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Marcus Plunkett lost his Korn Ferry Tour status last season and is now playing on the Asian Tour ― and playing well.
He also found a way to get into his first major championship.
The Nease High School and Army West Point graduate will be one of 14 area players in the British Open this week, beginning on July 16 at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England. Plunkett, who has recorded five top-15 finishes in seven starts on the Asian and Asian Development Tour, tied for fourth in an Open qualifier at Dundonald Links in Scotland, posting rounds of 69-72—141 to finish one shot clear of a five-way playoff for the final spot.
Plunkett graduated from West Point in 2016 and served five years in the Army as a transportation officer in South Korea, Afghanistan and Colorado. He's been chasing a PGA Tour card since 2021 and, along the way, has won the Dakotas Tour money list, then made eight of 20 starts last year on the Korn Ferry Tour, with a tie for ninth at the Ascendant.
He then got a brutal break during the PGA Tour qualifying process. Plunkett was tied for 18th through three rounds in a second-stage qualifier in Dothan, Ala., one shot behind the cut line for the top 17 that would advance to the Q School final stage in Ponte Vedra. But bad weather forced officials to call the tournament after 54 holes.
Plunkett then went to play in Asia and is 20th on the Order of Merit, with eight tournaments left in the fall and summer.
Plunkett will tee off in the first round at Birkdale with Naoyuki Katoaka of Japan and Baard Bjoernevik Skogen of Norway at 11:10 a.m. (EDT).
Not every winner of the Senior Players Championship has taken advantage of the exemption offered to play in the following year's Players Championship.
Count Zach Johnson in.
"I think I'll humbly accept," Johnson said on July 12 after running away with the Senior Players title by six shots over Boo Weekley at the Firestone Golf and Country Club in Akron, Ohio. "I have very much love for [Stadium Course architect] Pete Dye and I have very much love for TPC Sawgrass and that tournament."
Johnson, who has taken the PGA Tour Champions by storm in his rookie season, last teed it up in The Players in 2022. He had 17 starts in the tournament, with two top-10 finishes.
His best tournament was in 2012 when he tied for second, two shots behind the winner, Matt Kuchar.
Johnson's victory was his third on the Champions Tour. He has yet to finish outside the top-10 in nine starts and it was his fifth top-five finish in a row.
Johnson has earned more than $1.9 million so far and is second to Stewart Cink on the money list.
The St. Simons Island, Ga., resident also has a good reason to want to return to The Players: family. His wife, Kim, is from Fernandina Beach.
"I'll check with my wife, but she loves it too," he said. "She's a Jacksonville girl."
If course knowledge and experience matter in major championships that are rotated, a smart bet might be to take a player who has had success at Royal Birkdale.
There are certainly enough options.
There are 41 players in this year's field who played in the last Open at Birkdale in 2017, including winner Jordan Spieth and five other players who finished among the top 10: Haotong Li (third), Rory Mcllroy (tie for fourth), and Brooks Koepka, Alex Noren and Matthew Southgate (ties for sixth).
Seven players competed at the 2008 Open at Birkdale: winner Padraig Harrington, Henrik Stenson (tie for third), Adam Scott (tie for 16th), Noren (tie for 19th), David Duval (tie for 39th), Justin Rose (tie for 70th) and Stewart Cink (missed cut).
Five players were in the 1998 Open at Birkdale, Rose (tie for fourth), Duval (tie for 11th), Cink (tie for 66th) and Darren Clarke and Harrington (missed cuts).
Event: Open Championship, July 16-19, Royal Birkdale, Southport, England.
Purse: $17 million in 2025 ($3.1 million and 750 FedEx Cup points to the winner).
Defending champion: Scottie Scheffler.
TV: Peacock (July 16-17, 1:30-4 a.m.). USA Network (July 16-17, 4 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; July 18, 5-7 a.m.; July 19, 4-7 a.m.). NBC (July 18, 7 a.m.-3 p.m.; July 19, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.).
Area players: Ludvig Åberg, Bud Cauley, David Duval, Harris English, Brian Harman, Billy Horschel, Keith Mitchell, Andrew Novak, Marcus Plunkett, J.T. Poston, Aaron Rai, Cameron Smith, Michael Thorbjornsen.
Event: Corales Puntacana Championship
Purse: $4 million ($720,000 and 300 FedEx Cup points to the winner).
Defending champion: Garrick Higgo.
TV: Golf Channel (July 16-17, 12:30-3:30 p.m.; July 18, 12-3 p.m.; July 19, 4-6 p.m.).
Area players: Chandler Blanchet, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Lanto Griffin, Patton Kizzire, Paul Pederson, Alejandro Tosti, Danny Walker.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Nease graduate Marcus Plunkett gets first start in a major at Birkdale
Continue reading...
