The Wyndham Invitational presented by Truist returns to Sedgefield Country Club to bring the 72 top-ranked boys in the Rolex AJGA Rankings to compete in a 72-hole, stroke-play tournament.
This will be the 21st year in the event's history in Greensboro, North Carolina, and the 14th time that Sedgefield Country Club has hosted the tournament.
Wyndham Invitational Alumni on PGA TOUR
More than 130 PGA TOUR golfers played the Wyndham Invitational early in their careers, including four-time major winner Brooks Koepka, 2015 Masters champion and FedExCup champion Jordan Spieth, 2011 Wyndham Championship winner and 2012 U.S. Open winner Webb Simpson, 2013 Wyndham Championship winner and 2018 Masters Champion Patrick Reed, and 2009 Wyndham Invitational champion and 2022 PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas. Several years from now, some of the golfers playing in this year’s Wyndham Invitational will no doubt compete at the professional level.
Top AJGA Player
Eric Lee, No. 2 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings, is the top player in the field. During the 2021 campaign, Lee finished top-10 in four AJGA events and won the Rolex Tournament of Champions at 8-under-par 278. The Fullerton, California, native has verbally committed to play college golf at the University of California, Berkeley. Lee earned his first team honor in the 2021 campaign as a Rolex Junior All-American.
Field Strength
After graduating from high school, many junior golfers begin their transition to college golf by playing amateur events and their final junior tournaments. Eighty-three percent of this year’s Wyndham Invitational presented by Truist field is made up of rising seniors, juniors, and sophomores. Ranked players from each class according to the Rolex AJGA Rankings are below:
- Class of 2022: one of the top-25
- Class of 2023: three of the top-10
- Class of 2024: three of the top-25
- Class of 2025: three of the top-25
North Carolina Natives
Some of the top junior golfers in North Carolina will play in the 2022 Wyndham Invitational presented by Truist. All gained entry through the same eligibility standards as the field. North Carolina golfers are listed with high school graduation, hometown, May 1 Carolinas Golf Association ranking, and June 1 Rolex AJGA Ranking:
- Michael La Sasso (2022) of Raleigh - 13th / 124th
- Kyle Hass (2023) of Winston-Salem - 11th / 128th
- Tyler Jones (2023) of Jacksonville - 17th / 134th
- Will Hartman (2025) of Marvin - 15th / 62nd
- Carson Bertagnole (2025) of Pinehurst - 23rd / 117th
Qualifying Tournament
More North Carolina juniors earned entry into the Wyndham Invitational presented by Truist through an 18-hole qualifying tournament. The qualifying tournament was played at 6 a.m. on Sunday, June 12 at Holly Ridge Golf Links in Archdale, N.C., with a maximum field of 60 golfers. The top-four qualifier finishers advanced into the Wyndham Invitational presented by Truist field. The full qualifier results are here
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Boys Qualified Into Tournament:
- Bizzell Pate of Pinehurst, North Carolina (2024)
- Boyi (Barry) Zhang of (China) Lake Mary, Florida (2024)
- Payton Schmitt of Raleigh, North Carolina (2026)
- Nicholas Logis of Austin, Texas (2026)
Future ACC Players in the Field
Six Wyndham Invitational presented by Truist golfers are committed to play college golf in the Atlantic Coast Conference. They are listed below with high school graduation and school. Those with a (v) are verbally committed:
- Josh Duangmanee (2022) Virginia
- Cooper Claycomb (2022) Louisville (V)
- Michael La Sasso (2022) North Carolina State
- Joseph Lenane (2022) North Carolina State
- Will Baker (2022) Clemson (V)
- Carson Brewer (2023) Florida State (V)
First Team Rolex Junior All-Americans
Eric Lee of Fullerton, California, is the only golfer in the field who was among the top-12 junior golfers in the world, earning honors as a 2021 First Team Rolex Junior All-American.
Rolex Junior All-Americans
Twelve of the 72 players in the Wyndham Invitational presented by Truist field received Rolex Junior All-American recognition in the past:
- Eric Lee
- Nicholas Gross
- Sihao Cong
- Jackson Koivun
- William Sides
- Ethan Gao
- Alex Papayoanou
- Carson Brewer
- Nicholas Prieto
- Ryder Cowan
- Will Hartman
- Connor Williams
International Players
Ten of the 72 golfers in the Wyndham Invitational field presented by Truist represent six foreign countries. Those golfers are listed below with the country they represent and their current hometown, if applicable:
- Benjamin Cai of Davenport, Fla. (Taiwan)
- Xing Luo of Katy, Texas (China)
- Sebastian Gamboa of Merida, Mexico
- Jeremy Chen of Taipei City, Taiwan
- Eduardo Derbez Torres of Monterey, Mexico
- Kristoffer Kuvaas of Houston (Norway)
- Byungho Lee of Plano, Texas (South Korea)
- Alex Long of Lakewood Ranch, Fla. (Canada)
- Juan M. Martinez of Alvarado, Veracruz, Mexico
- Aaron Martin del Campo of Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico
2021 Tournament Recap
Maxwell Ford of Peachtree Corners, Georgia, won the 20th annual event by five strokes over the 2021 Rolex Junior Player of the Year, Nicholas Dunlap of Huntsville, Alabama, at 7-under-par 273. One shot clear of the field to start the final round, Ford compiled 12 birdies and two eagles to win the Invitational.
