How Charley Hoffman earned spot in PGA Tour’s Genesis Invitational

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Charley Hoffman lost in a playoff on Sunday at the WM Phoenix but he did earn a consolation prize.

Hoffman’s second-place finish, his 10th runner-up in 495 PGA Tour starts, earned him 300 FedEx Cup points and a total of 315.65 in the Aon Swing 5, good for fourth place. The top five players not otherwise exempt who earned the most FedEx Cup points from the Sony Open in Hawaii through the WM Phoenix Open qualify for this week’s Genesis Invitational via the Aon Swing 5.

When Hoffman was informed by a Tour media official at the end of his post-playoff press conference, he said, “Did it? That’s awesome. I’m excited about that. I guess I’m playing next week and not going skiing.”

Hoffman, who is playing this season on a one-time exemption for being top 50 on the Tour’s career money list, said he was planning a family ski trip for a few days to Mammoth Mountain in California.

“I guess we’re going to have to change those plans,” said Hoffman. He noted that he asked Tiger Woods, who he served alongside on the PGA Tour policy board as a player director, for a sponsor’s invite to the Genesis Invitational. Tiger’s foundation runs the event and is the chief beneficiary. Tiger gave one of the four exemptions to himself. “He said, ‘They’re all taken,’ so I said, ‘I’ll play my way in,’ so I guess I did,” Hoffman said.

Hard to top showing up at Tiger’s tourney at Riviera having done just that, but Hoffman made it clear that he feels there is more left in the tank at age 47 and in his 19^th season on Tour.

“I want to kick all these young guys’ butts, believe me,” he said. “I sit back and I want to beat them. I want to be in these Signature Events. I want to be one of the best in the world again. If I’m healthy I can compete, and I want to show these guys I’ve still got it.”

Here’s a look at the Aon Swing 5 standings.