Fortinet Cup, Week 11: Canadian Matthew Anderson takes back lead

Closing the Commissionaires Ottawa Open on the strength of a final-round 65 to tie for 19th at Eagle Creek Golf Club, Matthew Anderson is back atop the Fortinet Cup standings. The 24-year-old from Mississauga, Canada, moved ahead of Denmark’s Frederik Kjettrup, who had taken the lead from him for three weeks with back-to-back wins to begin the North America Swing. The gap between the two leading players on Tour is only 35 points.

The most significant move of the week was made by South Africa’s Barend Botha, who won the Commissionaires Ottawa Open while making just his second start as a professional. The 22-year-old out of the University of Toledo birdied the final two holes for a one-shot win that helped him charge into the 13th spot of the Fortinet Cup. Botha entered last week tied for 219th after a tie for 60th in his debut at the Bromont Open presented by Desjardins.

The following is a look at the Fortinet Cup’s top 10 players and the ones who made the most significant moves in week 11 of the 16-week season:

1. Matthew Anderson, Canada

• Fortinet Cup Points: 1,046 (11 starts)
• Last week’s rank: second
• Best finish this season: won the ECP Brazil Open

Needing only seven points to move past Frederik Kjettrup and claim back the Fortinet Cup top spot, he earned 41 points with a tie for 19th in Ottawa. The consistent Anderson, who has now recorded eight top-25s in 11 starts, currently leads the Tour in rounds in the 60s (23), sub-par rounds (28), par-5 performance (-68), total birdies (170), and total eagles (12).

2. Frederik Kjettrup, Denmark

• Fortinet Cup Points: 1,011 (five starts)
• Last week’s rank: first
• Best finish this season: won The Beachlands Victoria Open presented by Times Colonist and the ATB Classic in consecutive weeks

The only two-time winner this season on PGA TOUR Americas, Kjettrup has slowed his pace down for the past three weeks. After a tie for 49th at the Explore NB Open and a solo 69th finish in Bromont, he missed his first cut in Ottawa with rounds of 70-72. Unable to play on the weekend, he had to sit and watch Matthew Anderson take the Fortinet Cup top spot away from him.

3. Clay Feagler, United States

• Fortinet Cup Points: 866 (11 starts)
• Last week’s rank: third
• Best finish this season: won the Bupa Championship at Tulum

With a victory among his three top-4 finishes this season, he remains a solid third on the Fortinet Cup standings. However, he has missed two consecutive cuts after having missed only one cut in his first nine starts of the season.

4. John Keefer, United States

• Fortinet Cup Points: 786 (five starts)
• Last week’s rank: sixth
• Best finish this season: solo second at the Explore NB Open

His play has been so impressive that a tie for 19th in Ottawa this past week was his first finish outside the top 10 in five starts. This consistent 23-year-old has improved his Fortinet Cup position each of his weeks on Tour and his scoring average of 65.87 is the best on Tour by almost one shot.

5. Harry Hillier, New Zealand

• Fortinet Cup Points: 757 (11 starts)
• Last week’s rank: fourth
• Best finish this season: won the Inter Rapidísimo Golf Championship

After missing the cut by one in Bromont, he was unable to get going in Ottawa, where two rounds of even-par 72 left him far from the cut line. With three missed cuts in his last four starts he’ll be looking to regroup in Windsor.

6. Samuel Anderson, United States

• Fortinet Cup Points: 747 (11 starts)
• Last week’s rank: fifth
• Best finish this season: solo second at the Diners Club Perú Open

He followed an opening 68 with a 71 to miss the cut by two shots in Ottawa. Despite not earning any points last week, he remains the player with the most top-10s on Tour with five.

7. Ryan Burnett, United States

• Fortinet Cup Points: 696 (10 starts)
• Last week’s rank: eigth
• Best finish this season: won the Bromont Open presented by Desjardins

Coming off his first professional win in Bromont, the 24-year-old UNC-Chapel Hill alum kept a good pace in Ottawa. A tie for 19th at 18-under earned him enough points to move up a spot in the standings.

8. José de Jesús Rodríguez, Mexico

• Fortinet Cup Points: 661 (eight starts)
• Last week’s rank: seventh
• Best finish this season: won the Totalplay Championship at Tulum

The Irapuato, Mexico, veteran keeps trying to figure things out in Canada. The Commissionaires Ottawa Open turned out to be his third missed cut in a row after a tie for 61st at the North America Swing opening event in Victoria.

9. Conner Godsey, United States

• Fortinet Cup Points: 636 (11 starts)
• Last week’s rank: ninth
• Best finish this season: tied for second at the ECP Brazil Open

The consistent Godsey shot 74-71 in Ottawa to have a streak of eight made cuts snapped. He hadn’t missed a cut since the Totalplay Championship in Guadalajara at the end of March.

10. Stuart Macdonald, Canada

• Fortinet Cup Points: 634 (10 starts)
• Last week’s rank: eighth
• Best finish this season: won the Diners Club Perú Open

A return to Eagle Creek Golf Club, where he won the Commissionaires Ottawa Open last year on PGA TOUR Canada, didn’t do the trick for him. With rounds of 72-71, he missed his fourth cut in his last five starts.

Most significant moves outside the top 10:

13. Barend Botha, South Africa

• Fortinet Cup Points: 505 (2 starts)
• Last week’s rank: T219
• Best finish this season: won the Commissionaires Ottawa Open

Making only his second start as a professional, this 22-year-old from George, South Africa, held the outright lead for the final 54 holes at Eagle Creek Golf Club. A birdie-birdie finish got him to 26-under for a one-shot win that saw him advance 206 spots in the Fortinet Cup.

31. George Markham, United States

• Fortinet Cup Points: 317 (10 starts)
• Last week’s rank: 103
• Best finish this season: tied for second at the Commissionaires Ottawa Open

The tie for second in Ottawa, where he shot 25-under to finish only a shot behind tournament winner Barend Botha, was his third made cut in four starts on the North America Swing. It’s a significant turnaround after making only two cuts to finish 109th in the Latin America Swing earlier in the year.

44. Connor Creasy, United States

• Fortinet Cup Points: 245 (three starts)
• Last week’s rank: not ranked
• Best finish this season: tied for second at the Commissionaires Ottawa Open

Making his third start as a Monday qualifier after missed cuts in Victoria and Bromont, this 23-year-old had an impressive week in Ottawa. He led the field in total birdies with 28 and had only three bogeys to finish at 25-under, only one shot behind tournament winner Barend Botha.

Next Stop:

PGA TOUR Americas is playing the BioSteel Windson Open this week (Aug. 1-4). The 12th event of the season will be hosted by Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, Ontario.