WiretoWire: Aaron Rai wins first title at wet, wild Wyndham Championship
It was an off-script week at the Wyndham Championship, so it’s fitting that the tournament’s final holes veered off-script. England’s Aaron Rai earned his first TOUR title with a closing birdie for an 18-under 262 total at Sedgefield Country Club, two strokes clear of Max Greyserman, who led by four strokes with five holes to play but suffered a quadruple bogey at No. 14 and a four-putt double bogey at No. 16. Rai entered the week in fine form with three top-seven finishes in his last four starts, and his maiden TOUR triumph was a natural progression. Rai, who turned pro at age 17 and is now a veteran at the ripe age of 29, moves from No. 53 to No. 25 on the season-long FedExCup and secures a spot in next year’s Signature Events. “It feels amazing,” Rai said Sunday evening. “It truly is a dream come true.” Rai played 36 holes on a marathon Sunday that featured the conclusion of Round 2, the entirety of Round 3, and the vast majority of Round 4 (Matt Kuchar elected to return Monday to complete the final round). The Wyndham Championship also marked the FedExCup Regular Season finale, with the top 70 players on the FedExCup Playoffs and Eligibility Points List qualifying for the Playoffs.
FedexCup Playoffs have arrived
The first FedExCup Playoffs event has arrived, with the top 70 in the FedExCup standings heading to Memphis, Tennessee. The FedEx St. Jude Championship will be the first of three Playoffs events. The field is tighter and the stakes are higher, with the top 50 after this week advancing onto the BMW Championship. FedExCup Points are quadrupled for the first two Playoffs events, with the winner earning 2,000 points. World No. 1 and FedExCup leader Scottie Scheffler returns to Memphis off the strength of his Paris Olympics gold medal, along with last season’s runner-up in the FedExCup and two-time major champion this season Xander Schauffele.
Mastercard APGA Tour Championship set for live broadcast
The APGA Tour, committed to bringing greater diversity to the game of golf, will showcase 48 top diverse professional golfers as they compete for the $155,000 purse at the Mastercard APGA Tour Championship. Taking place from Aug. 12-13 at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Georgia, the event promises thrilling competition and a season-long celebration of APGA’s commitment to supporting and developing underrepresented golfers. The live broadcast will air on GKLive.TV on Aug. 12-13 at 1 p.m. ET. The tournament will mark the conclusion of the season-long Cisco Cup Series, with the top player receiving $100,000 of the $150,000 bonus pool prize money.
Brandt Snedeker surprised with PGA TOUR’s Payne Stewart Award
In recognition of his character, sportsmanship and commitment to charitable giving, nine-time PGA TOUR winner Brandt Snedeker has been named the 2024 recipient of the PGA TOUR’s Payne Stewart Award presented by Southern Company.
“I had a four-shot lead with five holes to go? If you’re doing that in a PGA TOUR event, you’re doing something exceptionally well so that’s what I’m going to walk away with.” – Max Greyserman after finishing runner-up at the Wyndham Championship in heartbreaking fashion
Source: [PGATour.com]
