The Wyndham Championship is an important tournament on the Tour schedule, as the last chance for players to qualify for the top 125 in the FedEx Cup rankings.
Not only does getting in to the top 125 secure a player’s Tour card for the following season, it also qualifies the player for the lucrative post-season FedEx Cup playoffs, with four tournaments offering purses over $8 million, and a $35 million bonus fund for players finishing in the top 30 after the Tour Championship. In short: There’s a lot of financial incentive to make it into the Tour Championship, but it starts with getting into the first event, the Northern Trust, next week.
Johnson Wagner came into the week at the Wyndham ranked 136th on the FedEx Cup points list, meaning he would need to make the cut at the very least to improve his chances of cracking the top 125. He currently trails the 125th-ranked player by 71 FedEx Cup points.
Wagner shot an even-par 70 in his first round, and things were not looking good for most of round 2 on Friday. Then, Wagner went on a late surge, with birdies on Nos. 14 and 15, followed by a bogey on 16. Wagner headed to the 18th hole at two under par, knowing he would need a birdie to make the cut on the number at -3.
Then, he summoned a little magic. His 153-yard approach was so pure it landed dead in the hole — for an eagle 2.
Wagner still has work to do this weekend to claim that Tour card. He’ll likely need a finish inside the top 10 to move into the top 125, but his 18th-hole heroics on Friday ensured he’ll have that chance.
You can watch a video of Wagner’s epic shot below.
