BlogWyndham Championship Preview and Picks

Wyndham Championship

August 1st – 4th, 2019

Sedgefield Country Club

Greensboro,, NC

Par: 70 / Yardage: 7,127

Purse: $6.2 million

with $1,116,000 to the winner

Defending Champion:
Brandt Snedeker

by Sal Johnson

Founder, Chief Data Officer, GOLFstats

E-mail me at:
sal@golfstats.com

This week’s field includes:

The field includes 36 of the top 100 and 11 of the top 50 in the latest Official World Rankings, with three from the top-25 in the field #17 Webb Simpson, #19 Paul Casey and #24 Patrick Reed: The rest of the top 50 players are #28 Chez Reavie, #31 Hideki Matsuyama, #37 Jordan Saith, #1 Billy Horschel, #43 Cameron Smith, #44 Alex Noren, #48 Brandt Snedeker and #49 Lucas Bjerregaard.

Last year there was 22 top 100 players and 7 top 50 players in the field.

The field includes 5 of the top 25 on the FedEx point standings for 2019, #8 Paul Casey, #13 Webb Simpson, #14 Chez Reavie, #17 Charles Howell III and #25 Sungjae Im.

The field includes 4 past champions: SiWoo Kim (2016), Patrick Reed (2013), Webb Simpson (2011) and Brandt Snedeker (2018 & ’07).

A perfect way for fantasy golfers to check on the past performance of all the players in the Wyndham Championship field is our performance chart listed by the average finish.  Another way to check who is the best is through a special formula worked out in Golfstats that gives us the best average performances at the Wyndham Championship field in the last five years or check out our sortable 8-year glance at the Wyndham Championship field.

A good cheat sheet is this list of odds from the top bookmakers in England.

Another cheat sheet is this list of odds from the top bookmaker in Las Vegas.

Time to look at our who’s hot and who isn’t:

