(Reuters) – Patrick Reed returns to the site of his maiden PGA Tour win at this week’s Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina where the world number nine is seeking momentum ahead of the FedExCup Playoffs.
The former Masters champion brings plenty of confidence into the final event of the novel coronavirus-hit regular season at Sedgefield Country Club where in 2013 he picked up the first of his eight PGA Tour victories.
Among those in the field this week’s are world number six Webb Simpson, four-times major champion Brooks Koepka, 2013 runner-up Jordan Spieth and Justin Rose, who is fresh off a ninth place finish at the PGA Championship.
Reed said the par-70 layout suits his game well as it is not a bomber’s paradise but rather a shotmaker’s golf course that allows players to get creative with slopes and undulations in the greens to feed the ball back towards the hole.
“To be able to get that creative side and be able to see different types of shots I feel fits my game well and I’ve always liked to do that,” said Reed.
“Especially when you come out here and get a victory at this place, you always have good vibes when you come in.
“So I feel like the comfort level here is at an all-time high and you feel more free and you just go out and attack.”
Reed will be among the top 125 players to qualify for the Aug. 20-23 Northern Trust, which is the first of three FedExCup Playoffs events.
Among those on the outside looking in and trying to make a last-gasp push for the playoffs this week are twice major winner Zach Johnson, 2017 Masters winner Sergio Garcia and British Open champion Shane Lowry.
Johnson, who enters the week 129th on the FedExCup points list, said accuracy off the tee will be key as the Bermuda greens will be tough to hold without spin out of the fairway.
“I don’t want to say it’s a first shot golf course, but man that first shot is crucial,” said Johnson, who earlier on Wednesday was named as the recipient of the 2020 Payne Stewart Award.
“You can still make pars pretty easily if you hit the fairway. I think the emphasis for me is going to be more fairway.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken Ferris)
