Wyndham Championship – Page 10

Wyndham Championship field, by the rankings

We break down the field at the 2020 Wyndham Championship by the Golfweek/Sagarins and the Official World Golf Rankings.

We’ve arrived at the meat of the 2020 season, with one major down and the FedEx Cup Playoffs on the horizon. The Wyndham Championship is on tap this week at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Only three of the top players in the Official World Golf Ranking are in the field, and those include Webb Simpson, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed. Harris English, at No. 10, is the highest-ranked playing according to the Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings.

The Wyndham Championship field is broken down below according to each player’s ranking in the Golfweek/Sagarin and in the OWGR.

For the 2019-20 season, the average ranking of the winner heading into the week in which they won PGA Tour event has been 68.96 in the Golfweek/Sagarins and 95.78 in the OWGR.

Player	Golfweek/Sagarin	OWGR
Harris English	10	111
Webb Simpson	11	6
Abraham Ancer	12	24
Patrick Reed	19	9
Sungjae Im	22	27
Billy Horschel	24	38
Mark Hubbard	28	140
Tommy Fleetwood	29	13
Cameron Tringale	32	178
Brendon Todd	33	44
Scott Stallings	35	203
J.B. Holmes	36	114
Talor Gooch	40	149
Brooks Koepka	42	7
Brian Harman	44	138
Paul Casey	45	19
Jordan Spieth	46	60
Wesley Bryan	48	763
Carlos Ortiz	53	141
Lanto Griffin	54	76
Doc Redman	55	126
Pat Perez	56	152
Corey Conners	57	67
Adam Long	58	72
Bud Cauley	61	132
Rory Sabbatini	62	87
Patrick Rodgers	63	184
J.T. Poston	65	66
Matt Jones	66	89
Denny McCarthy	67	194
Chez Reavie	70	37
Zach Johnson	71	216
Matthias Schwab	72	83
Alex Noren	73	108
Joaquin Niemann	74	69
Harold Varner III	77	122
Charles Howell III	79	79
Maverick McNealy	81	171
Justin Rose	82	17
Kevin Kisner	84	34
Henrik Norlander	85	142
Sam Burns	90	175
Shane Lowry	91	28
Ryan Moore	92	116
Danny Lee	93	107
Lucas Glover	96	86
Brandt Snedeker	98	64
Luke List	103	123
Jason Dufner	105	292
Russell Henley	107	172
Brian Stuard	109	147
Matt Wallace	112	45
Brice Garnett	113	212
Si Woo Kim	114	115
Adam Schenk	115	204
Tyler Duncan	117	167
Tom Hoge	121	137
Jhonattan Vegas	122	156
Sebastián Muñoz	123	104
Chris Kirk	125	265
Harry Higgs	127	145
Mackenzie Hughes	128	73
Jim Furyk	131	99
Xinjun Zhang	133	127
Troy Merritt	134	124
Joseph Bramlett	136	241
Sung Kang	140	61
Charley Hoffman	141	151
Bronson Burgoon	142	267
Vaughn Taylor	145	119
Chesson Hadley	147	218
Brandon Hagy	150	331
Scott Piercy	152	120
Will Gordon	154	197
Matthew NeSmith	155	196
Tom Lewis	157	51
Sepp Straka	158	142
Cameron Davis	169	228
Bo Hoag	170	288
Graeme McDowell	171	58
Tim Wilkinson	172	377
Danny Willett	173	39
Charl Schwartzel	175	181
Rafa Cabrera Bello	179	62
Chase Seiffert	181	198
Jason Kokrak	182	70
Sam Ryder	183	208
Branden Grace	188	85
Nate Lashley	192	90
Chris Baker	196	428
Austin Cook	198	343
Kyoung-Hoon Lee	200	220
Grayson Murray	202	435
Fabián Gómez	204	237
Keith Mitchell	206	109
Beau Hossler	208	244
Kyle Stanley	209	180
Zac Blair	211	227
Andrew Landry	213	117
Russell Knox	214	187
Kristoffer Ventura	219	169
Wyndham Clark	226	173
Hudson Swafford	230	320
Scott Harrington	231	232
Nick Watney	233	260
Aaron Baddeley	235	301
Chris Stroud	236	280
Mark Anderson	242	371
Brian Gay	248	256
Robby Shelton	249	159
Ryan Armour	260	185
J.J. Spaun	264	358
Cameron Percy	272	355
Luke Donald	273	387
Patton Kizzire	280	289
Aaron Wise	282	195
Bill Haas	286	537
Hank Lebioda	289	309
C.T. Pan	290	121
Doug Ghim	296	496
Robert Streb	298	316
Vincent Whaley	301	436
Ryan Brehm	318	382
Rob Oppenheim	319	481
Tyler McCumber	325	466
Jimmy Walker	327	334
Kiradech Aphibarnrat	328	190
David Hearn	332	507
D.J. Trahan	333	369
Kramer Hickok	334	312
Peter Malnati	341	302
Scott Brown	343	176
Michael Gellerman	354	500
Kevin Tway	380	199
Roger Sloan	398	310
Jim Herman	401	318
Michael Gligic	412	493
Seamus Power	420	398
Arjun Atwal	436	1186
Rhein Gibson	449	389
Greg Chalmers	453	731
Matt Every	486	345
Ted Potter Jr.	521	339
Sebastian Cappelen	526	362
Ben Taylor	527	671
Nelson Ledesma	589	405
Bo Van Pelt	642	2054
Davis Love III	678	905
Michael Kim	728	1153
Akshay Bhatia	758	2054
Martin Trainer	836	476
Carl Pettersson	N/R	1162