Who’s Hot in the field for the Wyndham Championship

Player WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational Barracuda Championship British Open Barbasol Championship John Deere Classic Scottish Open 3M Open Rocket Mortgage Classic Travelers Championship U.S. Open RBC Canadian Open Memorial Tournament
Collin Morikawa
(310 pts)
DNP Win
(132)
DNP DNP T4
(80)
DNP T2
(66.67)
DNP T36
(9.33)
T35
(10)
T14
(12)
DNP
Webb Simpson
(246 pts)
2
(150)
DNP T30
(40)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T16
(22.67)
T2
(33.33)
DNP
Patrick Reed
(227 pts)
T12
(57)
DNP 10
(80)
DNP DNP DNP T23
(18)
T5
(46.67)
T30
(13.33)
T32
(12)
DNP DNP
Sepp Straka
(179.33 pts)
DNP 12
(38)
DNP 3
(90)
T26
(24)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
T11
(26)
CUT
(-6.67)
T28
(14.67)
T60
(0)
DNP
Dylan Frittelli
(166.67 pts)
DNP DNP T32
(36)
DNP Win
(132)
DNP T46
(2.67)
T46
(2.67)
CUT
(-6.67)
DNP 59
(0)
DNP
Chez Reavie
(155.83 pts)
T27
(34.5)
DNP CUT
(-20)
DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
Win
(88)
T3
(60)
DNP DNP
Martin Laird
(146.33 pts)
DNP T7
(55)
DNP T6
(60)
T37
(13)
DNP T42
(5.33)
CUT
(-6.67)
T21
(19.33)
DNP T50
(0.33)
DNP
Joaquin Niemann
(145.33 pts)
DNP DNP CUT
(-20)
DNP T10
(40)
DNP T23
(18)
T5
(46.67)
T5
(46.67)
DNP T31
(6.33)
T27
(7.67)
Rory Sabbatini
(133.67 pts)
DNP DNP T16
(68)
DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
T3
(60)
DNP T43
(4.67)
DNP T27
(7.67)
Matthew Wolff
(133.33 pts)
T24
(39)
DNP DNP DNP T37
(13)
DNP Win
(88)
CUT
(-6.67)
T80
(0)
DNP DNP DNP
Doc Redman
(133 pts)
DNP DNP T20
(60)
DNP T37
(13)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
2
(66.67)
DNP DNP DNP DNP
Alex Noren
(131.33 pts)
T12
(57)
DNP T11
(78)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
T63
(0)
T41
(3)
Roger Sloan
(131 pts)
DNP T7
(55)
DNP DNP T10
(40)
DNP T15
(23.33)
T21
(19.33)
CUT
(-6.67)
DNP T56
(0)
DNP
Jordan Spieth
(128.67 pts)
T12
(57)
DNP T20
(60)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
T65
(0)
DNP T7
(18.33)
Lucas Glover
(123.33 pts)
DNP DNP T20
(60)
DNP T10
(40)
DNP T7
(36.67)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
CUT
(-6.67)
DNP T52
(0)
Cameron Smith
(121 pts)
T12
(57)
DNP T20
(60)
DNP DNP DNP DNP T29
(14)
CUT
(-6.67)
T72
(0)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
Troy Merritt
(121 pts)
DNP 2
(100)
DNP CUT
(-10)
CUT
(-10)
DNP T7
(36.67)
CUT
(-6.67)
T71
(0)
DNP DNP T17
(11)
Vaughn Taylor
(116.67 pts)
DNP DNP DNP DNP T6
(60)
DNP DNP T46
(2.67)
4
(53.33)
DNP DNP T48
(0.67)
Russell Henley
(111.67 pts)
DNP T15
(35)
DNP DNP 2
(100)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
CUT
(-6.67)
CUT
(-6.67)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP
Josh Teater
(109.67 pts)
DNP T13
(37)
DNP T6
(60)
T67
(0)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
T35
(10)
T36
(9.33)
DNP T63
(0)
DNP
Viktor Hovland
(108.67 pts)
DNP DNP DNP DNP T16
(34)
DNP T13
(24.67)
T13
(24.67)
T54
(0)
T12
(25.33)
DNP DNP
Wes Roach
(108.67 pts)
DNP T46
(4)
DNP T45
(5)
T10
(40)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
T3
(60)
CUT
(-6.67)
DNP T11
(13)
DNP
Paul Casey
(100.5 pts)
T27
(34.5)
DNP T57
(0)
DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T5
(46.67)
T21
(19.33)
DNP DNP
Sebastian Munoz
(96.67 pts)
DNP 11
(39)
DNP T9
(45)
T37
(13)
DNP 72
(0)
CUT
(-6.67)
CUT
(-6.67)
DNP T11
(13)
DNP
Billy Horschel
(96.5 pts)
T9
(67.5)
DNP CUT
(-20)
DNP DNP DNP DNP T17
(22)
DNP T32
(12)
DNP T9
(15)
Chris Stroud
(95 pts)
DNP T15
(35)
DNP DNP T4
(80)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
WD
(-3.33)
CUT
(-6.67)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP
Robert Streb
(95 pts)
DNP T3
(90)
DNP CUT
(-10)
CUT
(-10)
DNP T34
(10.67)
CUT
(-6.67)
T21
(19.33)
DNP T35
(5)
CUT
(-3.33)
Brandt Snedeker
(92.5 pts)
T27
(34.5)
DNP CUT
(-20)
DNP DNP DNP DNP T5
(46.67)
T43
(4.67)
77
(0)
T4
(26.67)
DNP
Hideki Matsuyama
(91.17 pts)
T43
(10.5)
DNP CUT
(-20)
DNP DNP DNP T7
(36.67)
T13
(24.67)
DNP T21
(19.33)
DNP 6
(20)
Bronson Burgoon
(90.33 pts)
DNP 5
(70)
DNP DNP T47
(3)
DNP T34
(10.67)
T35
(10)
T60
(0)
DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)
Martin Kaymer
(89 pts)
DNP T31
(19)
DNP DNP DNP T20
(30)
DNP DNP DNP T35
(10)
DNP 3
(30)
Wyndham Clark
(88.67 pts)
DNP DNP DNP DNP T71
(0)
DNP T5
(46.67)
T17
(22)
T15
(23.33)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP
Byeong Hun An
(87.67 pts)
DNP DNP T32
(36)
DNP DNP DNP DNP T13
(24.67)
CUT
(-6.67)
T16
(22.67)
DNP T17
(11)
Charles Howell III
(84.67 pts)
DNP DNP DNP DNP T6
(60)
DNP T23
(18)
T35
(10)
DNP T52
(0)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
Sungjae Im
(84.33 pts)
DNP DNP CUT
(-20)
DNP T26
(24)
DNP T15
(23.33)
T21
(19.33)
T21
(19.33)
DNP 7
(18.33)
T57
(0)

