Greensboro, NC …
For the four Irish contesting this week’s Wyndham Championship is a case of a PGA Tour ‘Last Chance Saloon’.
With the exception of Seamus Power three others in Graeme McDowell, Shane Lowry and Padraig Harrington are each outside the top-125 heading into this week’s final regular event of 2016/17 wrapround schedule if they are to qualify for next week’s start to the four-event FedEx Cup Play-Off Series.
Power is closest to qualifying lying 123rd and first needing to make the cut to have any chance of qualifying for the ultra-lucrative Play-Offs for a first occasion in his career.
McDowell is 131st and staring at a top-40 effort while Lowry is lying 145th and will need to top-10 while the task is tougher for Harrington and staring at having to finish top-3 but then in a season interrupted by injury that sees him competing in just his 11th Tour event this season.
McDowell contested all four Play-Off events a year ending the year 27th on the FedEx Cup standings.
Graeme McDowell signs for a young fan after the completion of the Pro-Am.
But then missing the cut in last three events this year, and two of them Majors, has not helped ‘G Mac’s’ FedEx Cup cause.
However, he returns to the host Sedgefield course buoyed by fifth in what was his maiden Wyndham showing a year ago.
“It is always nice to come back to a course you have played well in the past and suits your eye and after a long last week at Quail Hollow it is certainly nice to get some short-irons in your hands on a golf course you feel like you can make some birdies”, he said.
“I didn’t hit the ball terrible and, if anything, I struggled off the tee and apart from that the rest of my game is in pretty good shape.
“So, I didn’t walk away really, really disappointed.
“I came straight over here on Saturday and played 18 holes and then back to Orlando to recharge for a couple of days before coming up here.
“So, now that I am back here in Greensboro I have a job to do and that is get myself a few FedEx Cup points and looking forward to the challenge.”
Heading this week’s field is Swede Henrik Stenson for played three years running from 2010 to 2012 missing cut in the first two and having to withdraw due to flu symptoms in 2012.
“Two MCs and a WD so I haven’t had a lot of success in this event”, he said smiling.
IRISH TEE TIME .. Irish time
Shane Lowry – 12.30pm
Graeme McDowell – 12.40pm
Seamus Power – 1.50pm
Padraig Harrington – 5.30pm
