Looking at 5 non-exempt PGA Tour golfers in mix for Genesis Invitational
As the second round of the muddy, wet and generally unpredictable WM Phoenix Open ended and seeped into the third round Saturday, the sloppiness of the first three days did not obscure the battle for an elusive spot on the AON Swing Five qualification list and with it, entry into the Genesis Invitational, the third signature event of the 2024 season.
After round two, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Kevin Yu, Jake Knapp, Maverick McNealy and Justin Thomas were all in the running.
New to the tour in 2024, the AON Swing Five qualification list allows for five non-exempt players to compete in a signature event. Players must rank in the top five of accumulated FedEx Cup points in each swing between signature events to qualify. The WM Phoenix Open is the final opportunity to earn points before the Genesis Invitational, and as it stands, the current projected difference between final qualifier Kevin Yu and third-man-out Jake Knapp is 42.72 points.
For reference, an outright win at the WM Open nets 500 FedEx Cup points. A 10-place finish nets 75. Knapp, McNealy, and Thomas will have to finish above where they currently rank, but to say a spot in the Genesis is up for grabs would be an understatement.
“Obviously I'd love to be in that AON Swing 5,” said Knapp, a Tour rookie playing in his first Phoenix Open. “But I've just kind of always said, you play well, it takes care of itself. If you start watching for points and things like that, you start kind of get down on yourself and you don't hit those marks … (I’m) just going to go out this week, try to have a solid week and see where it puts me.”
Keeping cool is necessary when chasing down a Swing Five spot. An invitation to the Genesis signature event guarantees a chance to compete for the vaunted $20 million dollar purse, adding pressure to the raucous Phoenix Open atmosphere.
So, where does each hunter stand after the Phoenix cut was made, and will anyone overtake Yu or Bezuidenhout to sneak into the Genesis?
The hunters for spot in Genesis Invitational
Jake Knapp, T17 (-6): Performing admirably for a rookie, Knapp posted a 3-under first-round 68 and followed it up with a duplicate second-round 68, leaving him at 6-under and in a tie for 15th as the field was cut at 2-under. Rankings are subject to change over the third and fourth rounds, but Yu (even par) missed the cut, and Bezuidenhout is tied for 43rd at 3-under. Knapp could jump into the Swing Five qualification group with a 55-plus point top-15 finish, should Bezuidenhout struggle over the weekend. The twist, and difficulty for Knapp, is that he’s behind both McNealy and Thomas on the Open leaderboard, meaning he would have to jump both the tour veterans and Yu or Bezuidenhout to qualify for the Genesis.
Maverick McNealy, 4 (-10): Behind the projected Swing Five cutline by 80.27 points, McNealy came to play, firing a 6-under 65 in the first round that included six birdies and an eagle on No. 13. He followed his outstanding day one with a 4-under 67 in the second round, where he carded another six birdies and only two bogeys on Nos. 8 and 14. Two strong days leave McNealy vying for an outright win, as he entered Round 3 in fourth place at 10-under, trailing midpoint leader Sahith Theegala by three strokes. As it stands, McNealy could earn 135 FedEx Cup points. McNealy entered the weekend with only 22 accumulated points, however, meaning he would likely need to finish better than his current fourth-place standing to jump into the Swing Five group.
Justin Thomas, T6 (-8): A fan favorite and regular performer at the Phoenix Open, Thomas is once again in contention at the Open. After grinding out a 2-under 69 in the first round that included four birdies and two bogeys, Thomas caught fire in the second round, producing seven birdies to only one bogey. Currently tied for sixth, Thomas jumped in the projected Swing Five standings, only 5.67 points behind Yu for the fifth spot on the qualification list. Known to feed off the energetic crowds and embrace the energy associated with the Phoenix Open, Thomas is a prime candidate to steal a spot in the Genesis over the weekend.
The hunted in battle for spot in Genesis Invitational
Kevin Yu, T89 (E): The second-year tour pro entered the second round with a weak grip on the fifth spot in the Swing Five list and seemed poised to compete for his place in the Genesis after posting a 2-under 69 in the first round. However, his bogey-bogey finish in Round 1 leaked into his second round, where he finished the front nine at an ugly 3-over par, two double bogeys on the sixth and eighth holes being the culprit, along with a bogey on seven. He managed some damage control on the back nine but was unable to right the ship entirely, finishing 1-under with a bogey on No. 10 and two birdies on 15 and 17, leaving him 2-over in the second round, and even-par for the tournament. Yu will miss the 2-under cutline, leaving him vulnerable to those playing through the weekend.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout, T43 (-3): Bezuidenhout made the cut and can improve his score over the weekend. He is currently sitting at 3-under for the tournament. But a 1-over second round hurts his placement on the leaderboard after posting a respectable 4-under round one score. Bezuidenhout currently sits tied for 43rd, which would earn him 19 points should he place there at the tournament’s end. Owning a 77.56-point cushion on the current projected Swing Five list, a solid weekend showing should secure Bezuidenhout a spot at the Genesis Invitational.
Conner Olsen is a graduate student at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Looking at 5 non-exempt PGA Tour golfers in mix for Genesis Invitational
