Kodak Challenge Update: Wyndham Championship

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Aug. 19, 2010

MORE: Interactive Kodak Challenge scorecards

The Kodak Challenge is a first-of-its-kind competition for PGA TOUR players, who must play at least 18 of the 30 Kodak Challenge holes to be eligible to win. A player's lowest score relative to par on his best 18 Kodak Challenge holes will be counted. The player with the lowest cumulative score relative to par wins $1 million and the Kodak Challenge trophy.

The Kodak Challenge is now in the final third of its schedule and there are just seven tournaments to go before the winner-takes-all $1 million prize is awarded at the Children's Miracle Network Open on Nov. 11-14. Troy Merritt and Rickie Fowler lead the Kodak Challenge at 12-under.

First round

Troy Merritt captured a share of the 2010 Kodak Challenge lead during Thursday's opening round of the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club. Merritt sank his 15-inch birdie putt on the par 5 547-yard hole 15th hole, moving to 12-under-par on the Kodak Challenge leaderboard and tied with Rickie Fowler, who is idle this week.

Joe Ogilvie also made a remarkable two stroke move up the Kodak Challenge leaderboard on Thursday thanks to the Kodak Challenge's unique scoring rule, which allows players to record their best 18 scores.

Because the Wyndham Championship represents Ogilvie's 19th Kodak Challenge hole, his five-foot birdie on No. 15 replaced a Kodak Challenge bogey he recorded earlier in the season. At 10-under-par, Ogilvie sits just two shots behind leaders, Troy Merritt and Rickie Fowler.

The "Kodak Challenge Moment of the Day" belonged to Woody Austin, who sunk a Kodak Challenge eagle to move to 10-under-par, two shots off the leaders. Austin landed his second shot just 16 inches from the cup. He knocked in the easy putt to jump up two strokes in the Kodak Challenge standings.

No. 15 was the 15th most difficult hole at Sedgefield Country Club Thursday, yielding 10 eagles, 74 birdies, 62 pars and 9 bogeys. The Wyndham Championship is the 24th of 30 tournaments to participate in the 2010 $1 million Kodak Challenge competition.

Current Kodak Challenge Leaderboard