GREENSBORO, N.C. — It's not a stretch to say Webb Simpson would play the Wyndham Championship whenever it landed on the schedule. The tournament and the golf course have been too important to his career to miss it. He has continued to diligently squeeze it in, every year, even as it sits between two bigger weekends.
In recent years, the Wyndham's August dates have fallen behind either the PGA Championship or a World Golf Championships event and directly ahead of the first FedEx Cup playoff tournament. There are some benefits to that — the Wyndham is the last chance to qualify for the playoffs or make a run at regular-season bonuses that run in the tens of millions — but it's still an obvious and natural week off for most of the top players.
That changes next year. The Wyndham will remain the last tournament before the FedEx Cup playoffs begin, with everything that entails, but with no WGC event the week before, the Wyndham becomes one of three tournaments of similar status in the gap between the British Open and the playoffs.
"I think with the new schedule, everyone I've talked to seems to love the new flow for next year," Simpson said. "I think Wyndham is a good beneficiary to the new schedule and I think we'll see a couple other top players."
Top pros who might normally have chosen to rest between key big-money dates may now prefer a pre-playoff tune-up instead, and the Wyndham will be one of three potential spots for that, instead of an either-or.
"It puts us in a much better position," tournament director Mark Brazil said. "After a major or a major-like event like a WGC, it's difficult. Most of the guys will play there. This levels the playing field a bit."
So what turned out to be a remarkably strong field in 2021 — even with the last-minute withdrawals of Patrick Reed and Louis Oosthuizen — that included Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, Rickie Fowler, Adam Scott and Justin Rose could potentially be even better in 2022.
And since most players who have made the trip to Sedgefield Country Club tend to rave about the old-school Donald Ross layout, a distinct change of pace from the typical 7,500-yard obstacle course on tour, a little wider introduction of the birthplace of the ACC to more of the pro population could pay long-term dividends.
"I think it needs more than anything just exposure to these top players," Simpson said. "If they come, they'll see that it's a great golf course. We don't play many golf courses like this anymore. It's a fun week where you don't have to hit it 350 yards every hole to be competitive."
The shifting of the schedule has the potential to be an important development for the Wyndham, which in the past struggled to perpetuate the legacy of the once-great Greater Greensboro Open. That isn't an issue now, with the move back to Sedgefield in 2008 combined with strong local financial support and a mutually agreeable sponsor in Wyndham.
Even as that foundation has solidified, attracting top players has continued to be an issue. The Wyndham can always count on sponsor favorite Brandt Snedeker as well as Simpson and the rest of the North Carolina contingent — Chesson Hadley, J.T. Poston, Doc Redman, Brendon Todd, Harold Varner III and others — along with others looking to solidify their position ahead of the playoffs, or salvage it entirely.
Last year, that drew appearances from Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka. This year, that group includes Fowler, Rose, Scott, Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Kuchar. Rookie sensation Will Zalatoris is here not just because it's close to Wake Forest but because he needs a win to advance.
But for those in good shape coming out of the WGC event in Memphis, it has made more sense to skip this one and rest up for the big home stretch. Of the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings, only five are playing this week, and only Louis Oosthuizen from the top 10. So no Colin Morikawa or Jon Rahm. No Spieth or Justin Thomas. No one from the first-name-only club, no Phil or Dustin or Rory, let alone the Brooks-and-Bryson show.
X does not mark this particular spot for Olympic gold medalist Xander Schauffle.
Then there's the gold standard: Tiger Woods played only once in his heyday, and even that was mid-comeback in 2015. People may not wax nostalgic about the last two winners of this tournament (Poston and Jim Herman) but they still talk about that one week Tiger was here.
No tournament that's not in the upper crust, the majors and major-adjacent tournaments like The Players and the WGC events, ever gets everyone. Players always pick and choose their spots. But the Wyndham's new spot on the schedule will remove one major obstacle that keeps top players from picking and choosing this one.