[lawrence-related id=778060389,778060119,778060093]

Fantasy golf power rankings for the 2020 Wyndham Championship

As the Wyndham Championship begins at Sedgefield Country Club, check out these fantasy golf power rankings.

The PGA Tour moves back to the East Coast for this week’s Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina. The tournament has a stronger field than usual as many of the PGA Tour’s best are still vying for entry to the beginning of the FedExCup Playoffs next week. Below, we’ll look at the top fantasy golf picks for the 2020 Wyndham Championship.

2020 Wyndham Championship: Fantasy Golf Top 30

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Tuesday at 6:19 a.m. ET.

30. Matthias Schwab (+8000)

Missed the cut at the PGA Championship after a T-3 finish at the Barracuda Championship. Debuts at this tournament for his fifth PGA Tour event since the midseason pause.

29. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+7000)

Also missed the cut last week after a pair of quality finishes in strong fields at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational (T-20) and the Memorial Tournament (T-22).

28. Jordan Spieth (+4500)

Finished T-71 last week with a final round of 3 under. Averaged -0.55 Strokes Gained: Putting per round, according to Data Golf, for a rare negative performance on the greens.

27. Russell Henley (+5000)

Ranked seventh in the field last week with 1.78 SG: Approach per round. Finished T-37 at 1-under par with 1.06 strokes lost putting per round.

26. Tom Lewis (+7000)

Missed the cut last week following a T-2 at the WGC event. A two-time winner of the Portugal Masters on the European Tour who could have success against one of the weaker PGA Tour fields he has faced.

Doc Redman plays a shot during the second round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. (Photo: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)

25. Doc Redman (+9000)

Tied for 29th last week in just his third career major appearance. Missed the cut in this event each of the last two years but is averaging 1.02 strokes gained on the average Tour pro over his last 20 rounds.

24. Zach Johnson (+12500)

Was tied for third after an opening-round 66 last week but shot a 6-over 76 Friday to miss the cut. He’s much better suited for the shorter course and has averaged 1.24 strokes gained per round over 12 laps at Sedgefield.

23. Rafa Cabrera Bello (+15000)

RCB has averaged 1.13 strokes gained over his 10 trips around Sedgefield. Finished fifth in 2016 and 11th in 2018.

22. Rory Sabbatini (+8000)

Has played 18 career rounds at this venue with an average of 1.36 strokes gained per round. Has three top 10s in his last four appearances, including a sixth in 2019.

21. Matt Wallace (+9000)

Another European Tour star making his debut in this PGA Tour event. Had a lackluster T-77 finish last week just three weeks after a T-4 in a similar field at the Memorial.

Looking to place a bet on the 2020 Wyndham Championship? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

20. Chez Reavie (+5000)

Disappointingly finished T-75 at the PGA Championship following a T-6 in the WGC event. He struggled off the tee last week, but he’s seventh on Tour this season in Driving Accuracy.