How Player Rankings are Computed

Who’s Not Hot in the field for the Wyndham Championship

Player WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational Barracuda Championship British Open Barbasol Championship John Deere Classic Scottish Open 3M Open Rocket Mortgage Classic Travelers Championship U.S. Open RBC Canadian Open Memorial Tournament
Si Woo Kim
(-53.67 pts)
DNP DNP CUT
(-20)
DNP DNP CUT
(-10)
CUT
(-6.67)
CUT
(-6.67)
CUT
(-6.67)
CUT
(-6.67)
DNP T41
(3)
Padraig Harrington
(-50 pts)
DNP CUT
(-10)
CUT
(-20)
DNP DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP
Martin Trainer
(-46.67 pts)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
CUT
(-6.67)
CUT
(-6.67)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
CUT
(-3.33)
Chris Thompson
(-43.67 pts)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-10)
CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
CUT
(-6.67)
CUT
(-6.67)
DNP T31
(6.33)
DNP
J.J. Henry
(-43.33 pts)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-10)
T61
(0)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
CUT
(-6.67)
CUT
(-6.67)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP
Luke List
(-43.33 pts)
DNP DNP CUT
(-20)
DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-6.67)
CUT
(-6.67)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
Brady Schnell
(-41.67 pts)
DNP CUT
(-10)
DNP WD
(-5)
CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
CUT
(-6.67)
68
(0)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP
Julian Etulain
(-38.33 pts)
DNP WD
(-5)
DNP T64
(0)
CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
CUT
(-6.67)
CUT
(-3.33)
DNP
Chad Collins
(-36.67 pts)
DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-10)
CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
T64
(0)
CUT
(-6.67)
DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP
Will Claxton
(-36.67 pts)
DNP DNP DNP CUT
(-10)
CUT
(-10)
DNP CUT
(-6.67)
CUT
(-6.67)
DNP DNP CUT
(-3.33)
DNP

How Player Rankings are Computed

The Buzz:

Are there any questions on who our player of the year is going to me?  After Brooks Koepka’s fine performance in the WGC-St. Jude Invitational there is no question on who the Player of the Year will be.  As for the biggest disappointment of the year, maybe even this decade, it has to be Rory McIlory.  I know that he won two prestige events at the Players Championship and the RBC Canadian Open, but in the 16 events he has played in, he should have won seven of those events and if he could have played lights out in the final round he could have won 10 times.  In the majors he was a big disappointment, he struggled early at the Masters and was a non-story finishing T-21st.  At the PGA Championship, again he started slowly and finished T-8th, 9 shots back of winner Brooks Koepka.  At the U.S. Open, he played great through 36 holes but finished with scores of 70-72 to finish 8 back of Gary Woodland.

But his biggest sin of the year had to be missing the cut at the British Open.  Played in his backyard, he was behind the 8-ball when he hit his opening drive out of bounds, took 8 on that hole and finished with a 79.  Sure, he shot 65 in the second round to miss the cut by one, but that spelled the problem with his year.  Other than his closing 61 to win the RBC Canadian Open, McIlroy never was able to piece together any kind of consistency to his good play.  Just like he did in Memphis last week when he shot 69-67-62 to go into the final round with the lead, all he could do was muster up a one-over par 71 to finish five back of Koepka.  McIlroy has three events left, the three FedExCup Playoffs and sure he could win one or two of them and capture the FedExCup for the year, but in a way that would feel a bit like his second round 65 at Portrush teasing us on what could have been.  So for gamblers and fantasy golf players, McIlroy has been our worst nightmare as he has cost us more money than any other player in 2019.

So we are down to the last regular PGA Tour event of the season at the Wyndham Championship.  This week isn’t about the marquee names of golf, most of them are taking the week off getting ready for the FedExCup playoffs. This week is more about players moving up the rankings, for many players it’s the last chance to get into the top-125 of the FedEx Standings so that they can not only get into the playoffs but secure their tour card for 2020.  For many, it’s a chance to get closer to the top-30 which gets them not only into the last playoff event at East Lake but it also gets them into all the majors for 2020.  Of course many like Webb Simpson love Sedgefield and would play here no matter where they are in the standings, but on the whole most of the players have reasons for being here.  The field is not strong, only three top-25 players (#17 Webb Simpson, #19 Paul Casey & #24 Patrick Reed), along with 8 others that are ranked between 26 and 50th in the Official World Rankings.

