Michael Brennan won’t feel as tired from playing golf if he can produce more rounds like he did during the Wyndham Championship.
Brennan birdied five consecutive holes on the front nine Sunday afternoon and went on to win the tournament by three strokes in the PGA Tour regular-season finale in Greensboro, N.C.
Brennan’s second career victory catapulted him into the FedEx Cup playoffs, which begin this coming week in Memphis.
“I don’t want to be done playing golf (this season),” Brennan said. “I feel like I’ve played the best golf I have all year the last couple weeks. Unfortunately, a couple tough Sundays. But outside of that, I’ve been playing really, really solid. This is my sixth week in a row so seven’s a lot, but I think I’m going to be perfectly happy running on fumes next week.”
He shot a 6-under-par 64 and finished at 22-under 258 across four days at Sedgefield Country Club, topping final-round playing partner Beau Hossler (67 on Sunday). It’s the second year in a row that a former collegiate golfer from nearby Wake Forest won the tournament, following Cameron Young.
Brennan’s other victory came in last October’s Bank of Utah Championship in his first PGA Tour start as a professional.
His birdie spree came on Nos. 4-8. He took a bogey on the par-4 11th hole, but got that back two holes later by rolling in an 8-foot birdie putt.
“I felt really good on the front nine just playing my game,” Brennan said. “I was really staying within myself, hitting good shots. Felt like I was really in control.”
After a critical par save at No. 17, Brennan capped Sunday’s round with a 13-foot birdie putt on the last hole.
Hossler, who was the first- and second-round leader and third-round co-leader, applied pressure with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 to pull within two strokes of the lead. That followed his 10-hole stretch at 2 over after he eagled the fifth hole.
“Very proud of how I fought on the back nine there, particularly at the end,” Hossler said. “Michael played phenomenal, well deserved.”
There were ramifications up and down the leaderboard as golfers jockeyed for position, in need of a top-70 spot in the season-long standings in order to advance to the FedEx Cup playoffs. Hossler just missed out, rising 50 places to No. 72 on the list.
“A little break and play the fall (tournaments),” Hossler said of his upcoming golf plans.
The final golfer to make it into the FedEx Cup playoffs was rookie Jackson Koivun, who won the 3M Open two weeks ago. He shot 71 on Sunday for his worst round of the week, but ended up tied for 29th in the tournament at 8 under.
“I just didn’t have my best stuff today and that happens,” Koivun said. “There’s definitely some added pressure today, felt it coming down the stretch.”
The first golfer out — at No. 71 in the FedEx Cup standings — was Steven Fisk, who missed the cut in Greensboro.
Ben James fired a 61 for the best round of the day, even one stroke better than his opening round. Saturday’s 72 proved costly, so the tour rookie placed third at 18 under.
“I had nothing to lose. I wanted to play as best I can,” James said. “I was definitely frustrated yesterday by my performance but had some good ideas and some small tweaks I was kind of thinking about.”
Taiwan’s Kevin Yu (66) finished fourth at 16 under, followed by England’s Harry Hall (66) and South Korea’s Tom Kim (70) at 15 under.
Five golfers tied for seventh place at 14 under. That group included England’s Matt Wallace, who shot 65 Sunday but ended up at No. 73 in the standings.
Brooks Koepka didn’t make the necessary charge during the tournament to climb into the playoffs as he made a return to the PGA Tour this season. His tie for 67th place at 3 under (after Sunday’s 70) left him at No. 94 in the standings.
He said he knows what he’ll be working on.
“It’s just all on the greens,” Koepka said. “I don’t know what the deal is. Got zero confidence, can’t putt.”
Young notched a final-round 67, but he tied for 61st at 4 under.
–Field Level Media
