson, United States – This Carolina boy has been right at home in the Wyndham, winning in 2011, finishing third in 2017, tying for second in 2018 and finishing solo second last year, one shot behind J.T. Poston. Simpson has won twice this season among his six finishes in the top-10, and sits third in the FedEx Cup point standings.
2. Brooks Koepka, United States – After being in contention for his third straight PGA Championship, Kopeka struggled to a closing 74 and slid to a tie for 29th. He was outside the top 130 in the FedEx standings before a tie for second recently in the FedEx-St. Jude and now is 92nd. Hasn’t played in the Wyndham since 2016, when he tied for sixth.
3. Patrick Reed, United States – Captured the 2013 Wyndham for the first of his eight PGA Tour victories and has top-25 finishes in his last three appearances. Won the WGC-Mexico Championship among his six top-10 finishes this season, and closed with a 66 to tie for 13th in the PGA Championship to climb to sixth in the FedEx Cup point standings.
4. Brendon Todd, United States – Shared the first-round lead in the PGA with a 65 and was in the hunt much of the way before tying for 17th. Todd has two victories and nine finishes in the top 25 this season to rank ninth in the FedEx Cup point standings. He tied for 26th in the 2013 Wyndham, but has missed the cut in his four other appearances.
5. Paul Casey, England – One of the best players without a major title, Casey was in the hunt all the way in the PGA Championship before tying for second, two strokes back. That lifted him to 54th place in the FedEx standings. His best results in seven Wyndham starts were a tie for 18th in 2014, a tie for third in 2015 and a tie for 13th last season.
6. Sungjae Im, South Korea – Missed the cut in the PGA Championship last week, but has six top-10 finishes this season including a victory in the Honda Classic, and is fifth in the FedEx Cup standings after holding the lead part of the season. Im took the first-round lead with a 62 in his debut at the Wyndham last year and finished with a tie for sixth.
7. Justin Rose, England – Played some of his best golf of the season when he finished solo ninth in the PGA last week. That came after Rose missed three straight cuts, and he rose to 103rd in the FedEx Cup standings with more work to do this week. Hasn’t played in the Wyndham since 2009, when he tied for fifth, and he also tied for sixth in 2005.
8. Brandt Snedeker, United States – Claimed two of his nine PGA Tour victories in the 2007 and 2018 Wyndham Championship, two of his six top-10 finishes at Sedgefield. Snedeker has only four top-10 finishes this season, the best a tie for third in the Farmers, and needs a good finish to improve his 96th place in the FedEx Cup point standings.
9. Tommy Fleetwood, England – Returned to the PGA Tour two weeks ago and showed some rust, tying for 35th in the WGC-FedEx St. Jude despite closing with a 65, and tied for 29th in the PGA, with a 64 in round two. Fleetwood makes his Wyndham debut this week, trying to improve his 85th place in the FedEx standing heading into the playoffs.
10. Jordan Spieth, United States – Showed flashes of his old form while closing with a 67, but managed only a tie for 71st in the PGA. Spieth has three top-10 finishes this season and is 94th in the FedEx standings. The 2015 FedEx Cup champion was second in the 2013 Wyndham, but didn’t return until last year, when he finished in a tie for 67th.

 OTHER PLAYERS TO WATCH: Danny Willett, England; Si Woo Kim, South Korea; Kevin Kisner, United States; Shane Lowry, Ireland; J.T. Poston, United States; Russell Henley, United States; Bud Cauley, United States; Charl Schwartzel, South Africa; Alex Noren, Sweden; Ryan Moore, United States.

SLEEPERS

1. Abraham Ancer, Mexico – Has four top-10 finishes, including two seconds, and is 13th in FedEx Cup point standings. Ancer finished T-24 in 2018 Wyndham with two 64s.
2. Lanto Griffin, United States – Tied for 19th in his first PGA and is 12th in FedEx Cup standings with 12 top-25s. Four scores in 60s got him only a T-57 in 2018 Wyndham.
3. Tom Hoge, United States – Finished second at Greenbrier and is 38th in FedEx Cup standings with six top-25s. T20 with four scores in 60s was best result in five Wyndhams.
4. Joaquin Niemann, Chile – Has win at Greenbrier among four top-25s to rank 25th in FedEx point standings. T-13 and T-33 in last two Wyndhams with eight scores in the 60s.
5. Maverick McNealy, United States – T8 in Rocket Mortgage, seventh in Barracuda recently after T-5 at Pebble Beach, and is 57th in point standings. Makes Wyndham debut.

For first-round tee times visit https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html