FedExCup update: Adam Scott makes big Playoffs push with 5-under 65 at Wyndham Championship

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Sure, he wasn’t happy to have bogeyed the final hole. But otherwise, Adam Scott did exactly what he set out to do on Thursday during a rainy first round of the Wyndham Championship.

For the first time in his career, Scott had come to Sedgefield Country Club on the outside looking in, trying to play his way into the lucrative FedExCup Playoffs. The Australian put himself in position, too, with a 65 that left him in a tie for fifth, three shots off Russell Henley’s lead.

The 65 was one stroke off Scott’s career low in Greensboro, shot in 2021 when he finished 15 under but lost out in a six-man playoff won by Kevin Kisner.

“I kind of plotted my way around and wasn't anything spectacular, but nothing too bad either really,” Scott said. “So, you know, just a bit of a sloppy last hole, but when you shoot 65 you can stomach that, and hopefully get off to a good start tomorrow and keep the momentum going.

“I think that's going to be the important thing for me the next couple days is to keep it rolling and give myself a good look at it on Sunday.”

Scott has never missed the Playoffs that began in 2007. He came to Greensboro ranked No. 81 in the standings – which would have been good any other year. But a format change moved the threshold to qualify for next week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship from the top 125 to 70.

Thursday’s round of 5 under has given Scott a chance to extend that Playoffs streak, moving him to No. 68 in the FedExCup projections. The only other player to have made all 16 previous Playoffs is Matt Kuchar, who came to Greensboro in at No. 59 and opened with a 1-under 69.

“At this point, you know, it is what it is,” Scott said. “I feel like when I come out to play golf, I'm there to give it my best shot and if I make it, I make it, and if I don't, I don't.

“I've had a lot of years having a go at the FedExCup Playoffs and all these kind of things come to an end at some point. But for sure, I want to win this tournament and if I do that, I can have a really good run right through to East Lake, I believe.”

Scott started on the back nine Thursday and felt like his response to a bogey when he missed the green at the 11th hole was the key to his round. Next up was the par-3 12th where he made an 11-footer for birdie and then Scott added another from 3 feet at the 13th.

“I don't know what it is, but it's that thing of how you start and getting under par early and feeling like you're moving in the right direction is definitely a settling feeling in a tournament,” said Scott, who went on to make the turn in 32.

“When you're a couple over early, you start finding the golf course much more difficult than it probably really is and hard to find that momentum. So those early birdies were good.”

Scott went on to make seven total birdies and just one more bogey when he found the rough to the right of the ninth fairway and missed the green with his second shot. An indifferent chip left him with a 23-footer to save par that he couldn’t convert.

Scott only hit seven fairways and 12 greens on Thursday. But he prospered on the crowned Donald Ross greens, making 83 feet, 2 inches of putts on 26 attempts. He gained 3.364 strokes on the field putting to rank four in that category.

“I just generally think putting is the most consistent and best area of my game and has been for a while,” Scott said. “I enjoy putting on greens with a lot of slope. I felt like I got my eye in early on a couple putts today and was confident all day.”

NOTABLES

Barbasol champion Vincent Norrman took a huge step towards securing his spot in Memphis and perhaps another venue — this one across the pond. Entering the week at a precarious No. 66 in the FedExCup, he shot a 4-under 66 which moved him 57th in the projections. Plus, playing partner and European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald had a front row seat to it ... 2019 Wyndham champion J.T. Poston lit up Sedgefield Country Club with a 65. He entered the week at No. 49 in the FedExCup and moved up 10 spots in the projections, closer to solidifying a spot in the top 50 that will move on after the FedEx St. Jude Championship. … Joel Dahmen made three bogeys and three birdies in a first-round 70. On a day where the field went low, he'll need a big push for a solo ninth-place finish, which will give him a chance to advance. … K.H. Lee (72) and David Lingmerth (73) did themselves no favors with their slow starts. Coming into the week at Nos. 73 and 74, respectively, they will be looking to turn things around in round two. … Martin Laird and Lucas Glover entered the week at Nos. 111 and 112, respectively, and both shot 66s. Both are projected to move into the top 100 but will need a minimum three-way tie for second to each have a chance. …

