Wyndham Championship Round 1 updates: FedExCup, Wyndham Rewards, Aon Risk Reward Challenge

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Plenty is on the line at this week’s Wyndham Championship, with the top 125 in the FedExCup standings advancing to the Playoffs, as well as the finale of the Wyndham Rewards Top 10 competition and Aon Risk Reward Challenge. Here’s a quick look at each one after Thursday’s opening round at Sedgefield.

FedExCup Update

AT STAKE: The 125 spots in the upcoming FedExCup Playoffs. Players who finish outside the top 125 after this week will see their seasons end.

LATEST PROJECTIONS: Four players –Patton Kizzire, Johnson Wagner, Andrew Landry and Austin Cook – are currently projected to move inside the top 125 while Pat Perez, Sebastian Munoz, Robert Streb and Alex Noren are projected out. … Kizzire came in ranked No. 129 and has moved nine spots, Wagner entered No. 152 and is now at 122, Landry was No. 132 and is 124th now while Cook moved one spot to the bubble at 125. … Noren entered the week at No. 125 and has fallen five spots, Streb came in 124th and is projected No. 129, Munoz has fallen dropped spots to No. 128 and Perez is No. 126 after starting at No. 122.

CLOSING THE GAP: Wagner came to Sedgefield on the outside looking in, likely in need of a two-way tie for fourth or better to keep his card and make the Playoffs. He responded by shooting a 63, his lowest score ever on the Donald Ross gem, on Thursday to move within a shot of the lead. He’s currently projected No. 122 in the FedExCup. “I came out with the mindset to play fearless and not worry about it and try to go win a golf tournament,” Wagner said. “I mean, there's no need to be nervous because I have to basically contend Sunday, so I'm here to put myself in position and have a chance Sunday

Wyndham Rewards Top 10

AT STAKE: The top 10 spots in the FedExCup standings and its bonus pool money of $10 million. Brooks Koepka already has wrapped up the top prize of $2 million.

LATEST PROJECTIONS: Eight players have a mathematical chance of moving into the top 10 this week. … Sungjae Im, the 21-year-old from South Korea who is playing in his 31st tournament this year, is the only one currently projected to do so. He started the week at No. 25 and is now clocking in at ninth after shooting a 62 that left him tied for the lead. … The other six players with a shot of moving into the top 10 are No. 13 Webb Simpson (who shot 64 and is projected 14th), No.14 Chez Reavie (66, 15th), No. 17 Charles Howell (66, 17th), No. 26 Scott Piercy (69, 27th), No. 29 Hideki Matsuyama (67, 31st), No. 30 Lucas Glover (67, 32nd) and No. 31 Corey Connors (69, 34th). Click here to see the projections.

ONE STEP CLOSER: Paul Casey, the highest-ranked player in the field, moved up one spot to No. 8 after opening with a 65. He could move as high as fourth with a victory. “I'm very kind of in a position where I can only improve my position in the FedExCup and maybe grab a bigger Wyndham Rewards than I already kind of got,” Casey said. It's not locked up, there's still guys that can pass me. But yeah, I want to move up, plain and simple. So yes, I'm freewheeling, but there's always a little bit of pressure.”

Aon Risk Reward Challenge

AT STAKE: The $1 million prize for the season-long competition involving the best scores at select holes. The par-5 15th at Sedgefield is the final hole, with Brooks Koepka currently ahead of Jason Day via a tiebreaker.

LATEST PROJECTIONS: Jason Kokrak and Alex Noren are the only two players with any real chance of overtaking Koepka. Kokrak, who needs a double eagle and an eagle on the 15th hole to do so, made birdie there on Thursday. Noren made a 12-footer for eagle on No. 15 on Thursday but he needs a pair of double eagles. The 15th hole has yielded an albatross once during the Wyndham Championship to Fabian Gomez in 2011. Both players are in danger of missing the cut, though – Noren is tied for 93rd while Kokrak is tied for 133th.