Golf News: 2010 Fedex Cup

Showing posts with label 2010 Fedex Cup. Show all posts

Monday, September 27, 2010

Furyk Wins Fedex Double

One clutch shot gave Jim Furyk two big trophies Sunday. He sat between them Sunday afternoon after his dramatic victory in the rain at East Lake, the crystal trophy for THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola on his left and the sterling silver FedExCup trophy on his right.

Which one meant more?

Furyk reached out his right hand and gently tapped the silver cup, which might be more valuable than the $10 million that comes with it.

Clinging to a one-shot lead, in a bunker so deep he could only see the top of the lip, Furyk hit a clean shot and watched it head for the flag. It landed inches from the cup and spun to a stop 2 feet away for an easy par and a one-shot victory over Luke Donald.

He put his name on a trophy with Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh. He finally won THE TOUR Championship, giving him three victories in a season for the first time in his career. He stated a strong case -- three victories and FedExCup champion -- as PGA TOUR Player of the Year.

Maybe that explains why his stoic demeanour gave way to a celebration never before seen out of Furyk.

"It just hit me," said Furyk, who closed with an even-par 70. "I was excited and dropped the putter and ... I don't know. I guess at that moment, you're not really responsible for what happens next."

He thrust his fist toward the grandstand with such force that it looked like he heaved his golf ball into the crowd. And he shared a hug with his wife, Tabitha, asking her, "Did I win the bonus?"

Furyk had a pretty good idea when he walked off the 18th tee, and the cheer of the crowd when he tapped in only confirmed it.

It was the kind of finish the TOUR had in mind when it created the FedExCup four years ago. Six players had a chance to claim the $10 million prize over the final hour at East Lake, from Matt Kuchar as the top seed to Nick Watney all the way down at No. 28.

Then came the final hole.

Donald chipped in for birdie from 100 feet on the 17th hole to keep his hopes alive. Furyk, who had a three-shot lead with three holes to play, made bogey on the 16th and 17th holes and hit his hybrid into a bunker on the 18th. If he made bogey, Furyk and Donald would go back to the 230-yard 18th hole for a sudden-death playoff with $11.35 million riding on the outcome.

Then came a bunker shot that defined a career worth of grit. He was in a bunker nine times at East Lake, and saved par every time.

Donald didn't bother going to the range. He waited in the scoring trailer.

"I didn't feel like going out in the rain and drowning myself even more," Donald said. "So I was just watching the action, seeing if there was a chance I was going to get in a playoff. But Jim made a great up-and-down at the last and deserved the victory."

Furyk finished at 8-under 272 and earned $1.35 million, along with the $10 million bonus, the biggest payoff in golf. He moved to No. 5 in the Official World Golf.

Furyk was the No. 3 seed when the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup began, but was disqualified from the opener when he missed his pro-am time at The Barclays because the battery died in his cell phone, which he used for an alarm. He was No. 11 in the standings going into THE TOUR Championship, and became the first player out of the top 10 to win the cup.

Turns out he joins Woods as the only FedExCup champions to miss the first playoff event -- Woods in 2007 because he didn't want to play, Furyk this year because he couldn't.

He still ranks the U.S. Open as his biggest win, although this was a close second.

"It's only 4 years old," he said of the FedEx Cup. "But 40 years from now, there should be a lot of history in this trophy. And to have 'Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk' ... I'm very proud of that, because those two can flat play -- two of the most dominant players of my era, for sure."

This Sunday was so bizarre that Kuchar, who shot 71 and tied for 25th in a 30-man field, still had a chance to win the FedExCup. He wound up second for a $3 million bonus. Donald moved up to third in the standings and picked up an extra $2 million.

Retief Goosen also had a chance at both trophies until a bogey on the 17th. He shot a 71 and finished alone in third at THE TOUR Championship. Watney (67) and Casey (69) tied for fourth.

The celebration was dampened by a two-hour rain delay that sent most of the fans home from East Lake. For those who stayed, it was tough to applaud with one hand on the umbrella as the rain pounded the players over the final hour of competition.

Even so, a FedExCup finale has never had so many possibilities, so much movement.