For some the season will be over this week at the Wyndham:

So here it is, for a good share of those in the field of the Wyndham this could be the end of the line.  In the past, this was the last week for those to make it into the FedEx Cup playoffs.  Those in the top-125 move on, while the others waited for the playoffs to finish.  Then they had five to seven event to get into the top-125 of the money list and save their Tour cards for the following year.

The system is drastically different since 2013.  The Wyndham is now the last regular tour event for 2019, so for many its a two-edge sword.  Not only are they looking to finish in the top-125 and move onto the FedEx Cup playoffs, but for those that don’t finish in the top-125, they have lost their PGA Tour cards.

So what happens to those that don’t finish in the top-125?  A more expanded hell that is now called the Korn Ferry Tour finals.  Before it was the PGA Tour Qualifying tournament which if you made it to the final leg (there was three for the unfortunate that had gone through all three stages) it was six days of golf in which 25 cards were on the line for the 144 player field.  So if you had a bad first day or first couple of days, that was it you wouldn’t be able to recover and had to endure the Korn Ferry Tour for a year.

Now the pain of qualifying is based on three events over the course of three weeks.  So in a way, the torture is greatly expanded, but in a sense, you have more chances to qualify and regain your card.  Here is how it runs.  For those that are not in the top-125 of the FedEx Cup point totals, those between 126 and 175 they get into the four-tournament Korn Ferry Tour finals.  The events are the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship in Columbus, Ohio (August 15th – 18th), the Albertsons Boise Open in Boise, Idaho, (August 22nd – 25th) and then the Korn Ferry Tour Championship played at the Victoria National Golf Club in Newburgh, Indiana. (August 30th – Sept 2nd).  The good news, for this year the playoffs are only three events instead of the four that it has been.

Those between 126 and 175 will be joined by the top-75 money winners of the Korn Ferry Tour.  The premise is that 50 cards will be given out.  The top-25 of the Korn Ferry money list will receive a card.  So for those that have played the tour all year, they will have a significant advantage over the PGA Tour players because the PGA Tour players will have zero dollars while those on the Korn Ferry Tour will have their money.  But with each event having a bigger purse with the first place of $180,000 those PGA Tour regulars will be able to make up the difference quickly.

The other 25 cards will go to players who earn the most cumulative money in the three Korn Ferry Tour events.  So you can see, in a way, there are more chances for players. If you play poorly in the first couple of events and then catch fire, you can gain a card.  The only problem is that now your pain is over five weeks, not just six days.

A lot of us miss the old PGA Tour qualifying tournament, but in a way, this will be easier for players to regain their cards.  The only problem, new players, aren’t finding a way into the final qualifying tournament and can’t have that shining moment, something that about a half-dozen players a year get to do.  So to break into the PGA Tour, it will now be a two-year process of qualifying for the Korn Ferry Tour and then having to endure the Korn Ferry Tour finals.

So in a way, this week’s Wyndham will be necessary for those not only getting into the top-125 but also to have some chance and get into the top-175.

For those wondering, here are the noteworthy players on the FedExCup top 125 bubble in the Wyndham Championship field

FEC Standing        Player

  • 120   Aaron Wise (Doesn’t have to worry about losing his card)
  • 121   Brice Garnett (Doesn’t have to worry about losing his card)
  • 122   Pat Perez
  • 123   Sebastian Munoz
  • 124   Robert Streb
  • 125   Alex Noren
  • 126   Austin Cook (Doesn’t have to worry about losing his card)
  • 127   Richy Werenski
  • 128   Martin Trainer (Doesn’t have to worry about losing his card)
  • 129   Patton Kizzire (Doesn’t have to worry about losing his card)
  • 130   Peter Uihlein
  • 131   Daniel Berger
  • 132   Andrew Landry
  • 133   Bronson Burgoon
  • 134   Shawn Stefani
  • 135   Wes Roach
  • 136   Jason Dufner (Doesn’t have to worry about losing his card)
  • 137   Ryan Blaum
Tournament information:

Created in 1938, the 2018 edition of the Wyndham Championship will be the 79th tournament. Initially known as the Greater Greensboro Open, the tournament has blossomed from its small roots. The event was the vision of the Greensboro Jaycee’s Chapter, which was but a year old when the idea was conceived. Many were in favor of the creation of a golf tournament; however, no one took steps to create an event until, at a meeting in the summer of 1937, Joseph Bryan put up capital to back the event. The PGA Tour placed the tournament on the 1938 schedule.