He also found a way to get into his first major championship.
The Nease High School and Army West Point graduate will be one of 14 area players in the British Open this week, beginning on July 16 at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England. Plunkett, who has recorded five top-15 finishes in seven starts on the Asian and Asian Development Tour, tied for fourth in an Open qualifier at Dundonald Links in Scotland, posting rounds of 69-72—141 to finish one shot clear of a five-way playoff for the final spot.
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Plunkett graduated from West Point in 2016 and served five years in the Army as a transportation officer in South Korea, Afghanistan and Colorado. He's been chasing a PGA Tour card since 2021 and, along the way, has won the Dakotas Tour money list, then made eight of 20 starts last year on the Korn Ferry Tour, with a tie for ninth at the Ascendant.
He then got a brutal break during the PGA Tour qualifying process. Plunkett was tied for 18th through three rounds in a second-stage qualifier in Dothan, Ala., one shot behind the cut line for the top 17 that would advance to the Q School final stage in Ponte Vedra. But bad weather forced officials to call the tournament after 54 holes.
Plunkett then went to play in Asia and is 20th on the Order of Merit, with eight tournaments left in the fall and summer.
Plunkett will tee off in the first round at Birkdale with Naoyuki Katoaka of Japan and Baard Bjoernevik Skogen of Norway at 11:10 a.m. (EDT).
Zach Johnson eager for return to Stadium Course
Not every winner of the Senior Players Championship has taken advantage of the exemption offered to play in the following year's Players Championship.
Count Zach Johnson in.
You must be registered for see images attach
"I think I'll humbly accept," Johnson said on July 12 after running away with the Senior Players title by six shots over Boo Weekley at the Firestone Golf and Country Club in Akron, Ohio. "I have very much love for [Stadium Course architect] Pete Dye and I have very much love for TPC Sawgrass and that tournament."
Johnson, who has taken the PGA Tour Champions by storm in his rookie season, last teed it up in The Players in 2022. He had 17 starts in the tournament, with two top-10 finishes.
His best tournament was in 2012 when he tied for second, two shots behind the winner, Matt Kuchar.
Johnson's victory was his third on the Champions Tour. He has yet to finish outside the top-10 in nine starts and it was his fifth top-five finish in a row.
Johnson has earned more than $1.9 million so far and is second to Stewart Cink on the money list.
The St. Simons Island, Ga., resident also has a good reason to want to return to The Players: family. His wife, Kim, is from Fernandina Beach.
"I'll check with my wife, but she loves it too," he said. "She's a Jacksonville girl."
Royal Birkdale veterans crowd Open field
If course knowledge and experience matter in major championships that are rotated, a smart bet might be to take a player who has had success at Royal Birkdale.
There are certainly enough options.
There are 41 players in this year's field who played in the last Open at Birkdale in 2017, including winner Jordan Spieth and five other players who finished among the top 10: Haotong Li (third), Rory Mcllroy (tie for fourth), and Brooks Koepka, Alex Noren and Matthew Southgate (ties for sixth).
Seven players competed at the 2008 Open at Birkdale: winner Padraig Harrington, Henrik Stenson (tie for third), Adam Scott (tie for 16th), Noren (tie for 19th), David Duval (tie for 39th), Justin Rose (tie for 70th) and Stewart Cink (missed cut).
Five players were in the 1998 Open at Birkdale, Rose (tie for fourth), Duval (tie for 11th), Cink (tie for 66th) and Darren Clarke and Harrington (missed cuts).
PGA Tour
Event: Open Championship, July 16-19, Royal Birkdale, Southport, England.
Purse: $17 million in 2025 ($3.1 million and 750 FedEx Cup points to the winner).
Defending champion: Scottie Scheffler.
TV: Peacock (July 16-17, 1:30-4 a.m.). USA Network (July 16-17, 4 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; July 18, 5-7 a.m.; July 19, 4-7 a.m.). NBC (July 18, 7 a.m.-3 p.m.; July 19, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.).
Area players: Ludvig Åberg, Bud Cauley, David Duval, Harris English, Brian Harman, Billy Horschel, Keith Mitchell, Andrew Novak, Marcus Plunkett, J.T. Poston, Aaron Rai, Cameron Smith, Michael Thorbjornsen.
Event: Corales Puntacana Championship
Purse: $4 million ($720,000 and 300 FedEx Cup points to the winner).
Defending champion: Garrick Higgo.
TV: Golf Channel (July 16-17, 12:30-3:30 p.m.; July 18, 12-3 p.m.; July 19, 4-6 p.m.).
Area players: Chandler Blanchet, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Lanto Griffin, Patton Kizzire, Paul Pederson, Alejandro Tosti, Danny Walker.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Nease graduate Marcus Plunkett gets first start in a major at Birkdale
Continue reading...