19. J.T. Poston (+6600)

The 2019 champ missed three straight cuts before a T-30 finish at the WGC and a T-75 last week. No one who made the cut last week did worse than Poston’s 0.59 strokes lost on approach per round.

18. Shane Lowry (+4500)

Lowry will need to be much better around the greens this week, but it’s usually a slight strength of his game. He finished seventh here in 2017 before a missed cut last year.

17. Si Woo Kim (+4000)

Won this event in 2016 but missed the cut in 2018 before a fifth-place finish last year. Tied for 13th last week with 2.18 SG: Tee-to-Green per round.

16. Kevin Kisner (+4000)

Put together a closing round of 67 to finish T-19 at the PGA Championship. Gained 1.28 strokes putting and 1.22 on approach. Two top 10s in the Wyndham Championship in three trips since 2014.

15. Ryan Moore (+4000)

The 2009 winner also has finishes of sixth and 10th in the last five years. He’s averaged 1.12 strokes gained per round over 28 rounds at Sedgefield.

Brooks Koepka watches after playing a shot from the rough at the 2020 PGA Championship. (Photo: Kelvin Kuo – USA TODAY Sports)

14. Brooks Koepka (+1000)

Playing here for the first time since a sixth-place finish in 2015. He should make it to The Northern Trust while entering the week 92nd in the FedExCup standings, but he’ll need a good showing in the next two weeks to qualify for the BMW Championship.

13. Joaquin Niemann (+6600)

The first winner of the 2019-20 PGA Tour season at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier enters the week 25th in the FEC standings. Finished 13th in this event last year with 1.38 SG: Putting per round.

12. Sergio Garcia (NA – late entry)

The 2012 champ was a late entry Friday afternoon after missing the cut in San Francisco, California. He’s 134th in the FEC standings and seems motivated to continue his season.

11. Corey Conners (+5000)

Tied for 22nd in this event last year with 1.29 SG: Off-the-Tee per round. Missed the cut last week with a horrendous putting performance but had been showing well in strong fields with a T-22 at the Memorial and a T-30 at the WGC.

10. Billy Horschel (+3300)

Averaging 1.53 strokes gained on the average pro over his last 20 rounds. Finished sixth in this event last year and fifth in 2016, and has played in six straight years.

9. Brandt Snedeker (+5000)

Averaging 1.06 strokes gained per round over 40 trips around Sedgefield. His better results have come in recent years, as he has four top 10s and a win (2018) in his last 10 appearances.

8. Brendon Todd (+3500)

Todd missed the cut in his two appearances here, but the two-time 2019-20 winner is coming off a T-17 at the PGA Championship and a T-15 at the WGC and should be able to finish better in a weaker field.

7. Harris English (+2500)

Has finished in the top 20 in four straight events. Averaging 1.07 SG: Tee-to-Green for the season. The top-ranked player in the field by the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings.

6. Sungjae Im (+4000)

Enters the week fifth in the FEC standings even with two missed cuts in his last three events. Debuted with a sixth-place finish here last year.

Paul Casey reacts after his putt on the 15th hole during the final round of the 2020 PGA Championship. (Photo: Kelvin Kuo – USA TODAY Sports)

5. Paul Casey (+2000)

Shot a final-round 66 to finish in a tie for second with Dustin Johnson last week. Ranked second in the field with 3.05 SG: Tee-to-Green per round.

4. Tommy Fleetwood (+1600)

Struggled to a closing 3-over 73 to finish T-29 at TPC Harding Park. Making his debut at this event while 85th in the FEC standings. Averaging 0.69 SG: Tee-to-Green for the season.

3. Justin Rose (+2200)

Ranks just 103rd in the FEC standings partially due to a lighter schedule this year. Making his first appearance here since a fifth-place showing in 2009. Finished ninth at the PGA Championship.

2. Patrick Reed (+1600)

The 2013 champ hasn’t finished better than 22nd (twice) in his three appearances here since his victory. Averaged 1.54 SG: Putting on these greens last year. Making his final tune-up for his defense of next week’s Northern Trust.

1. Webb Simpson (+1000)

Simpson won this event in 2011 following an eighth-place finish in 2010. He has finished outside of the top 10 just three times in his last eight appearances and has back-to-back runner-up finishes. He’s averaging 1.85 strokes gained at Sedgefield over 42 career laps.