If Joseph Bryan is credited with being the backer, then Sam Snead is the owner of the event. His eight victories at Greensboro, including the inaugural event, was a record for most wins by a player at one tournament until Tiger tied him in several events. The Greensboro-based tournament had been played every year except for 1943 and 1944 when the event paused because of World War II.

The tournament name held until 1988 when Kmart became the title sponsor, and the event became known as the Kmart Greater Greensboro Open.  After an eight-year run, Chrysler took over in 1996, and in 2003 the Greater was dropped in favor of Chrysler Classic of Greensboro. That name held until 2006 when Daimler Chrysler pulled out as title sponsor, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts took over. The 2014 Wyndham Championship has ramifications for the FedEx Cup Championship. The Wyndham Championship is the last event in which golfers, vying for position in the playoff system, can earn points.

For 31 years between 1977 and 2007, Forest Oaks Country Club hosted the event, but it wasn’t considered “fan friendly,” and the course wasn’t very memorable.  One of the reasons that Forest Oaks got the event in 1977 from Sedgefield was because the course was too short and didn’t have the room and parking to handle big crowds.  It was a big disappointment for the members when they lost the event, and many had been lobbying to get it back.  With Wyndham taking over the sponsorship and having it’s offices nearby, and the membership invested $3 million in renovating the course and opened the doors for the return.  When the course was reopened in 2007 to rave reviews, it was decided to change venues for 2008 and has held the event ever since.

Course information:
  • Sedgefield Country Club
  • Greensboro, N.C.
  • 7,127 yards     Par 35-35–70
  • Between 1938 and 1976 Sedgefield held the Wyndham Championship 26 times and was considered a tremendous old Donald Ross course.  Unfortunately, the course was short and small for galleries, so the event moved on.  Still, the course was considered a gem, and for years membership tried to lure it back.
  • Sedgefield founded in 1925, is located in the rolling hills of Greensboro’s Sedgefield neighborhood. The club has hosted many amateur golf tournaments as well as 32 years of the Wyndham Championship. In addition to its Donald Ross-designed golf course, Sedgefield is perhaps best known for its signature clubhouse, a Tudor-style building housed in the framework of the original Sedgefield Inn built in 1925, the Atlantic Coast Conference was founded in this building in 1953.
  • Couple of years ago the club entrusted North Carolina course architect Kris Spence with the job of restoring the course back to its original Donald Ross design while making adjustments to bring the course in line with the modern game.  Spence’s renovation added another 400 yards to Sedgefield, bringing its length to 7,130 yards. Par will be 70 as the 18th hole will be converted into a par 4.
  • Emphasis must be put on ball placement in the fairway to get the appropriate angle to the green. The greens at Sedgefield are very undulating and slope from back to front, with many falling off the edges into collection areas.  In 2013 Sedgefield played to a 69.383 scoring average, more than a shot under par for the field.  It ranked as the 23rd hardest of 43 courses for 2013.  In 2016 it played to a scoring average of 69.209 and ranked 38th out of the 48 courses for the year.  Last year the course played very easy to a 68.81 average and ranked 37th hardest course.
  • It will be an exciting scenario for the players that a Donald Ross course will be used to get players ready for next month’s Tour Championship that will be played on another Ross course at Eastlake, outside of Atlanta.

Let’s take a look at vital stats that are important for those playing at Sedgefield

This is based on the most vital stats from Sedgefield C.C., based on data from last year’s Wyndham Championship and using data from all the players in the field with stats from 2019.
For the third week in a row, the tour plays a course that driving it straight matters a lot, the key to playing well at Sedgefield is to hit it straight and position your drives for the shot into the green. A look at the list of champions at the Wyndham since the event went back to Sedgefield in 2008 shows that the list of winners are guys that either hit is short and straight, or in the case of hitting it long players like Webb Simpson, Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed, Si Woo Kim and 2017 winner Henrik Stenson. Last year’s winner Brandt Snedeker is a short hitter, but when he is playing well it’s it straight. Another important aspect of driving for long hitters, the holes that dogleg need players to lay it up to avoid going through the fairway and it’s always best to be in the fairways. The course is tree line and that is more of a hazard than the rough which is not as penal as it could be.
Like any other great Donald Ross course, the greens are tough, first in hitting them if you miss them it’s a hard up and down. The greens are also pretty flat and lot’s of putts are made, by good and bad putters. So it’s a course that favors short hitters, those that do scramble well and average putters. Last week was a perfect example, winner Brooks Koepka was able to scramble great getting it up and down 20 of the 22 greens he missed to rank 1st and putt well ranking 1st in Strokes Gained Putting. All of this added up to Koepka making 21 birdies the 3rd best of the week. The same will have to happen this week for someone to win.

