After eight long months of the 2024 PGA Tour season, the final stop of the regular season is upon us with a stop at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The Wyndham Championship serves as the cap to the 2024 PGA Tour regular season as the FedEx Cup Playoffs begins next week.
With that being said, there is plenty to play for for nearly everyone in the field.
Just 70-golfers will make the end-of-season FedEx Cup Playoffs. On top of that, those within the top 125 of the FedEx Cup Standings will secure their PGA Tour cards for next season.
Beyond all of that, there is still shuffling to happen as the BMW Championship welcomes just the top 50 of the FedEx Cup Standings and ultimately, the PGA Championship includes just the top 30.
The Field
As the majority of the World’s best have secured their placement in the upcoming FedEx Cup Playoffs and many fresh off of the Olympic Games, this field leaves much to be desired in terms of star power.
For the second straight season, the Wyndham Championship lacks anyone within the top 15 of the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR.)
However, Sungjae Im, Brian Harman, Robert MacIntyre, Keegan Bradley, Cameron Young, Akshay Bhatia and Shane Lowry headline this week’s field as golfers within the top 30 of the OWGR.
Lucas Glover is the defending champion, using this event to get himself within the top 70 of the FedEx Cup Standings before going on to win the FedEx St. Just Championship the following week.
Other former winners of the Wyndham Championship in this week’s field include JT Poston, Kevin Kisner, Si Woo Kim, Webb Simpson and Ryan Moore.
As previously mentioned, just the top 70 of the FedEx Cup Standings will make the FedEx St. Jude Championship next week to kick off the end-of-season FedEx Cup Standings.
The last five in going into this week are Nick Dunlap (66th,) Jhonattan Vegas (67th,) Emiliano Grillo (68th,) Seamus Power (69th) and Brendon Todd (70th;) all of which will be teeing it up this week.
The first five currently out and teeing it up this week in hopes to crack the top 70 are Victor Perez (71st,) Davis Riley (72nd,) Andrew Putnam (73rd,) Kurt Kitayama (74th) and Luke List (75th.)
Additionally, many will be fighting for their 2025 PGA Tour cards. The first five within the top-125 cut line heading into this week are Hayden Springer (121st,) Sam Ryder (122nd,) Vince Whaley (123rd,) Matthias Schmid (124th) and Kevin Tway (125th.) Tway is the only name of those five not playing this week.
The first five on the outside-looking-in of the top 125 are Yechun Yuan (126th,) Alejandro Tosti (127th,) Alex Smalley (128th,) J.J. Spaun (129th) and Henrik Norlander (130th.) Norlander is the only name on that list not playing this week.
The Course
Sedgefield CC plays as a par 70 at 7,131 yards, placing it below TOUR average in terms of a per-hole standpoint.
It features a standard mix of two par fives, four par threes and 12 par fours and is set as your prototypical short, positional course on the PGA TOUR.
The course is set in a way to reward those who are accurate off the tee and calls for a repeated dosage of wedges and mid-iron approaches.
The unique aspect of this week’s track comes with a heavy concentration of short par-fours. Eight-of-the-12 par fours measure between 400-450 yards.
This produces the fact that nearly 30-percent of all approach shots will come from 150-175 yards this week. This, of course, is well above TOUR average.
Beyond the par fours, Sedgefield also features two very reachable par fives and two short par threes that measure under 175 yards. These four holes must be capitalized on as history has proven that any eventful winner has scored well here.
With the mention of needing accuracy off the tee, the fairways are funneled to set up these approach shots. It was already mentioned that nearly 30-percent of approach shots will come from 150-175 yards but additionally, the 100-150 yard range of approach shots will be equally as important this week.
The greens of this Donald Ross design are Bermuda, which takes away some of the advantage of elite putters as Bermuda is historically easier to concur than Bentgrass. Still, these greens are nuanced and undulated.
Catching a hot flat stick will be crucial this week and unlike courses we’ve seen recently that feature Bentgrass, anyone can catch a hot putter and concur these Bermuda greens this week.
In all, just five holes at Sedgefield CC have a scoring average over par. Those holes include two 500-plus yard par fours and two 225-plus yard par threes.
The 507 yard par-four 18th hole is the most difficult hole on the entire course and has produced some eventful finishes on Sundays. Take a quick trip back to 2021 where we saw a six man playoff for example.
Course history too is repeatable here due to its need for pin-point accuracy off the tee and short approach shots.
In all, Sedgefield has proven to be one of the easiest tracks on the PGA TOUR to gain strokes on approach. It is very much a point-and-shoot golf course.
Since 2016, the winning score has failed to reach -20 just once (2021.) This puts the Wyndham Championship in the ‘birdie-fest’ category.
The Weather
As of the time of writing this, there is a significant chance of precipitation across the first three days of this event. Thursday and Friday currently both call for a 90-percent chance of precipitation as Saturday calls for a 50-percent chance. Sunday appears to be the only clear day this week with a 20-percent chance of precipitation. Winds too will be at the highest on Thursday and Friday at 15 and 13 miles-per-hour respectively. Winds will settle down to seven-or-eight miles-per-hour come the weekend. Temperatures will be at the lowest on Thursday and Friday as well, currently forecasted at 76-and-78 degrees respectively before climbing to 88 degrees on Saturday and 84-degrees on Sunday.
