BLAINE, Minn. – Greyson Sigg hopes to compete in the FedExCup Playoffs. He traces back to the level of self-confidence that led to a brilliant 2020-21 season on the Korn Ferry Tour, recording two wins from 19 top-25 finishes en route to Rookie of the Year honors.
He also knows that playoff spots are not given, they are earned, and that his attitude may have limited his potential during his rookie season on the PGA TOUR. He entered this week’s 3M Open ranked 126th in the FedExCup standings, one of the proverbial bubble boys in the last three regular season events.
Sigg’s play this week shows a desire to play his way out of the bubble. He posted a third-round 7-under 64 at TPC Twin Cities, through a 6-hour, 38-minute mid-round weather delay, to move into a tie for sixth through Sunday at Minnesota. That finish would project him to No. 105 in the FedExCup standings, essentially securing a playoff spot.
“I just try not to get discouraged,” Sigg said of the challenges of his rookie season on TOUR, which included a string of five consecutive blown cuts in May and June. “It’s a frustrating game. It’s a tough game… working on my attitude a little bit, and I feel like that has gotten a lot better this week as well.”
The 3M Open marks the third-to-last event of the PGA TOUR regular season, with the top 125 players from the FedExCup following the conclusion of the Wyndham Championship to earn playoff berths and be fully exempt from the TOUR in 2022-23.
Several players in the mix through Sunday at TPC Twin Cities are aiming to play their way to the Playoffs, including 54-hole leader Scott Piercy. The four-time TOUR winner entered the week at No. 138 in the FedExCup standings, having posted five top-25 finishes to this point in the season but still seeking his first top-10 finish.
Things seem to be coming together at the right time for Piercy, who entered Saturday with a three-shot lead and hit a 5-under-par 66 to extend that margin to four.
“It means a lot,” Piercy said of being in this position. “I’ve had my struggles, and trying and proving that I can still do it is a huge confidence boost.”
Some chasers are looking to make the playoffs for the first time, like England’s Callum Tarren. After earning his first TOUR card through the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour Finals, less than a month after the birth of his first child, Tarren didn’t make his first cut until The Honda Classic in February.
The 31-year-old has built his confidence through results. He made 10 cuts in his last 15 starts, including a pair of top-six finishes, and played in Saturday’s final trio at TPC Twin Cities. He sits T13 in the final round, having entered the week No. 144 in the FedExCup and projects to move up to No. 134.
“It would be amazing,” Tarren said of the possibility of making the playoffs. “That was one of my goals from the beginning of the season, and after eight events, missing eight cuts in a row didn’t look very promising. I always knew my game was good enough.
“I don’t look at (the numbers) on the golf course, because on a hole you can go from being inside the number to being outside the number. I think a good solid week this week will take care of things.”
Others, like Doug Ghim, are striving to repeat their appearance in the Playoffs. The University of Texas alum earned his first TOUR card in spectacular fashion via the 2019 Korn Ferry Tour Finals, draining a crucial par 8-footer on the 72nd hole followed by a Tiger-style fist pump.
Ghim, 26, missed the Playoffs in his rookie TOUR season ranking 184th in the FedExCup, but eligibility was extended for another season due to COVID-19. He cashed in with a No. 83 finish in last year’s FedExCup, and started this week No. 117 in the standings.
Ghim hit a 65 in the third round at TPC Twin Cities to move into a tie for third place, projecting him to No. 84 in the FedExCup.
“It’s been very frustrating, because I feel like a lot of the improvements I’ve made as a player haven’t been reflected obviously in the FedExCup and statistically and all of that,” Ghim said of his season so far. “But I know what the trend of my game is and I’ve been knocking on the door and maybe I’m just missing a bad round or a couple of bad holes and I’ve been trying to be really patient.
“It’s a really good time of year to start finding the rhythm and start putting my name in the hat down the stretch. I know this is what I was capable of all year, but it’s fun to finally be calm this time of year.”
Every shot counts in the race to the FedExCup. This time of year, the scarcity of opportunity magnifies that knowledge.
“It would mean a lot,” Sigg said of making the playoffs. “I really don’t expect anything else. I expect a lot from myself, and I hope to do so in the coming weeks.”