So in looking at our four categories, we see how much driving and getting the ball on the green makes a difference. So we pick Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green because at Sedgefield putting the ball in play off the tee is very important, probably one of the most important items on this Donald Ross course. Last year Snedeker was 2nd in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green. Then getting the ball on the greens is important and we all know how hard it is to hit a Donald Ross green. That is why next up is scrambling, because the greens are hard to hit when you miss the green you have to get it up and down to win. Last year Sedgefield ranked 20th in Scrambling. Our next stat is putting average which is important, last year Sedgefield was 11th in putting average while Snedeker was 2nd, so to play well it’s important to putt well on this course We are going to take it a step further and use the Strokes Gained Putting stat for our third category. Last we have birdies, last year 1,746 birdies were made, five other courses saw more birdies made. So we are using the Birdie average for our final category.

*Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green: Looks at the combination of length off the tee and accuracy, then getting the ball on the green so it determines who is best at all of these items.

*Scrambler: Who gets it up and down after missing a green.

*Strokes Gained Putting: Look who picks up the most strokes on the greens.

*Birdie average: Players who average the most birdies made per round.

Here are the 137 of 156 players from this year’s field with stats from 2019:

Click any column title in the table header to sort columns.

Here is another look at the stats for the other 127 at the Wyndham Championship

DraftKings tips

*Here are the guys that cost the most on DraftKings this week:
  • Webb Simpson – $11,200
  • Hideki Matsuyama – $10,900
  • Jordan Spieth – $10,600
  • Collin Morikawa – $10,400
  • Brandt Snedeker – $10,000
  • Paul Casey – $9,800
  • Patrick Reed – $9,700
  • Billy Horschel – $9,600
  • Viktor Hovland – $9,500
  • Matthew Wolff – $9,400
  • Chez Reavie – $9.300
  • Rory Sabbatini – $9,200
  • Joaquin Niemann – $9,100
  • Cameron Smith – $9,000

This is one of those weeks where you will do better off with the average price player.  The concept of this week is mostly for people to have a last-ditch try at either saving their tour card or at best running up enough FedExCup points to possibly go further into the playoffs.  So you won’t see Dustin or Brooks or Tiger or Rory playing this week.  As you can see only two players in the top-20 of the world rankings is playing, Webb Simpson and Paul Casey.  So look for the best deals in the $7,500 to $8,900 price range

So, of course, that is the reason that Webb Simpson is the most expensive at $11,200.  He is the favorite and historically has done the best of anyone in the field in this event, so yes even at a big price Simpson is worth it.  Or you can pick Hideki Matsuyama at $10,900, he has been trending all summer, just ready to break out with a great week of golf.  This could be his week since he was T-11th at Wyndham last year and T-3rd in 2016.  He also ranks 5th in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green, T-21st in Greens in Regulation, 22nd in Scrambling and T-11th in Birdie Average, all stats that are important in winning at Sedgefield.  Now Jordan Spieth is $10,600 which is a ridiculous number and one of those players that you can pass on.  Odds are greater in him missing the cut than finishing in the top-three.  Now Collin Morikawa at $10,400 is a lot, I think Collin will play well this week as he wants to have another great finish which would solidify not only his PGA Tour membership in 2020 but also give him full exemptions into every event including all WGC’s events, the Players Championship, and all four majors.  Brandt Snedeker is at $10,000 and the defending champion always plays well at Sedgefield.  He ranks 11th in Strokes Gained Putting and 3rd in Strokes Gained Around-the-Green. Was T-5th at Rocket Mortgage which is played on another Donald Ross course.  Paul Casey at $9,800 is another player to consider, he was T-3rd the last time he played at Sedgefield in 2015, so the big question is why it took him so long to return.  I am not a big Patrick Reed fan but at $9,700 he is good this week.  Despite a balky putter, he is a past Wyndham champion, was T-12th last week in Memphis, 10th at the British Open, T-23rd at the 3M and T-5th at the Rocket Mortgage on a course similar to Sedgefield, so anything could happen this week.  Billy Horschel at $9,600 is good since he has been in the top-11 in two of his last three starts at Sedgefield including a T-5th in 2016.  Viktor Hovland at $9,500 is another college star that left the collegiate ranks in June for the pro ranks and despite still looking for his first top-ten, has produced four finishes between 12th and 16th place in five starts.  Could he win this week I can’t say, but he is knocking on the door of some fantastic play.  Now one of those players that turned pro in June is Matthew Wolff at $9,400.  He won the 3M Open but since has cooled down a bit and I don’t think he is a Donald Ross type of player so I say no.  Many will like Chez Reavie at $9,300 but I say no, he has missed the cut in three of his last four Wyndham starts.  Also not a big Rory Sabbatini fan at $9,200, but he could be an option since he’s played great this year and did finish T-3rd at the Rocket Mortgage on another Donald Ross course.  At Sedgefield was T-4th in 2017 and T-8th in 2013.  I do like Joaquin Niemann at $9,100,  he was T-33rd last year, finishing with rounds of 66-66 over the weekend and finished T-5th on another Donald Ross course, the Rocket Mortgage.  Last but not least is Cameron Smith at $9,000.  He started strongly, winning the Australian PGA in December and was T-6th at the WGC-Mexico but has struggled since.  Showed some signs of life with a T-12th at Memphis last week, he was T-7th at Wyndham in 2017.