Watney wasn't even a remote candidate when he went into the weekend tied for 25th in the 30-man field, 13 shots out of the lead. Then came a 63 in the third round, and he kept right on going. Watney shot a 28 on the back nine Saturday, then had a 30 on the front nine Sunday to pull within one shot of the lead.

Watney could have won the FedExCup with a victory at East Lake, provided Kuchar did not finish alone in 25th. Kuchar missed a 7-foot par putt on the final hole.

That became irrelevant when Watney failed to birdie the par-5 15th and made his first bogey of the round on the 16th.

Even when Furyk had a three-shot lead after his birdie on the 15th, the FedExCup remained in doubt.

Casey, who has not won a tournament all year, could have claimed the $10 million bonus by finishing alone in second place. Casey was at 6 under -- one shot behind Goosen in second -- when he hit his approach toward the corporate tents on the 17th. After a free drop, he hit a wedge to just outside 5 feet and badly missed the putt.

Furyk has no time to celebrate. He was to join his team-mates on a charter flight to Wales on Sunday night with another cup to try to win -- the Ryder Cup -- this one worth no money at all.

The Tour Championship - Final Result

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Jim Furyk Holds Lead

Jim Furyk headed to the first tee Saturday in THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola and heard his father and coach, Mike Furyk, give him a simple instruction to "just play golf."

It's a reminder he has uttered over the years not to get too caught up in mechanics or strive for the perfect swing, but to hit the ball, find it and get it in the hole as quickly as possible.

That might not be bad advice for Sunday, either.

Just play golf. Don't think about the $10 million at stake.

Furyk twice walked off a green happy to make bogey, made consecutive birdies late in his round that put him atop the leaderboard at East Lake and wound up with an even-par 70 for a one-shot lead over Retief Goosen and Luke Donald.

That set the stage for a FedExCup finale that has never had so many possibilities.

Furyk, Goosen and Donald all can win the FedExCup and its $10 million bonus by winning THE TOUR Championship, which comes with a $1.35 million prize of its own. So can Geoff Ogilvy, only three shots behind. Paul Casey and Charley Hoffman, both within five shots of the lead, can win golf's biggest payoff without even winning the tournament.

And there are enough video boards along the back nine that players should have a pretty good idea what they need to do.

"The first part of the scenario is I have to win, and the rest of it I can't control," Furyk said. "So the idea, really ... it makes it very simple. I have to win tomorrow, and the idea is just to go out and do the best I can to do that."

Furyk was at 8-under 202, and a victory Sunday could be a real breakthrough. He has never won three times in a season, and his third PGA TOUR title this year might warrant strong consideration for player of the year.

Even so, Furyk is aware not only of how many players are behind, but how many possibilities exist.

-- Donald can win the FedExCup as long as Matt Kuchar, the top seed, doesn't finish second. Kuchar shot 72 and was 10 shots behind.

-- Ogilvy, who shot a 72 was three shots behind at 5-under 205, can win the $10 million provided Casey isn't second, Hoffman isn't third and Kuchar doesn't find a way to finish seventh.

"In the past, we had an idea who was going to win, or who had already won," Goosen said, referring to Tiger Woods in 2007 and 2009, and Vijay Singh in 2008 when the points system was such that the Fijian had already clinched the FedExCup when he showed up at East Lake.

It starts with playing well on Sunday, when the tee times will be early because rain is in the forecast that could dramatically change the fast, firm conditions of East Lake.

And as Donald showed in the third round, it all can change so quickly.

The Englishman was never out of the lead until he dumped his third shot into the bunker on the par-5 15th up the hill into a far corner of East Lake. He blasted out to about 12 feet, then ran his par putt 3 feet by. Donald hit the next putt too firmly to catch the grain, and he walked off with a shocking double bogey.

Furyk, who holed a 10-footer for birdie, suddenly had a two-shot lead.

"It was frustrating to give away a couple there," Donald said. "But I hit a lot of good shots today. I'm in great position -- still just one back, and this is the last Sunday of the regular tour, and I've got a chance to win it all. So that's nice to know."

