If Bryan and Wu were the thrill of living to play another round, then Rafa Campos was the agony of defeat.
If ever we needed a reminder of why the PGA Tour needs to keep the 36-hole cut intact, Saturday morning at the Black Desert Championship could be Exhibit A.
Both Wesley Bryan and Dylan Wu elected to wait overnight when the horn blew on Friday at 7:08 p.m. suspending play due to darkness. They were two of 19 players still on the course at Black Desert Resort in Ivins, Utah who were unable to complete the second round.
Bryan faced a 14-foot eagle putt while Wu needed to knock in a 4-foot par putt to make the cut. Every cut — and FedEx Cup point — is precious for two players who are battling to keep their Tour card for next season during the FedEx Fall. The top 125 will be exempt into all full-field events and the Players Championship next season while Nos. 126-150 will earn full Korn Ferry Tour status and conditional status on Tour next season. Bryan entered the week at No. 138 and Wu at No. 128. So, just a wee bit of pressure to sleep on — no big deal.
Not for these pros with nerves of steel. When play resumed at 8:15 a.m. local time, both players came through in the clutch to finish with a 36-hole total of 5-under 137 and earn a third-round tee time on Saturday. Bryan knew his eagle try, which wrapped up a bogey-free 6-under 65, was good about halfway there. Check out his joy —hats off to Wes! — here.
A 4-foot par putt on No. 9 and 14-foot eagle putt on No. 18 await Dylan Wu and Wesley Bryan as they attempt to make the cut @BDChampionship.
Not everyone had a happy ending. If Bryan and Wu were the thrill of living to play another round, then Rafa Campos was the agony of defeat as he missed a 15-foot birdie putt at his final hole to fall one short. Both showed why the cut still matters and should remain a key component of what makes the PGA Tour special. No guaranteed contracts here. On the Tour, you eat what you kill.
Getting into the signature events on the PGA Tour means more now than ever.
Getting into the signature events on the PGA Tour means more now than ever.
Elevated purses. More FedEx Cup points. More chances for someone to have a life-changing victory.
However, trying to get into those events, if you’re on the outside looking in, is difficult.
Sure, a player can play their way in through the Aon Swing 10, the top-10 players not already exempt from the FedExCup standings, or the Aon Swing 5, the top-five FedExCup points earners not already exempt from the swings of full-field events leading up to each signature event. And then there’s sponsor exemptions.
However, the players who have been given sponsor exemptions seem to be ruffling some feathers.
Dylan Wu, a 27-year-old PGA Tour pro who has made three cuts in six starts this season, said the selection process seems suspect for how players get chosen for sponsor exemptions. He posted his thoughts on social media on Saturday in response to a post saying Adam Scott was receiving his third straight exemption into a signature event, and Webb Simpson was receiving one, too.
Both Scott and Simpson are Player Directors for the Tour.
And trust me, they’re both great players that probably deserve it but this new model is all about meritocracy. Sponsor exemptions going to the same players every elevated event doesn’t seem to follow the “play better” saying. Seems like “be more famous” or “know the right people”
“Great players and major champions,” Wu wrote in his post. “I can’t say much because I missed the cut hard this week but getting more than one sponsor exemption into elevated events doesn’t seem fair. Seems like if you’re a player director, you’ll get an invite into an elevated event. Seems suspect…..
“And trust me, they’re both great players that probably deserve it but this new model is all about meritocracy. Sponsor exemptions going to the same players every elevated event doesn’t seem to follow the “play better” saying. Seems like “be more famous” or “know the right people.”
Scott has made three starts this season, his worst finish being a T-20 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He finished T-8 at the WM Phoenix Open.
Dating to last March, Simpson in the same span has one finish in the top 30, a T-5 at the Wyndham Championship. He’s ranked 235th in the world.
As Wu mentioned, he hasn’t played well enough this season to play his way into the signature events, but he’s likely not the only PGA Tour pro who has these thoughts, including some who may be just on the verge of possibly receiving an exemption.
There have been plenty of discussions about the Tour trying to serve its stars first and then focusing on those who make up a majority of the Tour.
As Wu states, Scott and Simpson have done enough throughout their careers, and in Scott’s case a strong performance this season, but the question is whether past performance should be awarded more than current form.
For Wu, his thoughts are clear. And it’s likely others in his position think the same way he does.