*Players in that $7,500 to $8,900 price range, which ones are worth the money?:

I like Charles Howell III at $8,900 and Alex Noren at $8,800 whose game has been good of late, T-12th at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude, T-11th at the British Open.  Lucas Glover at $8,700 is a winner, his stats are great as he is 4th on Tour in Scrambling, 20th in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green and 53rd in Birdie Average.  Just needs to putt a bit better.  Martin Kaymer at $8,600 is a good option, played ok at Wyndham in two starts and been very consistent since missing the cut at the PGA Championship.  One guy to watch is Sepp Streaks at $,700 and is a good sleeper pick, he is long and straight off the tee and hits lots of greens.  Also watch Doc Redman at $7,600 he was 2nd at the Rocket Mortgage, on a Donald Ross course. After a terrible start to his year, he has stabilized the season with a 3rd at the Barbasol Championship and 12th at the Barracuda Championship, now his only problem he is a poor putter and has been better the last couple of starts.  Last I like Jason Dufner at $7,500, he has an ok record at Sedgefield including a T-7th in 2012

*Some of the “bargains” this week at the Wyndham

Lucas Bjerregaard at $7,400 caught my eye at the British open, good solid player who could be a good pick.  Watch Bud Cauley at $7,300 he was 3rd at the Wyndham in 2012.  Wyndham Clark at $7,300 is a good buy, he was T-5th at the 3M and has had a good summer.  I also think that Nick Watney at $7,200 is a good buy, he has played well this summer and was T-6th in his last start at the John Deere.  Last I like Luke Donald at $6,600.  He is an old warhorse that plays well on these type of courses, he was  2nd in 2016 and hasn’t been bad this summer.

Here are some of the secrets of what it takes to play well at the Wyndham Championship:

The key stat for the winner:
  • Sedgefield is a very versatile course. Length is not critical because the course plays at about 7,127 yards, just a notch below average for a PGA Tour event. With length not being a factor, players are afforded the opportunity to use either driver or long iron off the tee. The most critical thing for the field is to manage the slope of the course. To do that, ball control and accuracy are essential.
  • Now this tournament was made famous by Sam Snead, who won it eight times, the PGA Tour record for the most victories by a player in a single event. Snead captured the inaugural event in 1938, and when he won it for the eighth time in 1965, he became the oldest winner in PGA Tour history at 52 years, 10 months and eight days.
  • Between 1949 and 1965 Snead was never higher than 8th and won $37,827 or about the same amount that the player in 28th place will win this week.  For the record, if Snead would have played all 17 events at the present purse of $6 million his Greensboro earnings would have been around $8 million.  Oh, Snead is the only winner in Greensboro history to defend his championship but Brandt Snedeker could join Snead as back to back Wyndham winners.
Here are some more key stats to look to for this week:
  • Length is not an issue so that open’s things up quite a bit. Look for the winner to be someone who doesn’t like to muscle up with the driver, and settles for using a long iron for control. Past winners of the event are some of the best iron players on tour. The likes of Henrik Stenson, Brandt Snedeker, Sergio Garcia, Webb Simpson, Mark O’Meara, Davis Love III, and Steve Elkington have hoisted the trophy. Look for the winner to be able to manage the surroundings, as the undulations are the most challenging part of the golf course. There is a reason that 2015 winner Davis Love III won at age 51 and that is experienced.  Te past winners from Sedgefield except for Arjun Atwal in 2010 are all experience players so look for someone like that to win.
  •  Hitting greens will be at a premium at this Donald Ross gem, just like it was last week at TPC Southwind.   Hitting lots of greens goes a long way at the Wyndham Championship.  Look for the winner to hit greens in bunches.
  • North Carolina in the summertime is rife with heat and humidity, primarily since it was hot last week. This will be important because the bent grass greens will bake making the undulated greens even more challenging.
  • Talking about the weather, it could be a problem for this week.  It will be hot and humid all week at Greensboro, but the major problem is thunderstorms which will be a threat each day.

