By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – On a beautiful August day in Wilmington, Del., former Tennessee Tech men's golfer and TTU Sports Hall of Famer Scott Stallings let it all sink in. After 12 years as a member of the PGA Tour, he earned his first bid to the TOUR Championship.
The TOUR Championship is the final event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs – the climax of the PGA Tour season – with the winner taking home the FedEx Cup and a $15 million bonus. The tournament is limited to the top 30 players on the FedEx points list. The event is slated to take place at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta from August 22-28.
Competing at the BMW Championship at Wilmington Country Club over the weekend, Stallings secured a runner-up finish, his best showing on Tour since the 2015 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. He narrowly missed his first win on Tour since the 2014 Farmers Insurance Open, wrapping up the regular season's final tournament at 13-under, just one stroke back of Patrick Cantlay, the defending FedEx Cup champion.
The former two-time OVC Golfer of the Year turned in four rounds under par for the event, including scores of 68, 68, 66, and 69. His runner-up performance on Sunday shot him up the FedEx Cup rankings from 46th to 12th.
Stallings is enjoying the best year of his professional career, securing seven top-10 and 12 top-25 finishes, both the best marks since he debuted as a PGA Tour rookie in 2011. His final FedEx Cup ranking of 12th prior to the FedEx Cup easily represents the best of his career. His previous best finish was 57th back in 2011.