Las Vegas represented as PGA Tour playoffs begin
Five Las Vegas golfers are in the field this week as the PGA Tour playoffs begin at the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tennessee. Eight others missed the postseason field but remain in good shape to keep their PGA Tour playing cards next season, while five more have work to do when the fall season picks up in September.
The key numbers to remember as the playoffs begin: top 70 in FedEx Cup points are in this week’s FedEx St. Jude Classic; top 50 play next week’s BMW Classic; top 30 play the Tour Championship in two weeks. When the fall season resumes in September and ends in November, the top 125 retain their full playing privileges for 2024.
Here’s a look at where players with Southern Nevada ties stand heading into the playoffs:
In the playoffs
No. 16 Xander Schauffele: No wins, but 19-for-19 on made cuts and nine top-10 finishes, including four straight in the spring. Best finish: Second at Quail Hollow.
No. 22 Collin Morikawa: Hasn’t won since the 2021 British Open, but had five top-10s this year. Best finish: Playoff loss at Rocket Mortgage Classic.
No. 23 Kurt Kitayama: An uneven year with four top-10s and 10 missed cuts, but first victory makes up for everything. Best finish: Win at Bay Hill.
No. 29 Seamus Power: Started strong with three straight top-fives during the fall without a lot to show since. Best finish: Win at Bermuda.
No. 53 Taylor Montgomery: Started rookie year on fire with top-15s in eight of his first nine events. Things slowed after that. Best finish: Third in Napa.
Inside 125
No. 72 Adam Scott: Four top-10s, but missed playoffs for the first time since they began in 2006, leaving Matt Kuchar as only player to compete in all of them. Best finish: Tie for fifth at Quail Hollow.
No. 76 Garrick Higgo: After a rough fall, played consistently in spring and summer but never contended for a title. Best finish: Third at Sanderson Farms.
No. 81 Justin Suh: Solid rookie season that was particularly good in spring and early summer when both top-10s occurred. Best finish: Fifth at Honda.
No. 88 Harry Hall: Came up one-shot shy of first win at Colonial, the last of three top-10s for the rookie. Results have tailed off in summer. Best finish: Tie for third at Colonial.
No. 89 Joseph Bramlett: His most consistent season on tour was highlighted by three top-10s. Best finish: Tie for seventh at Pebble Beach.
No. 98 David Lipsky: Got himself on several leaderboards, but also missed a dozen cuts. Best finish: Tie for fourth at Waialae.
No. 108 Maverick McNealy: Fast start in the fall derailed by injuries. Missed several weeks in winter, and all of the summer. Best finish: Tie for seventh at Waialae.
No. 117 Doug Ghim: Salvaged a rough year, missing six straight cuts at one point, with a solid summer to climb the points ladder. Best finish: Tie for 12th in Canada.
Outside 125
No. 130 Scott Piercy: Wildly inconsistent year, with 13 missed cuts and four WDs. Best finish: Tie for 16th in Houston.
No. 137 Charlie Hoffman: Veteran also battled injuries, leading to 14 missed cuts, but showing signs of life late. Best finish: Tie for 12th at Wyndham.
No. 149 Ryan Moore: Playing on a one-time career money list exemption, had a career-worst 17 missed cuts Best finish: Tie for seventh at Pebble Beach.
No. 191 Nick Watney: Never found a rhythm, missing 19 of 26 cuts, including 10 of last 11 starts. Best finish: Tie for 11th in Bermuda.
No. 215 Derek Ernst: With no status, only got into nine tournaments and made just two cuts. Best finish: Tie for 21st in Puerto Rico.
Greg Robertson covers golf for the Review-Journal. Reach him at grobertson@review-journal.com.
