The PGA Tour continues on this week as it visits Sedgefield Country Club for the 2023 Wyndham Championship. Designed by acclaimed golf course architect Donald Ross, Sedgefield Country Club will play as a Par 70, 7,131 yard layout this week. First held in 1938, the Wyndham Championship serves as the final event before the FedEx Cup Playoffs begin. To win here, you will have to go low, with the winner finishing at -20 or better 6 of the last 7 years. Last year’s tournament was won by Tom Kim, who shot a final round 61 to win by five strokes over John Huh and Sungjae Im and pick up his first PGA Tour victory.
Player to Fade:
Brent Grant is in the midst of his rookie campaign on the PGA Tour and needless to say, it’s been a struggle at times, as he has just 1 top 10 and 3 top 25’s in 26 starts. Since his T-8 finish at the Corales Puntacana Championship, Grant’s game has been wandering aimlessly, with 8 missed cuts in 11 starts. Sedgefield is an easy layout on tour compared to others, but with Grant’s recent form, all it adds up to is another missed cut.
Dark Horse:
Another rookie on tour, Eric Cole has quietly had a solid season, with 3 top 10’s and 8 top 25’s in 29 starts, good enough to sit in 40th place in the FedEx Cup Standings. Cole’s game is solid throughout the bag, ranking inside the top 35 in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green, Around-the-Green, Putting, and Total. Cole’s game has been quiet during the summer; outside of a T-6 finish at the RBC Canadian Open, he has managed just 2 top 30 finishes in 5 starts since. Sedgefield is a course that sets up well for Cole, so don’t be surprised if he brings home a top 25 by week’s end.
Top 10:
Denny McCarthy is having what is arguably his best career season to date, with 6 top 10’s and 13 top 25 finishes in 26 starts. McCarthy has played well at the Wyndham in the past, with 1 top 10 and 3 top 25’s in 5 trips to Sedgefield Country Club. McCarthy is a solid ball striker, but the strength of his game is in his putting, as he is currently ranked 3rd in Strokes Gained: Putting this season. McCarthy is on a solid heater, with 3 top 10’s in his last 5 starts on tour. If he can keep that hot putter going, there’s no doubt in my mind that he will bring home a top 10 finish this week.
Winner:
He may not be dominating the leaderboards every week, but Si Woo Kim is having a great season, with 1 win, 6 top 10’s, and 9 top 25’s in 24 starts. A former winner of the Wyndham, Kim has a proven track here, with 1 win and 4 top 5 finishes in 7 career starts. Kim is another player who has a solid game throughout the bag, ranking inside the top 25 in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green, Approach the Green, and Total. In contrast to McCarthy, Kim’s nemesis has been his putter, as he ranks 131st in Strokes Gained: Putting this season. Kim seems to jive well with Sedgefield Country Club and with his past success here and his success on tour this year, we predict that Si Woo Kim will take home the victory at the Wyndham Championship for the second time in his career!