2020 Bermuda Championship Preview

2020 Bermuda Championship Preview

2020 Bermuda Championship Pre-Tournament Notes

Dates: October 26 – November 1, 2020
Where: Southampton, Bermuda
Course: Port Royal Golf Course (36-35—71/6,828)
Field size: 132
2019 champion: Brendon Todd
Purse: $4,000,000 ($720,000/winner)
FedExCup: 500 points to the winner
Format: 72-hole stroke play

Things to Know

  • The Bermuda Championship is a second-year PGA TOUR event; in 2019, represented the TOUR’s first official event in Bermuda
  • Due to the cancellation of the 2020 World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, the Bermuda Championship is a standalone event in 2020 and the winner will receive 500 FedExCup points
  • Eighth of a record 12 official FedExCup events contested in the fall portion of the 2020-21 season
  • Brendon Todd seeks to become the first player to successfully defend a PGA TOUR title since Brooks Koepka at the 2019 PGA Championship

Bermuda Championship and the FedExCup

  • For the first time, the Bermuda Championship serves as a standalone event and offers full FedExCup points (500 to the winner)
  • After winning the event in 2019, Brendon Todd went on to finish No. 20 in the FedExCup standings
  • Eight of the 10 fall winners in 2019-20 went on to qualify for the season-ending TOUR Championship
  • Eighth of a record 12 official FedExCup events held in the fall portion of the 2020-21 season, providing players opportunities to get off to a strong start in the FedExCup

A look back at the 2019 Bermuda Championship

Brendon Todd68-63-67-62—260 (-24)
Harry Higgs66-65-65-68—264 (-20)
Brian Gay69-65-65-67—266 (-18)
Hank Lebioda66-70-67-63—266 (-18)
Scottie Scheffler62-69-69-66—266 (-18)
Aaron Wise67-65-69-65—266 (-18)
  • Brendon Todd began the final round two strokes back of Harry Higgs before posting career-low 9-under 62 en route to his second PGA TOUR title and first since 2014 AT&T Byron Nelson
  • Todd’s front-nine 29 in the final round included seven consecutive birdies (Nos. 2-8)
  • Win came in his 177th PGA TOUR start and 100th start since 2014 AT&T Byron Nelson title
  • In his next start, Todd claimed his third TOUR title at the Mayakoba Golf Classic to become the first player to win back-to-back tournaments on the PGA TOUR schedule since Bryson DeChambeau in the 2018 FedExCup Playoffs (THE NORTHERN TRUST, Dell Technologies Championship)
  • Advanced to the TOUR Championship and ended the season No. 20 in the FedExCup

Notes on the field

  • Three players in the top 10 of the FedExCup standings: Stewart Cink (No. 5), Hudson Swafford (No. 8), Peter Malnati (No. 10)
  • Two FedExCup champions: Bill Haas (2011), Henrik Stenson (2013)
  • Two winners of THE PLAYERS Championship: Fred Funk (2005), Henrik Stenson (2009)
  • Three Bermuda natives: Anthony Phipps, Michael Sims, Camiko Smith
  • Five major championship winners (seven wins): Stewart Cink (2009 The Open Championship), Jason Dufner (2013 PGA Championship), Padraig Harrington (2007 The Open Championship, 2008 The Open Championship, 2008 PGA Championship), Henrik Stenson (2016 The Open Championship), Danny Willett (2016 Masters Tournament)

Player notes

Will Zalatoris

  • Making his 13th career PGA TOUR start and 11th as a professional
  • Needs three non-member FedExCup points to secure Special Temporary Membership for the remainder of the season
  • Three top-10 finishes in four starts on the season, tied with James Hahn for the most on the PGA TOUR: T6/U.S. Open, T8/Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, T5/Shriners Hospitals for Children Open
  • Earned a spot into the Bermuda Championship by way of a top-10 finish at Shriners Hospitals for Children Open
  • Has one win and 10 total top-10 finishes in 16 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2020

Stewart Cink

  • Won the season-opening Safeway Open, his seventh PGA TOUR title and first since the 2009 Open Championship
  • In his next start after the Safeway Open, finished T12 at the Sanderson Farms Championship
  • Making 599th career start on TOUR
  • Currently No. 5 in the FedExCup

Peter Malnati

  • Posted a then-career-low 9-under 63 in the final round of the 2020 Sanderson Farms Championship to finish second to Sergio Garcia
  • A week after the runner-up finish, topped the 63 with a 9-under 62 in round two of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open en route to a T5 finish
  • Lone PGA TOUR victory came at the 2015 Sanderson Farms Championship
  • Currently No. 10 in the FedExCup

Harold Varner III

  • Making his first start in the Bermuda Championship
  • Most recent of 12 career top-10 finishes on the PGA TOUR came in August at the Wyndham Championship; opened with an 8-under 62 en route to a T7 finish
  • Remains in search of his first TOUR title in his 140th start
  • Currently No. 73 in the FedExCup

Bermudians in the Field

Camiko Smith

  • 2020 Bermuda Championship marks the 35-year-old Bermuda native’s first PGA TOUR start
  • Winner of the 2020 Bermuda PGA Championship
  • Held the Port Royal Golf Club course record of 7-under 64 with Adam Scott until the 2019 Bermuda Championship
  • As an amateur, competed on the 2009 Gold Medal Island Games Golf Team
  • 35 years old, native of Bermuda

Michael Sims

  • 41-year-old Bermudian made his TOUR debut at the 2019 Bermuda Championship (MC) on a sponsor exemption
  • Owns five top-10 finishes in 111 career starts on the Korn Ferry Tour
  • Grew up in Bermuda playing junior golf; won the 2005 Bermuda Open at Port Royal Golf Club as a professional
  • Shot 59 in the second round of the 2012 Southern Open on the eGolf Professional Tour

Anthony Phipps

  • Florida native from a long line of Bermuda family members is poised to make his first start on the PGA TOUR
  • 27-year-old will be competing on a sponsor exemption
  • Played collegiate golf at Florida A&M University

Additional player notes

  • 19-year-old Denmark native Rasmis Hojgaard captured his second European Tour win in August at the ISPS HANDA UK Championship; in only previous PGA TOUR start, missed the cut at the 2020 U.S. Open
  • 2016 Masters Tournament winner Danny Willett, is poised to make his second PGA TOUR start of the season (MC/U.S. Open)
  • 2009 PLAYERS Championship winner Henrik Stenson is in search of his seventh PGA TOUR title and first since the 2017 Wyndham Championship; won lone major title at The Open Championship in 2016
  • Three-time major championship winner Padraig Harrington will be in search of his seventh PGA TOUR title and first since 2015 The Honda Classic
  • A two-time winner on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2019, Kristoffer Ventura has collected a pair of top-10 finishes in four starts this season (T7/Safeway Open, T6/Sanderson Farms Championship)
  • Korn Ferry Tour player Ollie Schniederjans, who owns eight top-10 finishes on the PGA TOUR, will be joined in the field by his brother, Luke; in Luke’s only previous TOUR start, missed the cut at last month’s Safeway Open competing as an amateur
  • 64-year-old Fred Funk, winner of the 2005 PLAYERS Championship, will be joined in the field by his son, Taylor; in Taylor’s only previous TOUR start, missed the cut at last year’s Bermuda Championship (77-74—151/+9)

Tournament notes

  • Bermuda Tourism Authority, the event’s title sponsor, signed a five-year deal, taking the event through at least 2023
  • Port Royal Golf Course previously hosted the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, a specialty event for the year’s major championship winners, from 2009-14


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