Wyndham Championship: Justin Thomas clings on to FedExCup qualifying hopes as he makes cut with five-under second round
All the highlights from day two of the Wyndham Championship.
All the highlights from day two of the Wyndham Championship.
Two-time major champion Justin Thomas has kept his FedExCup playoff hopes alive by carding a second-round 65 to make the cut at the Wyndham Championship.
Entering the week, Thomas sat 79th in the FedExCup standings, with only the top 70 qualifying, after failing to make the cut in five of his past seven starts. His efforts on Friday have nudged him up to 75th were these results to be final, so there’s still work to be done.
Thomas is currently seven shots behind Russell Henley, who tops the leaderboard for a second-straight day after a four-under round of 66 took him to 12 under for the tournament.
Justin Thomas has given himself a chance of making the FedExCup playoffs after a second-round 65 to make the cut at the Wyndham Championship
One shot back in second place is Billy Horschel after shooting a career-low 62. The 2014 FedExCup champion is another fighting to get into the top 70 and had appeared to give himself a mountain to climb when ranked 117th coming into the week. He’s now projected to jump all the way up to 65th to qualify.
“We’ve talked about this enough and it’s been well-documented, this year’s been a real struggle for me,” Horschel said.
“Listen, I know I have to win or finish solo second… If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”
Billy Horschel carded a career-low round of 62 to propel himself into second spot on the leaderboard and into the projected top 70 for the FedExCup
As for other members of the playing field pushing to earn themselves a late FedExCup place, England’s Matt Wallace – 80th in the standings prior to the tournament – is tied with Thomas at five under after carding 68 on Friday.
Australia’s Adam Scott (81st), who has qualified for every edition of the playoffs since they were introduced in 2007, is one shot further back on four under after a one-over second round of 71.
Ireland’s Shane Lowry (76th) is three under, having flirted with the cut line following a double-bogey on the 16th before finishing his second round with a birdie.
2019 US Open winner Gary Woodland (97th) and Netflix series ‘Full Swing’ favourite Joel Dahmen (82nd) are also three under, while Ryder Cup hopeful Alex Noren (102nd) only just made the cut at two under and has a lot of work to do.
Henley holds on to narrow lead
Henley’s four-under second round was good enough to see him hold onto his one-shot lead at Sedgefield Country Club despite Horschel’s career-low round propelling him up the leaderboard and into second on Friday.
Brendon Todd (63), Lucas Glover (64), Adam Svensson of Canada (67) and Byeong Hun An of South Korea (67) are tied for third at 10 under, while Swedish up-and-comer Ludvig Aberg is in seventh place at eight under after carding a second-straight 66 for the week.
Henley finished strongly after going out with a one-under 34 on the back nine. He birdied three of his last five – holes five, eight and nine – to wrap his second round.
“I haven’t looked at the stats but I think my putting has been really solid and I feel like my approach game when I’m in the fairway has been pretty good,” Henley said, “I’ve made a lot of good par saves and made a decent amount of 10-, 15-footers.”
Henley, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour, has finished in the top 10 at the Wyndham Championship three years running and is hoping to avoid letting his lead slip this year like he did in 2021. The American led after each of the first three rounds two years ago before faltering down the stretch with a final-round 71 seeing him finish in a tie for seventh.
Horschel holed out for eagle at the par-four eighth hole and made seven birdies and a single bogey in his hugely impressive round.
It’s a welcome return to form for Horschel who, until tying for 13th at the 3M Open last week, had not finished better than tied for 40th at a non-team, stroke-play event since the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February.
Notable names to miss the cut in Greensboro, North Carolina, included former Masters winner, England’s Danny Willet (two over), and compatriot Callum Tarren (level par) – both of whom harboured hopes of still qualifying for the FedExCup playoffs.
Canada’s Adam Hadwin (two over) and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (five over) are also headed home, but they’re already inside the top 70 so will be in the field for next week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Watch the Wyndham Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage from day three begins on Saturday from 5pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the PGA Tour with NOW.
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