ATLANTA – In 2011, Kyle Stanley’s first year on the PGA Tour, he missed advancing to the Tour Championship by just 96 points, finishing 34th on the playoff points list.
The next year, following a victory at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, he missed by just seven points (31st on the list), which makes this week’s trip to East Lake, his first, particularly rewarding for the 29-year-old.
That he opened with a 6-under 64 to take a two-stroke lead on Day 1 at the finale only made the milestone that much enjoyable; and the two feats aren’t entirely mutually exclusive.