Goosen has a chance to cap off a solid year with a victory, something he has failed to do. His nine top 10s are second on TOUR only to Matt Kuchar, although the two-time U.S. Open champion has never come seriously close to winning.

What a time it would be to end that drought. Goosen was asked if ever imagined winning $10 million in a single day when he turned pro.

"Maybe 10 million Zimbabwean dollars," the South African said.

Ogilvy fell out of the hunt quickly, with a bogey on the first hole and a double bogey on the next one. He battled his way around, however, and finished with a 10-foot birdie putt that seemed to take 10 minutes to trickle down the slope and fall in the side of the cup. That left him only three shots behind.

And if anyone needed evidence a low score was available at East Lake, consider Nick Watney. His caddie has been calling him "Melba" all week because Watney is so tired from a long year -- and with his wedding a month away -- that he's toast. Watney had never heard of Melba toast, which was just as well. He resembled a jalapeno on Saturday, making seven birdies on the back nine for a 28, and shooting a 63 that put him all the way to 2-under 208 and in eighth place.

Phil Mickelson shot a 68 and was seven shots behind, enough to hope, but little more than that. He would need a victory to have any chance of winning the FedExCup for the first time. Lefty also needs to finish second to replace Woods at No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Furyk Leads Tour Championship

Jim Furyk played bogey-free on the back nine at East Lake and shot a tournament-best 65 on Friday for a share of the 36-hole lead with Luke Donald of England, who had another 66.

A two-time winner on the PGA TOUR this year, Furyk began the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup at No. 3 in the standings. But in the opening event at The Barclays, he was disqualified for missing the pro-am when his alarm didn't go off. He slipped six spots, and didn't scare anyone the next two weeks to fall to No. 11.

But with the top players in the standings starting to fade, Furyk only has to win at East Lake to collect the $10 million FedExCup prize -- the biggest payoff in golf.

"It's a bunch of money," Furyk said. "The only thing I can really control is to go out and play good on the weekend, try to win the golf tournament. And at that point, there's nothing else I can do about it."

Furyk has a chance to join Tiger Woods as the only FedExCup champion to miss the first playoff event, although it wasn't by choice.

"I'd like to join him with about 16 majors, too," Furyk said. "But that doesn't look like it's in the cards."

Going into the weekend, the deck is stacked in his favour.

Donald did a great job scrambling whenever he struggled off the tee, and pieced together another 66 to join Furyk at 8-under 132. One shot behind was Geoff Ogilvy, who had seven birdies in his round of 67.

Ogilvy's biggest concern was the Australian Rules Football grand final in Melbourne with his beloved St. Kilda going for only its second championship. He planned to watch the game and worry about sleep some other night.

Saturday's third round, with tee times moved up because of NBC Sports' obligation to Notre Dame college football, could determine whether this FedExCup finale is a three-man race.

Ogilvy, at 7-under 133, was the only player within four shots of the leaders. K.J. Choi did well to stay close by knocking in a 45-foot birdie putt on the par-3 18th, one of only seven birdies on that hole through two rounds.

Phil Mickelson's hopes were fading. He had a chance to become the first repeat winner of THE TOUR Championship presented Coca-Cola, and even a runner-up finish would be enough to replace Woods at No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Mickelson, however, had a 72 and was tied for 13th, nine shots out of the lead.

England's Paul Casey, getting plenty of attention for his Ryder Cup snub, had a share of the lead at various times during the hot afternoon until a sloppy finish, making bogeys on this last three holes for a 71. That put him in the group at 3-under 137.

Casey is No. 5 in the standings -- the highest-seeded player without a victory this year -- and he could wind up a FedExCup champion with a runner-up finish depending on how top-seeded Matt Kuchar fares.

"If I want to get up there and challenge those guys, I'm going to have to hit it a lot better than I did today," Casey said.

Furyk was in that spot a year ago -- a chance to win the FedExCup without winning on TOUR that year. He was a stronger contender this year with his victories at Innisbrook and Hilton Head. But then he lost ground with his pro-am blunder. Furyk headed home to Florida, making no excuses for his battery dying in a cell phone that he used for an alarm.