The two time Rolex Junior All-American completed his first collegiate season at University of Georgia, earning 2021 Southeastern Conference All-Freshman Honors. Some of his highlights include debuting for the bulldogs in The Carmel Cup with a 20th-place finish and finishing in second in the Puerto Rico Classic at 16-under-par 200.
Previous Winners
The AJGA first hosted an event in Greensboro in 1988 for boys and girls, but the Wyndham Invitational was created in 2002 as a boys-only major opposite the Rolex Girls Junior Championship.
The 2022 tournament will be the 21st Wyndham Invitational presented by Truist. Of the previous winners of the tournament, several have gone on to become PGA TOUR champions:
- 2002: Steve Han
- 2003: Brian Harman
- 2004: Brian Harman
- 2005: Daniel Woltman
- 2006: Andrew Yun
- 2007: Peter Uihlein
- 2008: Cameron Peck
- 2009: Justin Thomas
- 2010: Tanner Kesterson
- 2011: Billy Kennerly
- 2012: Matthew NeSmith
- 2013: Matt Gilchrest
- 2014: Austin Connelly
- 2015: Charles Huntzinger
- 2016: Eugene Hong
- 2017: Trent Phillips (UGA)
- 2018: Karl Vilips (Stanford)
- 2019: Brett Roberts (Florida State)
- 2020: David Ford (UNC)
- 2021: Maxwell Ford (UGA)
54-hole Cut
The 72-player Wyndham Invitational presented by Truist will utilize a cut following the third round of play. The top 48 golfers and ties will advance to the final round. A tie after 72 holes will be decided by sudden-death playoff.
Wyndham Exemption History
For five years, Wyndham Invitational winners earned a sponsor’s exemption into the Wyndham Championship.
- 2008: Cameron Peck
- 2009: Justin Thomas
- 2010: Tanner Kesterson
- 2011: Billy Kennerly
- 2012: Matthew NeSmith
Players to Watch
Of the 39 players who have won an AJGA event, a few highlights:
- Eric Lee of Fullerton, California, won the 2021 Rolex Tournament of Champions at PGA National Resort & Spa. Lee is looking for his second AJGA title and is currently committed to University of California, Berkeley.
- Nicholas Gross of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, will be looking for his first win of 2022 as he recently won the AJGA Junior All-Star Invitational presented by adidas Golf back in October. Gross is currently No. 4 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings.
- Jackson Koivun of San Jose, California, is also looking for his first win of 2022 as he recently won the Jack Burke Jr. Invitational back in August. Koivun is currently No. 6 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings and is committed to Auburn University.
- Matt Moloney of Vienna, Virginia, is seeking his second win of his 2022 campaign as he recently won the Sung Hyun Park Junior Championship back in April. Moloney is currently No. 17 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings.
- Ethan Gao of Alpharetta, Georgia, is looking for his second win of 2022 as he recently won the Rome Junior Classic presented by Piedmont Bank back in April. Gao has three career AJGA wins and is currently committed to Stanford University.
Tournament History
Despite several name changes, the Wyndham Invitational has been a staple on the AJGA schedule since 2002.
Noteworthy host courses have included:
- The Cardinal Golf and Country Club
- Forest Oaks Country Club
Notable past champions include:
- Matthew NeSmith (2012)
- Justin Thomas (2009)
- Brian Harman (2004, 2003)
10 of the Top-20 Players in the Rolex AJGA Rankings
2 Eric Lee of Fullerton, California
4 Nicholas Gross of Downingtown, Pennsylvania
5 Jack Roberts of Saint Mary's, Georgia
6 Jackson Koivun of San Jose, California
9 Sihao Cong of Irvine, California
15 Sebastian Gamboa of Merida, Mexico
17 Matt Moloney of Vienna, Virginia
18 Andrew Ramos of Blaine, Minnesota
19 William Slides of Tulsa, Oklahoma
25 Carson Kim of Fullerton, California
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