Get some action on the 2020 Wyndham Championship by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-related id=778060355,778059201,778060165]

PGA schedule: Wyndham organizers working through potential scenarios

The Wyndham Championship was pushed back a week on the PGA Tour schedule to Aug. 13-16 when a reshuffling occurred because of the pandemic.

Putting together a golf tournament on the PGA Tour comes with making contingency plans this year.

Mark Brazil, tournament director for the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, is working on scenarios.

Already, the Wyndham Championship was pushed back a week on the PGA Tour schedule to Aug. 13-16 when a reshuffling occurred in early April because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The PGA Championship was reset for Aug. 6-9 (in what had been the Wyndham Championship’s spot) after the decision was made to scrap that tournament in mid-May.

“We wanted to do whatever was necessary to accommodate the PGA Tour so they could make out a schedule,” Brazil said. “We knew there was going to be some shifting.”

[protected-iframe id=”ec6156c62e810181df99b4fcad37b36a-120918734-30999219″ info=”https://omny.fm/shows/the-forward-press-podcast-from-golfweek-com/nathan-grube-what-it-takes-to-put-on-a-pga-tour-ev/embed” width=”100%” height=”180″ frameborder=”0″]

Many factors are out of the control of tournament organizers, who are anticipating a scaled-down version.

“The health and safety of everyone associated with the Wyndham Championship and the Piedmont Triad community will remain our No. 1 priority …,” Brazil said. “The Wyndham Championship staff is fully engaged in preparing for this year’s tournament, and we look forward to welcoming fans to Sedgefield in August.”

Yet it’s unclear in what form the tournament might take place. Brazil said the possibilities include limited fans and no fans, even “maybe having half the fans where they practice social distancing.”

Or …

“I can definitely see a golf tournament that doesn’t have fans and it would be just for television where we can sit around and watch,” Brazil said.

Brazil said he’s appreciative that the Wyndham Championship remains on the schedule. There’s also the convenience of the tournament moving just one week.

[jwplayer BQM4v1Mn-vgFm21H3]

“This is uncharted waters with all tournaments,” Steve Wilmot, tournament director for the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head Island, S.C., said earlier this spring. “We’re all in different phases of our planning.”

Wilmot’s tournament was scrapped about a month before its original April dates, then added back to the slate for June. He chairs the PGA Tour’s tournament advisory council.

Wilmot said the impact that PGA Tour events have on providing funds for community charities is insurmountable.

In the Wyndham Championship’s case, the on-course infrastructure that’s built each year is a few months away from launching at Sedgefield Country Club.

The Wyndham Championship has bounced around on the schedule through the years. It had come after the PGA Championship until that major was shifted from August to the spring.

Wyndham Rewards and Sedgefield Country Club have been supportive of the moves, Brazil said.

As has been the case since 2007, the field for the FedEx Cup playoffs will be set following the Wyndham Championship.

The Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte would have been contested this weekend, but that was called off — and it won’t be back in 2021 either. Because the Presidents Cup is slated for Quail Hollow Club in the fall of 2021, the Wells Fargo Championship next year is set for TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Washington, D.C.

[jwplayer eaTxRrV8-9JtFt04J]

Breaking down professional golf’s updated schedule

SportsPulse: Golfweek’s Adam Schupak takes a look at the updated golf schedule which had been turned on its during the coronavirus outbreak.

Dedication, experience earn Paul Brown 2019 PGA Tour Volunteer of the Year honor

Paul Brown began volunteering for the Greensboro PGA Tour event in 1999 and has worked to make the Wyndham better every year.

Paul Brown, Volunteer.

That’s the email signature of Greensboro, North Carolina resident Paul Brown and it couldn’t be more accurate.

In 2017, Brown was named the Wyndham Championship Volunteer of the Year after 17 years volunteering for the annual PGA Tour stop in Greensboro. Two years later on Nov. 21, Brown was further honored for his incomparable dedication when he was named PGA Tour Volunteer of the Year.

It’s not surprising Brown earned both honors considering how he goes above and beyond his duties as a hole captain at the August event, but it is surprising it’s taken so long.

Brown began volunteering for the event when he moved to Greensboro in 1999 and answered an ad in the local newspaper to become a course marshal for the Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic at Forest Oaks Country Club. He began as a spotter on the par-4 16th, a job he held for several years as the event transitioned to the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro. When Wyndham took over in 2007 and moved to Sedgefield Country Club in 2008, Brown’s presence as a volunteer grew more prominent.

