Round 1 Notebook: Wyndham Championship

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Weather: Mostly cloudy with morning showers. An afternoon high of 85 degrees. Winds NE 4-8 mph

• As the final event in the FedExCup Regular Season, the Wyndham Championship plays a vital role in the race to the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. The top 96 players in the FedExCup standings coming into the Wyndham Championship have locked in a spot at The Barclays for the first event of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. This means that all the players ranked 97 or higher in the FedExCup standings are "on the bubble" and are fighting to get into the top 125.

• With the FedExCup points reset coming after the BMW Championship (third event), it guarantees that all 30 players at THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola will have a mathematical chance at winning the FedExCup. It also means that the top five players in the FedExCup points entering THE TOUR Championship will control their own destiny -- if they win the TOUR Championship they will also win the FedExCup.

• Last year, five players made it from outside the top-125 in and into The Barclays due to their performance at the Wyndham Championship.

• Monday qualifier Arjun Atwal tied the course record with a 9-under 61 in round one of the Wyndham Championship to take a two-stroke lead over 2007 champion Brandt Snedeker. Atwal's 61 is three strokes better than his previous career-low round of 64 on the PGA TOUR.

• The last Monday Qualifier to go on to win was Fred Wadsworth at the 1986 Southern Open.

WYNDHAM

Leaderboard
Rd. 2 Tee Times
Scorecard: Atwal
Live Report
Transcripts
Rd. 1 Wrap-up

• Atwal has previously held at least a share of a lead after any round on TOUR three times. His best previous TOUR finish is a T2 at the 2005 BellSouth Classic.

• Atwal began the 2010 PGA TOUR season playing on a Minor Medical Exemption out of the Qualifying Tournament/Nationwide Tour category. He had eight events in which he had to earn $586,007 to gain status for the remainder of the season. His eighth start was the RBC Canadian Open, where he failed to earn the needed balance. Therefore, is NOT eligible to receive FedExCup points this week, regardless of his finish.

• Brandt Snedeker reeled off five consecutive birdies on hole Nos. 13-17 en route to a 7-under 63 in round one.

• Snedeker, ranked 45th in FedExCup standings, claimed his first and only PGA TOUR win at the Wyndham Championship at Forrest Oaks CC in 2007. Snedeker has now posted 11 of 13 rounds with an under-par score in Greensboro.

• Coming off a T39 finish at last week's PGA Championship, Snedeker is making his 23rd start of the year, highlighted by three top-10 finishes. His most recent top-10 finish was a T8 finish at the U.S. Open.

• David Toms fired a 6-under 64 in round one to finish three strokes stroke back of Arjun Atwal. Toms' best finish of the year is a 63 in round two of the Transitions Championship, where he finished T20.

• Still in search of his first top-10 finish of the year, Toms is making his 20th start this week, and 12th Wyndham Championship start. His best finish in Greensboro is a T4 in 2004.

• John Rollins birdied five of his inward-nine holes en route to a 6-under 64 in round one, his low round of the year. Rollins, who sits at No. 79 on the FedExCup points list is a lock for next week's The Barclays, and almost assured a spot into the Deutsche Bank Championship a week later.

• Rollins has struggled as of late, having missed five of his last eight cuts this year. His lone top-10 finish of the year was a T8 in his second start of the year at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

• Rollins is making his eighth Wyndham Championship start this week, and first since 2008 (MC). His best previous finish was a T27 in 2004.

• The writing for a good week may have been on the wall early in the week for 43 year-old Jay Williamson, who posted a 5-under 65 in round one. During a practice round Tuesday, Williamson aced the par-3 third hole from 191 yards with a six-iron.

• Williamson, who is making his 19th start of the season, has made the cut in his previous eight starts. Of those came his year's best finish with a T8 at the St. Jude Classic in Memphis. Williamson entered this week ranked 147th on the FedExCup points list.

• Jason Gore, originally a sponsor invite, ultimately made his way into the field on his own under the past champion category. He opened with a 5-under 65.

• Gore has split his time in 2010 between the Nationwide Tour and PGA TOUR. His best finish on the PGA TOUR through nine starts this year is a T47. He has made 12 starts on the Nationwide Tour with a T27 at the Cox Classic being his best finish.

• Gore came into the week ranked 213th on the FedExCup points list with 55 points. With a win in Greensboro, Gore would guarantee himself a spot into at least the first two Playoffs events, The Barclays and the Deutsche Bank Championship.

• John Mallinger fired a 5-under 65 in round one to match his low round of the year. Mallinger has made just seven cuts in 23 starts this year.

• Mallinger posted four sub-par rounds in his last start at the Turning Stone Resort Championship, where he finished T22. He remains in search of his first top-10 finish of the year. He is currently 163rd on the FedexCup points list. Last year, Mallinger made it through three of the four Playoffs events, The BMW Championship. He finished 60th in points for the season.

• Wake Forest grad Brendan Gielow aced the 164-yard, par-three sixth hole with a six-iron in round one in his PGA TOUR debut. Gielow, a member of the 2009 Walker Cup team, earned 2010's Byron Nelson Award. The award, bestowed by the Golf Coaches Association of America, annually recognizes a college student who exemplifies strong academics amidst a golf career, coupled with integrity.

• Virginia Tech grad and High Point, N.C., resident Drew Weaver shot a 3-under 67 in round one in his second Wyndham Championship start. Weaver missed the cut in 2008. Weaver is making his eighth career PGA TOUR start this week.

• Since the Kodak Challenge records a player's best 18 Kodak Challenge holes scores, pros with a full Kodak Challenge scorecard this year can move up the leaderboard quickly. Once a player reaches 18 holes, any additional holes offer the opportunity to replace bogeys and pars on their Kodak Challenge scorecards with better scores. This can create a one, two, or even three-shot swing in a player's score on just one hole.

• Three competitors at this week's Wyndham Championship have 18 Kodak Challenge holes on their card, two of whom have bogeys they can replace. Joe Ogilvy, Brett Quigley and Webb Simpson each have 18 Kodak Challenge holes under their belt. Ogilvy (8-under-par) and Webb Simpson (6-under-par) have bogeys they can replace.

• The Wyndham Championship's 15th hole is the first of three consecutive par 5's on the Kodak Challenge schedule. Troy Merritt moved into a tie with leader Rickie Fowler after a birdie at 15 today.

• Matt Bettencourt withdrew after nine holes with a wrist injury.