Wednesday Preview - Wyndham Championship

We enter the home stretch as this week marks the final regular season tournament on the PGA Tour. After this, we have four playoff events that will conclude with the Tour Championship in Atlanta. Some players have already punched their ticket into next week, and for other, the playoffs start now, as a weak finish this week could mark the end of someone's season.

Course: Sedgefield Country Club, a 7,100 yard track that is one of the shortest on Tour and has provided an assortment of different kinds of championship. A lot of short hitters have played well on this course. Double digits under par has won every year since 1994, so the winner will have to make a bunch of birdies.

Strength Of Field: D-. Almost everybody who already has a tee time booked for next week is off this week. Patrick Reed is the highest rated player in the FedEx Cup race, and Hideki Matsuyama is the highest rated OWGR player. A far cry from the stretch of strong, deep fields the past several weeks.

Extra Tidbits: Greensboro remains the land of Snead, as World Golf Hall of Famer Sam Snead won 8 editions of this event, including the first one in 1938. His last victory in 1965 set the record for the oldest winner on Tour, a record that has yet to be broken. Snead was almost 53 when he won...Only 18 players have ever jumped from outside the top 125 and made it into the playoffs following a strong finish at the Wyndham. Heath Slocum is the only player in two years to do so...Rocco Mediate returns to the PGA Tour this week, making his 23rd start in Greensboro. Mediate won this event in 1993...Stephen Gallacher got a sponsor's exemption into the field. Gallacher is on the bubble for the European Ryder Cup team.

Fantasy Four:

Hideki Matsuyama - Made the cut in 8 straight starts, which includes two majors on top of his win at Memorial. Highest rated golfer in the field. Countryman Shigeki Maruyama won this event in 2003. May be the only highly ranked player in the field that is playing really well right now.

Ernie Els - Roller coaster season, but is coming off a top 10 at the PGA Championship following an incredibly strong final round 65. He is already locked into the playoffs, but would love to capitalize on his success in the final major of the year. His 2012 Open Championship remains his most recent victory.

Joe Durant - Sleeper Pick. Made the cut in his last four events, with three of them being top 25 finishes. His goals for next year are unclear, as he is qualified for the Champions Tour, but is also inside the top 200, which exempts him into the Web.com Tour Finals. Another high finish may push him towards going for his card next season.

Chad Campbell - Is currently 147th in the FedEx Cup race, so he likely needs a top 10 finish to make it into the field next week. His T7 at the Travelers Championship remains his only top 10 of the season. I have a feeling, however, that he does just enough to make it and secure his card for next season.