It’s been like going down memory lane for Dylan Wu. The Oregon native returns to the Panther Creek Country Club on Thursday for the Korn Ferry Tour’s fifth annual Lincoln Land Championship presented by LRS. This is the site of his first big break. …
It’s been like going down memory lane for Dylan Wu.
The Oregon native returns to the Panther Creek Country Club on Thursday for the Korn Ferry Tour’s fifth annual Lincoln Land Championship presented by LRS.
This is the site of his first big break.
After participating in Wednesday’s LRS Pro-Am tournament, Wu said he could recall all of the shots and moments from last year when he finished tournament runner up against Xinjun Zhang.
He vividly remembers the birdie on No. 18 and the ensuing three-hole playoff against Zhang, who went on to win the tournament and become the No. 1 golfer on what was then the Web.com Tour’s regular season points standings.
Wu may have lipped out a birdie putt on the first playoff hole to win, but he took the loss in stride and hasn’t looked back since then.
“I learned a lot from that,” Wu said. “I was really happy how I played in the playoff. It’s good to be back here. This is my second year on the Tour but most of the tournaments I’ve played so far this year I haven’t really played on a golf course that I’ve had a lot of success on. It’s definitely nice coming back here.”
Dylan Wu jokes with his caddie and former Northwestern University teammate Harley Abrams as they approach the 18th green for the first playoff with Xinjun Zhang, left, during the fourth round of Web.com Tour’s Lincoln Land Championship presented by LRS Sunday, June 16, 2019. Wu and Zhang tied the first two playoff holes before Zhang won on the third. [Ted Schurter/The State Journal-Register]
That week was a true whirlwind. Last year Wu came off the alternate list and didn’t find out he was going to play in the Lincoln Land Championship until the middle of Monday preceding the tournament. He subsequently had to take a red-eye flight from Phoenix to Chicago where a friend provided a lift to central Illinois for a Tuesday morning practice round. He slept half the day Wednesday and simply just tried to make the cut during the first two rounds.
He did just that at 1 under after two rounds and took off from there. He turned in a 6 under 65 in the Saturday round and then 8 under in the last round. Wu parred all three of the playoff holes while Zhang clinched the win with a birdie on the final playoff hole.
“It’s definitely cool to be back here and see the shots and play the holes again,” Wu said.
It was just his second appearance on the Tour. He made his debut earlier that year in May at the Knoxville Open where he missed the cut.
“This gave me pretty much everything when I finished second here,” Wu said. “It gave me pretty close to full status on the Korn Ferry. Just having the second year under me has been great just having a lot more experience and getting a lot more comfortable.“
Wu no longer has to wait for a tournament invite as an alternate and has the luxury of picking and choosing where he wants to compete. Wu currently ranks No. 11 on the season points standings and has cracked the top 10 five times this year on the PGA’s second-tier level, including second place at The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay in January.
“It’s been a good year so far,” Wu said. “We have about five events left to play this season, but it’s been a successful season and I’ve learned a lot from last year after this event. It’s just been a lot of good golf and I kind of have to credit this as the starting point.”
Even though he is in the Top 25, Wu will not be able to graduate onto the PGA Tour until next year like everyone else.
“It’s kind of a bummer nobody is graduating to the PGA Tour, but it’s been a great year,” Wu said. “I’ve had a lot of top 10 finishes and a lot of good results. The next thing on my goal list is to get a win. I was really close here last year. It’s been a good year so far for me. No matter where you are, if you are in the Top 25 money list, you have to be doing something right.”
[jwplayer 7NBaZ2A0-9JtFt04J]
Wu just needs to get his first career win on the Korn Ferry Tour. Wu said he feels confident coming back to a familiar region not just because of this tournament.
Wu graduated from Northwestern University in 2018 with a degree — his contingency plan in case his professional golf career didn’t pan out.
Golf is a major staple in the Wu family in Medford, Oregon. His twin brothers, Jeremy and Josh, played NCAA Division I golf at Valparaiso and Air Force, respectively. Wu’s younger sister, Kaylee, is currently a sophomore on the Lipscomb women’s golf team as well.
Wu anticipates plenty of low rounds this week with soft greens and hospitable weather expected on the par-71 course designed by Hale Irwin.
Anders Albertson, the 2018 tournament champion, is part of the first group at 6:50 a.m. while Wu begins at 12:20 p.m.
Perhaps Panther Creek can provide another watershed moment for Wu.
Contact Bill Welt: bill.welt@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/BillWelt
