PGA TOUR: Winners and Losers from PGA TOUR’s Fall Swing

PGA TOUR’s Fall Swing has wrapped up and there was plenty of action in the first few weeks, so here’s a look at the biggest winners and losers to start the new season.

The PGA TOUR is officially done for the year with the finish of The RSM Classic on Sunday. Although there is still the Hero World Challenge and Franklin Templeton Shootout scheduled for the rest of 2015, those aren’t official TOUR events and don’t count toward the FedEx Cup standings.

What is considered as the Fall Swing of the PGA TOUR has wrapped up and their won’t be an official event until the first week in January when the Hawaii Swing starts. The new year kicks off with the Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Kapalua.

Although the first few tournaments of the year don’t include the most difficult competition, it’s still a great time for the rookies to get their feet wet and others to build an early lead in the FedEx Cup standings. Getting a jump on the FedEx Cup can be the difference in some guys making and missing out on the playoffs at the end of the year.

The Fall Swing can also be an indicator for which guys will have success throughout the year and maybe some dark horses to keep an eye on. Some of the guys having success now can prove to be some beneficial options for those playing in fantasy golf leagues as well.

With that being said, here are three winners and three losers from the Fall Swing of the 2015-16 PGA TOUR schedule.

Winners

Graeme McDowell

McDowell dropped out of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking and missed six cuts in 15 starts on TOUR last season, but has been hard at work to resurrect his career. The Ulsterman used the Fall Swing to do just that.

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Graeme only played in two of the six TOUR events on the Fall Swing, but he made the most of his opportunity. He won the OHL Classic at Mayakoba and came in solo third this past week at The RSM Classic.

His two strong starts are good enough to launch him into fourth in the FedEx Cup standings and get him back down to 54th in the Official World Golf Ranking from 80th.

A solid start to the season can do wonders for a golfer’s confidence, especially one who is breaking out of a slump. McDowell could make himself relevant again in 2016.

Kevin Chappell

Kevin Chappell closed out his season with three top 25s in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, but failed to make the TOUR Championship. He’s making up for it in the new PGA TOUR season.

After missing the cut in the first tournament of the season at the Frys.com Open, Chappell has only improved in each tournament with his best finish coming at The RSM Classic.

There was no hope of catching Kevin Kisner and his runaway victory, but Chappell played well enough to place in solo second. He led the field in strokes gained tee to green with 10.319.

In a season that has been full of first-time winners, Chappell is next in line to get his.

Kevin Kisner

Kisner has been knocking on the door of his first win for quite some time now, but he finally burst through with a win at The RSM Classic.

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His Fall Swing has consisted of three top-25 finishes in four starts, including a runner-up finish and his recent victory. Those finishes are good enough to put him in first place for the FedEx Cup and over $1.9 million in earnings on TOUR.

“If I play the way I have since Hilton Head, I feel like a top 20 player,” Kisner told the press at Sea Island GC. “Absolutely.”

Kisner is coming off a solid finish from last season’s FedEx Cup Playoffs and now has an even stronger start to the new season. Double K could have a great year in 2016 and is a great dark horse pick for the majors.

Losers

Kevin Na

Kevin Na hasn’t necessarily had a start to his PGA TOUR season. He’s currently sixth in the FedEx Cup standings with two runner-up finishes and one third place all in four starts.

Na may three top three finishes, but that says something about his season. He can’t close. As the saying goes, “Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.”

He had the opportunity to win the Frys.com Open, but struggled with a final round 70 to force a playoff with rookie Emiliano Grillo. Unfortunately, the rookie won on the second playoff hole, leaving Na with the second place finish.

Meanwhile at the CIMB Classic, Na took a two-shot lead in the final round, but was only able to string together eight pars in his final eight holes and dropped to a tie for third.

Hopefully Na can find that breakthrough win in 2016.

Robert Allenby

Allenby isn’t the most glamorous golfer on TOUR and he hasn’t had the most glamorous start to the season either. In five starts, the Aussie ranks 199th in the FedEx Cup standings out of 210 golfers.

He’s been cut in four tournaments and the only tournament he has made the cut, at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, he tied for 67th.

Robert is +16 on par 4s this season and +5 on the par 3s. In total strokes gained, Allenby ranks 177th on TOUR, 197th all-around ranking, and is 560th in the Official World Golf Ranking. He’s one of the few golfers NOT ahead of Tiger Woods in the OWGR at this point.

Next: PGA Tour: Kevin Kisner Dominates The RSM Classic

Don’t look for Allenby’s luck to turn around anytime soon. The PGA TOUR swings through Hawaii in January, which marks the one-year anniversary of Robert’s unfortunate strip club visit.