Four South Africans will tee it up at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, hoping for a big result ahead of the FedExCup playoffs, writes WADE PRETORIUS.
Retief Goosen, Ernie Els and Rory Sabbatini tee off outside the playoff spots, while Tyrone Van Aswegen sits just inside the top 125 that will advance to the Northern Trust Open – the first of the four events that make up the final series.
Goosen is currently 161st on the list, and arrives this week on the back of two missed cuts. The two-time Major winner has just a single top-ten finish to his name this year – he finished T2 at the Puerto Rico Open – and will need to call on all his experience if he wants to feature on the PGA Tour over the next month.
Fresh off his 100th Major celebration, Els has had a season to forget as he has been unable to add to his 19 tour titles. The Big Easy’s best result is a 35th place finish at the AT&T Byron Nelson, and he must climb from 213 to 125 on the money rankings if he is to continue this season.
Sabbatini is another in grave danger of missing out on the bonus that the FedExCup playoffs bring, despite a season with three top-20 finishes – The Greenbrier Classic, Farmers Insurance Open and the Barracuda Championship. The 41-year-old enters this week ranked 148th, and with a bit of momentum on his side following five weekends made in a row.
Van Aswegen is currently inside the top 125, along with Charl Schwartzel (50th on the money list), Branden Grace (88th) and Louis Oosthuizen (33rd), but will be wary of players making moves this week. He had made $770 257 this season, and is projected to finish the regular season in 83rd place – a 15-place jump from last season.
