Through the first five PGA Tour events in the nascent 2021-22 season, the five tour winners—Max Homa, Sam Burns, Sungjae Im, Rory McIlroy and Hideki Matsuyama—have all been inside the top 50 of the World Ranking when they captured their titles. That’s the longest streak to start a season since 2005 when the first 10 winners came from inside the top 50.
It’s also a streak that will end on Sunday at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship (or Monday if you’re a weather pessimist, with tee times pushed up to hopefully avoid the heavy rain and thunder forecasted). Taylor Pendrith sits at 17 under through 54 holes and holds a three-shot lead over Danny Lee. The 30-year-old Canadian is 239th in the World Ranking, while Lee is 314th. And every other player within six of the lead is also outside the top 50: Lucas Hebert (57), Patrick Rodgers (201), Vincent Whaley (315), Justin Lower (375) and Peter Malnati (259). Granted only three players inside the top 50 even started in the tournament—Patrick Reed (ranked 24th and sitting T-17 after 54 holes), Matt Fitzpatrick (26/T-22) and Christiaan Bezuidenhout (43/T-43)—so the likelihood of the streak ending was high.
A Pendrith win would easily surpass his best previous finish in 14 career PGA Tour starts (T-11 at the Barbasol Championship last July). It would also earn him by far his biggest career payday. The overall prize money payout at Port Royal G.C. is $6.5 million with the winner earning $1.17 million. Pendrith’s biggest career payday was a $101,797 for his T-23 finish at the U.S. Open last June. His career earnings are only $350,845.
Here’s the prize money payout for each golfer who made the cut this week in Bermuda. Come back shortly after the end of the tournament and we’ll update this story with individual names and prize money payouts.