Greensboro, Aug 10 (IANS) Sahith Theegala’s promising start to the Wyndham Championship faded on the final day as the Indian-American golfer carded a 4-over 74 to finish tied 49th, while Michael Brennan produced a decisive late surge to win the PGA Tour’s final regular-season event.
Theegala, who opened the tournament with a brilliant 8-under 62 to sit just one shot off the lead, could not maintain that momentum over the weekend. He finished with rounds of 62-69-69-74 for a six-under 274 total.
Despite the disappointing finish, Theegala, who is backed by Hero, secured his place in the Playoffs, which begin next week. The 28-year-old, who returned to the tour this season after an injury-hit 2025, ended the regular season ranked 44th in the standings.
Fellow Indian-origin golfer Aaron Rai also made the cut and finished tied 29th after rounds of 67-69-69-67, ending the week at eight under. Rai completed the regular season in 35th place.
At the top of the leaderboard, Brennan delivered when it mattered most. The 24-year-old entered the Wyndham Championship ranked 105th in the standings, having managed only one top-10 finish during a difficult season. But he saved his best for the final tournament of the regular season.
Starting the final round one shot behind Beau Hossler, Brennan reeled off five consecutive birdies from the fourth hole, with each putt coming from inside eight feet. The remarkable stretch transformed a deficit into a three-shot advantage by the turn after Hossler dropped a shot on the ninth.
Brennan closed with a 6-under 64 to secure the title and dramatically climb to 47th in the standings, earning a place in the lucrative postseason.
The top 70 players after the Wyndham Championship qualified for the playoffs, with Jackson Koivun narrowly retaining the final spot. The former Auburn player, who left college in June and won the 3M Open in just his third PGA Tour start, shot 71 to finish the regular season 70th, surviving late pressure from Matt Wallace and Davis Thompson.
Brennan’s own playoff qualification came after overcoming recent disappointments. He had been in contention at both the 3M Open and Rocket Classic, only to falter in the final round on each occasion. This time, he held his nerve to complete the breakthrough.
Ben James, the No. 1 player in the PGA TOUR University rankings who already has his 2027 card secured, bounced back from falling out of contention on Saturday with a spectacular 61 to finish third.
Brennan was the only player to move into the top 70, replacing Steven Fisk, who entered the tournament 69th but missed the cut and slipped to 71st.
Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka also missed out on the postseason. Needing a fourth-place finish to qualify, Koepka struggled once again with his putting and finished tied for 67th. He ended a difficult season with just one top-10 finish.
–IANS
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