Who to watch for at the Wyndham Championship

Best Bets:

Webb Simpson

2019 ’18 ’17 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07
T2 3 T72 T6 T5 T11 T22 Win T8 CUT

Can’t miss, of all the players, has the best record at Sedgefield and played well last week in Memphis finishing 2nd.

Hideki Matsuyama

2019 ’18 ’17 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07
T11 T3 CUT CUT 15

Has been a lost year for him if he could win would be some redemption. He was T-11th at Wyndham last year and T-3rd in 2016.

Patrick Reed

2019 ’18 ’17 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07
T22 T24 Win T66

Past champion won Wyndham in 2013. Despite a balky putter, he was T-12th last week in Memphis, 10th at the British Open, T-23rd at the 3M and T-5th at the Rocket Mortgage on a course similar to Sedgefield, so anything could happen this week.

Best of the rest:

Collin Morikawa

2019 ’18 ’17 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07
First time playing in this event

Could be the hottest player in golf right now, since graduating from Cal Berkley in May with a Business Administration degree and turning pro has played in six events and made the cut in all six. In his last three starts was T-2nd at the 3M Open, T-4th at the John Deere Classic and won the Barracuda last week.

Paul Casey

2019 ’18 ’17 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07
T3 T18 CUT 75 T47 T26

This could be a brilliant pick if only one thing happens, Casey is better on and around the greens. Was T-3rd the last time he played at Sedgefield in 2015, so the big question is why it took him so long to return.

Brandt Snedeker

2019 ’18 ’17 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07
Win T3 T43 T5 CUT T28 CUT T8 T5 T69 Win

Defending champion who always plays well at Sedgefield, one top of two wins was T-3rd in 2016 and T-5th in 2014.

Joaquin Niemann

2019 ’18 ’17 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07
T33

Was T-33rd last year, finishing with rounds of 66-66 over the weekend. Finished T-5th on another Donald Ross course, the Rocket Mortgage.

Solid contenders

Lucas Glover

2019 ’18 ’17 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07
T28 T22 T18 CUT CUT WD T30 7 T24 T20 T20

Mixed results at Sedgefield but the key is he has played good most of the year, just not great. But that could change at any time since his game is perfect for Sedgefield with the exception of his putting which has always kept him back.

Billy Horschel

2019 ’18 ’17 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07
T11 T60 T5 CUT T47 T46 T30

Been on the verge of breaking things open all year, his big problem is always that one poor round of the week. If he could avoid that, could do well.

Alex Noren

2019 ’18 ’17 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07
First time playing in this event

Game has been good of late, T-12th at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude, T-11th at the British Open.

Charles Howell III

2019 ’18 ’17 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07
T31 CUT DQ T31 T4 T13

His game is perfect for a Donald Ross course.

Long shots that could come through:

Sepp Straka

2019 ’18 ’17 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07
First time playing in this event

Good sleeper pick, he is long and straight off the tee and hits lot’s of greens.

Cameron Smith

2019 ’18 ’17 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07
T7 CUT T18

Was T-7th last year at Wyndham, shot 63 on Sunday.

Luke Donald

2019 ’18 ’17 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07
CUT 2 T26

He is an old warhorse that plays well on these type of courses, he was 2nd in 2016 and hasn’t been bad this summer.

Not good choices this week:

Jordan Spieth

2019 ’18 ’17 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07
2

Odds are greater in missing the cut than finishing in the top-three, his game is not a match for Sedgefield.

Chez Reavie

2019 ’18 ’17 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07
T37 CUT CUT CUT T58 T9 T10

Since winning at the Travelers in his last three starts he missed the cut at the Rocket Mortgage and British Open, was T-27th at WGC-FedEx St. Jude.

Speak Your Mind

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.