Key Stats
Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP)
Ball Striking
Strokes Gained: Putting on Bermuda (SG: PUTT Bermuda)
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (SG: OTT) / Driving Accuracy
Proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards
Proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards
Par Four Average Scoring
Birdie or Better Percentage
Greens in Regulation Percentage (GIR%)
Bogey Avoidance
DFS Suggestions
$10,000+
I’ll start this off by saying I’m personally avoiding this price range this week. There isn’t much here I love and if I do, the ownership is going to be through the roof. Sungjae Im leads the market at $10,700 and there’s a chance he’s the most owned guy in all of DFS this week. Shane Lowry is next at $10,300 but he also played in Paris a week ago. The approach numbers are not great for Billy Horschel at $10,200 so that leaves me with Si Woo Kim ($10,000.) Along with Im, Kim has a shot to be the most owned guy in DFS this week but does offer a $700 discount. Kim has been great here. He got his maiden PGA Tour victory at this event back in 2016. He also had a run of results here a few years back where he placed T2nd in 2021, T3rd in 2020 and fifth in 2019. Kim has also missed the cut just once in 20 events played this season so you’re getting a very safe floor by playing him. However, he has just one top ten on the season, but ten top 25’s. Kim is currently 12th on Tour in SG: APP, 14th in driving accuracy, 21st in SG: OTT, 31st in bogey avoidance, 39th in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards, 46th in par four average scoring, 64th in ball striking, 65th in birdie or better percentage, 89th in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards, 101st in GIR% and 160th in SG: PUTT Bermuda. We know it’s the putter that keeps Kim down but he does seem to know his way around these greens. With the combination of his past results here and his safe floor, he’s a great safety net to begin lineup construction.
$9,000-$9,900
The value this week for Akshay Bhatia ($9,100) is insane but be warned, with great value comes increased ownership. Bhatia is currently 17th on Tour in SG: APP, 30th in both driving accuracy and proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards, 37th in ball striking, 46th in par four average scoring, 49th in SG: OTT, 54th in bogey avoidance, 56th in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards, 68th in birdie or better percentage, 80th in GIR% and 101st in SG: PUTT Bermuda. Bhatia has not made the cut at this event in his previous three appearances here but he’s twice the golfer now than he was even a year ago. Although he barely made the cut at the 3M Open and missed the cut at The Open Championship, prior to that, Bhatia placed T2nd at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, T5th at the Travelers Championship, T16th at the U.S. Open and T22nd at the Memorial Tournament. He also won earlier this season at the Valero Texas Open. Also consider Davis Thompson ($9,200.) Thompson is currently 15th on Tour in ball striking, 19th in birdie or better percentage, 23rd in par four average scoring, 31st in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards, 36th in bogey avoidance, 42nd in GIR%, 43rd in SG: APP, 54th in SG: OTT, 81st in driving accuracy, 95th in SG: PUTT Bermuda and 118th in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards. Thompson also placed T22nd here a season ago. Thompson made the cut at both stops overseas (Genesis Scottish Open and The Open Championship) but prior to that won the John Deere Classic, placed T2nd at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, T9th at the U.S. Open, T27th at the Memorial Tournament, T17th at the Charles Schwab Challenge and T2nd at the Myrtle Beach Classic.
$8,000-$8,900
We’ll lead this price range off with the 3M Open Champion, Jhonattan Vegas ($8,000.) Outside of winning in his last start, Vegas placed T20th at the John Deere Classic, T25th at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and T27th at the RBC Canadian Open. He last played here in 2021 where he placed T15th. Vegas is currently first on Tour in ball striking, second in GIR%, fifth in SG: OTT, 13th in SG: APP, 15th in birdie or better percentage, 18th in bogey avoidance, 23rd in par four average scoring, 27th in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards, 54th in driving accuracy, 59th in SG: PUTT Bermuda and 99th in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards. Also consider Aaron Rai ($8,800.) I have gone on the record in stating that I don’t believe Rai to have real win equity on the PGA Tour but as my betting card suggests this week, I may be wrong. Rai had a disappointing performance at The Open Championship but he did make the cut there. Prior to that however, he placed T4th at the Genesis Scottish Open, T7th at the John Deere Classic, T2nd at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, T19th at the U.S. Open and T14th at the RBC Canadian Open. He has a runner up this season, three top fives and five top tens. A win is coming. Rai is currently third on Tour in driving accuracy, fifth in bogey avoidance, sixth in GIR%, eighth in both SG: APP and ball striking, 36th in SG: OTT, 66th in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards, 77th in birdie or better percentage, 98th in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards and 119th in SG: PUTT Bermuda. I’m also playing a unit on him at +4000 this week.
