Power Rankings: Wyndham Championship

The objective always is to get the ball into the hole as expeditiously as possible relative to the competition. But this week, the emotional outcome of the decisions and execution of the plan aligns with what happens next, so fending off urges to think ahead figures into course management more than ever.

The Wyndham Championship is the finish line of the 2022-23 regular season on the PGA TOUR. When it concludes, the top 70 in the FedExCup qualify for the Playoffs. Those who do not will break for a bit before targeting secondary goals in the FedExCup Fall. More on that below, but last things first at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Justin Thomas, Sam Burns and the tournament’s all-time earnings leader, Webb Simpson, will be among the notables reviewed in Golfbet Insider. Defending champion Tom Kim is resting an injured right ankle.

Just like motivation, pressure also is relative to an athlete, but it doesn’t mean that anyone wants whatever he’s chasing or feels it less than the next guy. The constant is the pursuit to be among the 70 who can participate in the FedExCup Playoffs. In that sense for many in the field of 156 at Sedgefield CC, the Wyndham is the last play-in game.

As of Monday, every golfer from Mark Hubbard at 58th in FedExCup points through Harry Hall at 86th is committed to competing. The guys nearest the cutoff comprise what will emerge visually in graphics on the telecast as the bubble. All go into the tournament in appreciation of another constant – Sedgefield.

The stock par 70 remains effectively unchanged at 7,131 yards. Primary rough is trimmed to 2½ inches and Stimpmeter measurements of the bermuda greens could touch 12½ feet. While it’s true that returning participants will spy grown fescue right of the cart path alongside the par-4 14th hole, the bermuda rough that it replaced snared only about a dozen wayward strikes a year ago, so the impact of the modification is negligible in the aggregate.

Last year’s scoring average of 69.263 was a nine-year high, and the cut was 1-under 139, which was higher than usual – even with the switch to low 65 and ties effective in 2020 – but managing oneself will be the greatest test. Sedgefield still surrendered a beefy average of 13.15 greens in regulation per golfer per round last year. Of those chances, the field converted 3.88 par breakers on average. The pair of par 5s are wholly gettable in that even by scoring 1-under on Nos. 5 and 15 in a loop, a player is losing ground to the field.

While the swing thought for most of that there’s everything to gain and nothing to lose, that’s fortified by the FedExCup Fall that will finish the job that the 2022-23 regular season isn’t. It’s bonus time with a purpose.

Another perk at Sedgefield is that top 10s will pay forward as exemptions into the Fortinet Championship on Sept. 14-17. Those who thrive will have done so in weather conditions that promise to soften the course. It’s summer in The Triad, after all.

Rain and potentially boomers will contribute to the narrative in the opening round. It eases the rest of the way, but only because of the elevated likelihood on Thursday. Daytime highs will climb into the upper 80s by Sunday and wind isn’t expected to be much of a variable in the long-term.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

PGATOUR.com’s Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous perspectives. Look for his following contributions as scheduled.

MONDAY: Power Rankings
TUESDAY*: Sleepers
WEDNESDAY: Golfbet Insider
SUNDAY: Payouts and Points, Medical Extensions, Qualifiers, Reshuffle

* - Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.