The TOUR changed its pro-am policy a week later after an outcry by just about every player except him.

"It was my fault," Furyk said. "If I whined or complained or anything about the rule, it's just going to make me look worse. My peers actually did plenty of that for me."

He got plenty of sympathy, followed by plenty of grief.

"Hundreds of people told me that I was going to get alarm clocks for Christmas," Furyk said.

He could afford plenty of those depending on how the rest of the week goes. He has made only one bogey through 36 holes, that coming on the seventh hole Friday when he missed the green to the right and missed a 7-foot par putt.

All he is thinking about his a good round Saturday, another one Sunday then figure out where he is.

"Yesterday I said all I want to do was think about the next day, try to shoot a round in the 60s," Furyk said. "I'll be doing the same thing tonight -- try to shoot another round in the 60s and put myself in the hunt."

That's not a simple task at East Lake, which is such a stern test that it doesn't take much for a round in the 60s to wind up over par. Kuchar had to play one shot on the 17th hole with his feet in the water and scrambled for a 70, leaving him in a tie for 15th at 2-over 142.

Charley Hoffman, the surprise winning in Boston to get to No. 3 in the standings, rallied with a 67 and was among the nine players still under par. He was at 2-under 138. The other players in the top five in the FedExCup -- they only have to win to capture the prize -- were Dustin Johnson (71) at 144 and Steve Stricker (68) at 142.

Donald hasn't won on the PGA TOUR all year, but he is showing great form with the Ryder Cup looming. It wasn't the fairways-and-greens golf for which Donald is known, but it was good enough for a share of the lead.

"The short game on the back nine kind of kept my score together," he said.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Dustin Birdie Beats Casey

Maybe now everyone will believe Dustin Johnson when he says he is over a summer of Sunday disappointments. Thanks in part to a positive outlook. Dustin Johnson turned some negative moments into one very big positive Sunday.

First came an 82 on the final day of the U.S. Open. Then came a crushing blow at the PGA Championship, when he was denied a spot in the playoff for not realizing he was in a bunker and touching the sand with his club on the final hole.

Resilient as he is powerful, Johnson kept coming back for more.

The payoff came Sunday in the BMW Championship, when the 26-year-old American was flawless on the back nine at Cog Hill and made up a three-shot deficit against Paul Casey to win for the second time this year. Playing in the final group for the fourth time since June, Johnson closed with a 2-under 69 for a one-shot victory.

"To finally get it done, especially after all the things I've gone through this summer ... it can't feel any better," Johnson said. "I played really good golf today. I didn't make as many birdies as I would have liked, but I made just enough."

He made three birdies, none more important than the last one.

Tied for the lead, Johnson knew the 17th hole might be his last good chance. He pulled driver and smashed his tee shot over the trees with a slight fade, the ball landing in the fairway and leaving him a sand wedge that he hit within 2 feet for a tap-in birdie.

"I knew I needed to hit a good tee ball because it was going to be my best chance of making a birdie," he said. "I was just trying to cut a drive, hold it against the wind and get it around the corner a little bit. And I hit it perfect."

Equally impressive was the 18th, where Johnson ripped another drive to set up a conservative par.

The Pebble Beach winner in February, Johnson has quickly emerged as one of the game's rising stars. He now goes to THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola at No. 2 in the FedExCup standings, with a clear shot at the $10 million bonus.

One player he won't have to beat at East Lake is Tiger Woods. The world's No. 1 player sputtered at the start and shot 70 to tie for 15th, not nearly enough to move into the top 30 in the standings and advance to the FedExCup finale.

It's the first time as a pro that Woods hasn't been eligible for a tournament.

"That's just the way it is," Woods said. "I didn't play well early in the year, and I didn't play well in the middle of the year."

Woods played with Phil Mickelson for the first time all year, and Lefty buried him. Mickelson closed with a 67 and tied for eighth, his first top 10 since the U.S. Open. It was the 26th time the world's best two players have been in the same group, and the record now stands at 11-11-4.

"He certainly brings out the best in me, and I enjoy being paired with him," Mickelson said.

