Sung Joon

Park

Park went 13-for-27 during his rookie season to finish 135th in the FedExCup standings. Only equipped with conditional status ahead of 2015-16, he suffered an undisclosed injury in his first start and has been sidelined ever since. That puts him in the category of Non-Exempt Minor Medical Extensions, meaning he will have just 11 starts to earn 454 FedExCup points or $717,890. That would require a hefty $65,263 per start to fulfill while his career earnings are less than a third of that ($21,325 per start). With no updates published on his injury and a tall task ahead of him when he returns, gamers can keep him off their radars for now.

Park has been dormant since a mid-tournament WD at the Sanderson Farms in November of 2015. We’ve seen him recently attempt to play his way into events via Monday qualifiers, but hasn’t had any luck. Ending the 2014-15 season ranked 135th in the FedExCup standings, Park still has conditional status as he tries to fulfill the terms of Non-Exempt Major Medical Extension. He will need to earn 454 FedExCup points or $717,890 to move into the Top 125 category, with this being his first of 11 starts remaining on that MME.

Park was one of the last in the field this week but he didn’t take advantage of the opportunity. He is playing this season on a Major Medical Extension, but doing so out of the non-exempt category so starts are tough to come by. In round one he circled two birdies but also ran into four bogeys, three doubles, and a quad. Park cited a shoulder injury at the time of WD. With limited starts and an ailing shoulder, gamers can continue to let him play his way back into form before re-investing.

Playing a Non-Exempt Major Medical, starts are tough to come by for Park, but it appears he’s not ready this week. He recently cracked the field at the FedEx St. Jude Classic but withdrew after a 12-over 82 in R1, citing a shoulder injury. After Park’s WD, first alternate Andres Romero also took a pass as he’s overseas playing the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open. Next in line is Jonathan Byrd who is currently committed to play on the Web.com Tour, as well. If Byrd ends up withdrawing to remain in the WCT field, then Dicky Pride, John Merrick, and Chesson Hadley are the next three alternates (all three are also in the LECOM Health Challenge field).

Park, No. 257 in the Official World Golf Ranking, enters the week 110th in the FedExCup standings. The Web.com Tour grad, who currently slots 14th on the reshuffle list, is 10-for-19 on his rookie campaign with one top 25, but it went for a T2 at the Humana Challenge. The 29-year-old added a T30 the following week at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. He’s made 13 starts since, missing seven cuts and a WD after the first round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Park was T18 after 54 holes at the AT&T Byron Nelson (two starts ago), but closed in 2-over-par 71 (par 69), fading to T39.

The PGA TOUR rookie is 9-for-17 on the season but owns just one top 25, his runner-up finish at the Humana. Park is 167th in strokes gained and also just 155th in driving distance. On a soggy TPC Four Seasons track this week, that lack of distance may be too much to overcome. The ideal route is to avoid Park until his form returns.

Park, playing in the penultimate pairing with Bryce Molder, began championship Sunday in a four-way tie for the lead at 11-under. He opened with five consecutive pars, pushing his bogey-free streak in the tournament to 54 holes, last squaring bogey at the sixth hole on Thursday. It was quite a feat for the PGA TOUR rookie, making just his 21st career start. It all came screeching to halt, with bogey at the par-4 sixth, followed by a double bogey-6 at the seventh. The carnage didn’t end until he squared two more bogeys at Nos. 9 and 11. After recording 12 birdies over his first three rounds, the 29-year-old recorded none in his final round. Additionally, Park had registered positive numbers in each of the strokes gained categories in rounds one thru three, but put up negative numbers in each during his final round, including -6.429 in strokes gained: total.

He’s just two strokes in arrears of the 36-hole clubhouse lead. The PGA TOUR rookie missed only two (of 14) fairways and two greens in regulation en route to five birdies today. His par breakers featured 4s on both par 5s, including a conversion from 14'11" at No. 17. His T2 at the Humana Challenge in late January is his only top 25 among 10 previous paydays in 20 starts, but it’s enough to buoy him at 117th in the FedExCup standings.

Park, a rookie on the PGA TOUR, began the festivities at 7-under (T10) and two shots adrift. The 29-year-old is making some splash in his Greenbrier debut, not only tied for the lead, but played his second consecutive round without a blemish on the card. In fact, it’s been 49 holes since he last squared bogey at the sixth hole in the first round. Further, it’s his only bogey of the week, currently first in that stat for the tournament. Park split 12 (of 14) fairways on Saturday, and landed 15 greens in regulation, circling par breakers on Nos. 2, 8, 10 and 16. His 15'2" roll on the par-4 10th was his longest conversion on the day. His highlight of the round however, came at the par-3 eighth, flying his tee ball 199 yards to 11 inches for the gimme birdie. Park is 10-for-20 on his 2014-15 campaign with a season-best T2 at the Humana Challenge, his only top-25 finish of the season.

The rookie completed only three holes before walking off Grand National’s Lake Course this morning. He was 1-over-par on the day and 2-over through 21 holes. It’s his second mid-tournament WD in just 23 PGA TOUR starts. He started the week slotted 113th in the FedExCup standings on the strength of a co-runner-up finish at the Humana Challenge. It’s his only top 30 of the season. UPDATE: Assuming he’s able, Park will try again at next week’s RBC Canadian Open.