$7,000-$7,900
My stats based model keeps telling me to go this direction so I had to do it again and go with Keith Mitchell ($7,800.) On Tour, Mitchell is currently third in birdie or better percentage, fifth in ball striking, sixth in SG: APP, seventh in SG: OTT, ninth in GIR%, 13th in par four average scoring, 14th in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards, 21st in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards, 32nd in bogey avoidance, 106th in driving accuracy and 128th in SG: PUTT Bermuda. He didn’t play here last year but made the cut in both 2022 and 2021. Mitchell also hasn’t been in the best of form recently, missing the cut in three-of-his-last-five starts. However, he recently placed T18th at the John Deere Classic and T10th at the RBC Canadian Open. Also consider Doug Ghim ($7,300.) Ghim is currently seventh on Tour in SG: APP, eighth in bogey avoidance, 12th in driving accuracy, 13th in GIR%, 20th in ball striking, 21st in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards, 23rd in par four average scoring, 25th in SG: OTT, 36th in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards, 110th in birdie or better percentage and 113th in SG: PUTT Bermuda. Ghim also made the cut here a season ago. He’s also made the cut in two-of-his-last-three outings, including a T24th in his last event at the 3M Open.
$6,900-
Patton Kizzire ($6,400) is my first play in this price range. He placed T13th here back in 2019 and made the cut in 2020. Kizzire missed the cut in his last outing at the 3M Open but prior to that placed T8th at the Barracuda Championship. He also placed T20th at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, T10th at the Myrtle Beach Classic and T24th at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. Kizzire is currently third on Tour in GIR%, eighth in ball striking, 11th in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards, 13th in par four average scoring, 16th in SG: APP, 18th in birdie or better percentage, 34th in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards, 50th in bogey avoidance, 66th in driving accuracy, 89th in SG: PUTT Bermuda and 116th in SG: OTT. Also consider Chan Kim ($6,900.) Kim missed the cut in his last outing at the 3M Open but prior to that placed T29th at the Barracuda Championship, T10th at the ISCO Championship and T12th at the John Deere Classic. Kim is currently 12th on Tour in both in ball striking and birdie or better percentage, 13th in bogey avoidance, 19th in GIR%, 23rd in par four average scoring, 28th in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards, 31st in SG: APP, 42nd in driving accuracy, 50th in SG: OTT, 51st in proximity to the from 150-175 yards and 159th in SG: PUTT Bermuda.
Betting Card
Cameron Young (+3000)
Brian Harman (+4000)
Aaron Rai (+4000)
Ben Griffin (+8000)
Ben Silverman (+17500)
Cameron Young (+3000)
Young is currently 20th on Tour in SG: OTT, 34th in ball striking, 36th in birdie or better percentage, 52nd in SG: APP, 65th in par four average scoring, 73rd in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards, 75th in GIR%, 89th in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards, 93rd in driving accuracy, 145th in bogey avoidance and 156th in SG: PUTT Bermuda. Young placed T31st in his last outing at The Open Championship. He also placed T6th at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and T9th at the Travelers Championship.
Brian Harman (+4000)
It hasn’t been the season the 2023 Open Champion had hoped for but he has had some quality showings. He’s made nine consecutive cuts coming into this week, capped by a T9th at the Travelers Championship, T12th at the RBC Heritage, T21st at the Genesis Scottish Open and T21st at the U.S. Open. He also placed T2nd earlier this year at THE PLAYERS Championship. Harman also placed T6th here in 2019 and T27th in 2020. Harman is currently 13th on Tour in par four average scoring, 14th in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards, 27th in driving accuracy, 30th in SG: PUTT Bermuda, 37th in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards, 38th in SG: APP, 53rd in bogey avoidance, 86th in birdie or better percentage, 89th in SG: OTT, 108th in ball striking and 111th in GIR%.
Ben Griffin (+8000)
Griffin placed fourth here in 2022. He is also 11th on Tour in bogey avoidance, 13th in par four average scoring, 16th in both proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards and SG: PUTT Bermuda, 47th in GIR%, 56th in SG: APP, 61st in birdie or better percentage, 65th in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards, 122nd in ball striking, 132nd in SG: OTT and 140th in driving accuracy. Not ideal in terms of off-the-tee metrics, especially the accuracy, but he has had proven success here in the past. He missed back-to-back cuts at the 3M Open and The Open Championship coming into this week but prior to that placed T39th at the Genesis Scottish Open, T5th at the John Deere Classic and T31st at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. He also was solo runner-up at the RBC Canadian Open.
Ben Silverman (+17500)
A big number for a guy who fits this course well. Silverman is currently fourth on Tour in bogey avoidance, fifth in par four average scoring, 27th in GIR%, 46th in both driving accuracy and proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards, 49th in SG: PUTT Bermuda, 64th in ball striking, 81st in birdie or better percentage, 88th in SG: OTT, 90th in SG: APP and 107th in proximity to the hole from 100-150 yards. Silverman has made eight straight cuts coming into this week, including a T18th at the John Deere Classic, T17th at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and T16th at the Myrtle Beach Classic.
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