Sunday, Jason Kokrak tasted victory for the first time on the PGA Tour. In his 233 start on Tour, the journeyman-pro fired a final round 8-under par, 64 to capture THE CJ CUP @SHADOW CREEK in Las Vegas, Nevada. A 10-year member on Tour, Kokrak’s victory marks his first top 10 of the season in what was just his third start of 2020. With his victory, Kokrak jumped 13 spots in the U.S. Ryder Cup point standings to No. 14. He has six other top 10s in 2019 which gave him a boost in the points race and put him on course towards qualifying for his first U.S. Ryder Cup team. The top 6 in the standings will automatically qualify for the team, with the remaining six players being selected by Captain Steve Stricker.
For several weeks the top 6 in the U.S. Ryder Cup point standings remain unchanged, but with Xander Schauffele’s runner-up finish to Kokrak, there was a change among the top point earners on Sunday. With his second place showing, Schauffele climbed two spots to No. 5. The finish marked his second top 5 in as many starts, having also finished fifth at the U.S. Open in September. He recorded four top 10s and a victory in 2019 which also fall within the qualifying period for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. He would be a welcome addition to the team as a four-time winner on the PGA Tour who went 3-2-0 in his Presidents Cup debut in 2019.
Click here for the current U.S. Ryder Cup point standings.