He now captains the par-3 16th and has done the job well for 11 years, but Brown doesn’t take pride in the recognition he’s received. Rather, he attributes the honors to excellent teamwork.

“Of course when you’re (honored with) something like this you have to realize all of the people behind it, all the volunteers,” Brown said. “I handle about 40 volunteers who work hole 16 every year at the tournament and of course their efforts go toward making the tournament better than ever … It’s kind of a group award more than anything, that’s the way I feel about it.”

Paul and Charlotte Brown of Greensboro, North Carolina (Paul and Charlotte Brown)

But Brown shouldn’t sell himself short. It’s his communication skills and dedication that go above and beyond the call of the average volunteer hole captain. During the tournament, he begins recruiting spectators. The lure of being inside the ropes draws fans to ask questions to which Brown readily has answers. Outside of tournament week, Brown frequently communicates with new and returning volunteers over email, reminding them of registration and important dates.

But he doesn’t just help keep volunteers informed, he wants to make the event better. Brown creates a survey for his volunteers after the tournament, although he’s not sure if any other hole captains do it. He reads every single response before passing them along to the Wyndham Championship.

“That way everyone that works for me gets a shot at the tournament directors and everybody, and they say good things and bad things about the tournament. And of course the Wyndham people review that and there are some good points,” Brown said. “You know you get good things (from) the people in the trenches.”

While he’s an expert at watching golf, Brown doesn’t play anymore. He played since he lived in Fridley, Minnesota, after graduating from the University of Minnesota in 1956, but he and his wife Charlotte retired from the game about two years ago.

Something surprising to learn about Paul after hearing about the time and energy he dedicates to the tournament is that he’s turning 85 in January.

Charlotte, 79, volunteered at the Wyndham Championship with Paul for five or six years and still wishes she could, but due to high blood pressure, she can’t be out in the sun during long, hot days of the tournament. She now helps Paul with record keeping and communicating with volunteers.

“I feel like I’m still a part of it although I don’t have the communication (and involvement) I used to have,” Charlotte said.

While the August heat of North Carolina, clamor of course evacuations that go along with summer storms and long days can be difficult for any volunteer, Paul hasn’t slowed down. His youthful vigor reflected in his voice carries him through.

“It’s not like many (volunteers) can take the entire week,” Wyndham Tournament director Mark Brazil said. “Paul’s in there at 6:30 in the morning, he doesn’t leave until 7 at night and those are full-time staff type hours and he’s doing that as a volunteer. Most of your volunteers, and we’re happy to have all of our volunteers … they can take one day. But he’s the kind of guy that takes the whole week.”

During the tournament, Paul works 12-hour days and in the offseason dedicates countless hours to his hole captain duties. If that’s not enough, Paul also volunteers at junior and college golf events held around Greensboro, including a two-week junior camp at Pinehurst. He serves at the aquatics center at the Greensboro Sports Foundation helping with YMCA events, ACC men’s and women’s aquatic events, Olympic tryouts and ACC basketball championships at the Coliseum. He volunteers even more at the Greensboro Convention and Visitors Bureau helping with races, NCAA events and track competitions.

If all that’s still not enough, Paul has also found paying gigs as part of the statistical crew for the Charlotte Hornets’ NBA G-League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, and as a coordinator and rover for Guilford County Board of Elections, proving guidance at precincts on election days.

Paul said he’s able to keep up with all his volunteer responsibilities because he served as an official for hockey, football, baseball, basketball and softball during his career. He’s convinced those five sports have kept him young.

After graduating from Minnesota, Paul also served as the Parks and Recreation director in Fridley until 1975. He then moved to Oklahoma City to take a job with the Amateur Softball Association as umpire, director and youth director and lived there for 27 years before he and Charlotte moved to Greensboro.

Additionally, Paul attributes a healthy lifestyle to his longevity. He goes to the doctor and dentist regularly, gives blood twice a year and doesn’t drink or smoke.

“I have legs of a 20-year-old man holding me up so I’ve been very lucky with that,” Paul said.

The only place his age really shows in his depth of experience.

“If we were ever to have a Mr. Volunteer in Greensboro and around the region, he’d certainly be one of them,” Brazil said.

He might just win that award next.