FEDEX ST. JUDE CHAMPIONSHIP BUBBLE WATCH

Here are the players projected to move inside the top 70 of the FedExCup after the first round of the Wyndham Championship. The top 70 will advance to the FedEx St. Jude Championship, set for Aug. 10-13 at TPC Southwind outside Memphis, Tennessee:

PROJECTED IN

Adam Scott (No. 81, projected to No. 68): Scott has yet to be inside the FedExCup top 70 this year -- his best position was No. 76 after he tied for 19th at the Travelers Championship. He came to the Wyndham Championship ranked 81st but is currently tied for fourth and projected to move 13 spots to No. 68.

PROJECTED OUT

Austin Eckroat (No. 70, projected to No. 71): Eckroat has been headed in the wrong direction in the FedExCup standings since a career-best slot at No. 57 after he tied for 24th at the Travelers Championship. Last week, he lost five spots and came to Greensboro on the bubble at 70th. The first-year PGA TOUR player dropped another spot in the projections on Thursday after shooting a 1-over 71.

BUBBLE BOY

Ben Griffin (No. 68, projected to No. 70): The 27-year-old Griffin, who went to school about an hour away at UNC-Chapel Hill, came into the Wyndham Championship ranked No. 68 in the FedExCup. But he fell two spots with an even-par 70 in the first round.

BIG MOVERS

Russell Henley (No. 34, projected to No. 11): The 34-year-old Henley, who took a three-stroke advantage into the final round of the 2021 Wyndham Championship only to finish one shot out of the six-man playoff, held the solo lead Thursday after shooting 62. The round of 8 under vaulted him 23 spots to 11th in the FedExCup projections and closer to the 30-man TOUR Championship field. Henley says he thinks about the close call in 2021 a lot. “That’s a good learning experience and feel like I’ve gotten better as a player because of it,” he said. “But all I can do is just one shot at a time right now.”

Andrew Svensson (No. 37, projected to No. 26): The 31-year-old Canadian went bogey-free in his 7-under 63 on Thursday, making two birdies on his first nine and finishing with five birdies over seven holes to finish his second nine. “I hit my irons probably the best I've hit them in probably three or four months now,” he said Thursday. “I'm starting to trend a little bit better off the tee and my mid iron game. Yeah, very happy with today.” The 11-spot jump would put him inside the coveted top 30, but as he noted: “Just got to keep it up for three more days.” Svensson is on track to make his second straight Playoffs appearance.

Byeong Hun An (No. 52, projected to No. 38): After starting his round Thursday with a three-putt bogey at the first, the 31-year-old South Korean rebounded with four straight birdies on Nos. 3-6. He added four more on the back nine, notching a birdie-birdie finish to post a 7-under 63 and stands tied for second with Svensson. “Game plan: Keep it in the fairway onto the greens,” said An, who finished solo third at the 2019 Wyndham. “I believe I only missed one green today. Golf could be so much harder if I'm missing the greens, but 17 greens – that's the goal.”

Andrew Novak (No. 106, projected to No. 82): The 28-year-old North Carolina native made just one bogey and seven birdies in his first-round 64 at Sedgefield Country Club, moving closer to the coveted top-70 position. To make the Playoffs, Novak needs to finish at minimum in a three-way tie for second or in solo second to secure his tee time next week at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. “I know I need a good week if I want to get in the Playoffs, but I'm not really doing anything different,” said Novak, who missed the cut at Sedgefield in 2022 and is aiming for his first Playoffs appearance. “I know this is a good tournament for me. It's a course that is very similar to a lot of courses I played growing up.”

This piece was contributed to by Lisa Antonucci and Stephanie Royer.