Woods next plays in the Ryder Cup, and he won't be alone in having two weeks off. Two other Ryder Cup picks, Stewart Cink and Rickie Fowler, also failed to qualify for THE TOUR Championship.

Casey was left off the Ryder Cup team despite being No. 9 in the world when European captain Colin Montgomerie made his three picks. He had a great chance to make Montgomerie look foolish, building a three-shot lead on the back nine, only to throw it away with three straight bogeys. Casey had three chances from the fairway coming in, but didn't give himself a birdie opportunity inside 25 feet.

Asked if he was motivated by not being picked, Casey smiled and said, "Yes."

But he wouldn't say much more.

"I can't go there, unfortunately," the Englishman said.

He shot four rounds of 69 to finish alone in second. The consolation was moving up to No. 5 in the FedExCup standings, and the top five players at East Lake only have to win to collect the biggest payoff in golf.

The biggest blow to Casey on the back nine was hooking his tee shot into the bushes on the par-5 15th, which can be reached in two. He made his third straight bogey to fall into a tie, and Johnson outplayed him from there.

"It was myself against the golf course, 72 holes, and I played it one shot worse than Dustin Johnson," Casey said.

With the 70-man field at Cog Hill narrowed to the final 30, the BMW Championship offered plenty of drama away from the leaders.

Charlie Wi appeared set for his first TOUR Championship until making bogeys on the last two holes, missing a 12-foot par putt on the final hole. That moved Bill Haas up to No. 30.

Then came Matt Kuchar, who needed a birdie for any hope of getting into a playoff at Cog Hill. He ran his putt 3 feet by the hole, then missed it coming back. Kuchar was in a two-way for third, and the bogey moved him into a three-way tie for fourth. That allowed K.J. Choi to crack the top 30.

Ryan Moore, the 54-hole leader, was alone in third place when he sent his second shot over the 18th green. He smartly played away from the pin to avoid chipping into the water and took his bogey, which kept him in the top 30. If Moore had made double bogey, he would have fallen out of the Tour Championship.

The 30th and final spot went to Bo Van Pelt.

Johnson earned a small measure of redemption. He likely moves to No. 12 in the world with his fourth career victory.

"I know I've had some failures -- I don't know if I'd call them failures -- I've had a few mishaps," Johnson said. "To come back and get it done, I'm very proud of myself. I think I've handled everything very well, and now I've got to look forward to two weeks from now."

The 30th and final spot went to Bo Van Pelt.

Who has been eliminated:
http://www.pgatour.com/2010/tournaments/r028/09/12/elimination-list/index.html

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Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Hoffman Wins Deutsche

Charley Hoffman couldn't count all the perks that came with winning the Deutsche Bank Championship, just like he lost track of the 11 birdies he made in a Labor Day masterpiece.

He moved up 57 spots to No. 2 in the FedExCup standings, giving him a shot at the $10 million bonus.

He gets to play all four majors, after not getting into any of them this year. That includes a trip down Magnolia Lane at Augusta National to compete in his first Masters.

And that might not be all.

"The best perk, hopefully, will be a Ryder Cup berth," Hoffman said after closing with a 9-under 62, the best finish by a winner at the TPC Boston since the tournament began in 2003. "Obviously, I wasn't in contention, but I hope I am now. It would be an honor to play, and I think I can play well."

Tiger Woods shot a 69 and keeps his No. 1 ranking for the 274th week in a row, with an assist from Phil Mickelson, who imploded on the back nine with a triple bogey and double bogey to shoot 76.

Woods is expected to be a Ryder Cup pick, along with Zach Johnson and Stewart Cink. No one stands out for the fourth selection.

Hoffman wasn't on U.S. captain Corey Pavin's list of players to call Monday night, and that might not change. Even if his name is not called when Pavin announces his four selections Tuesday morning in New York, the Hoff isn't about to lose any sleep.

"You're not going to take this one away from me," he said.

Hoffman stole it from everyone else.

Starting the final round four shots behind Jason Day, he erased the deficit with four straight birdies early in his round. Then came a mixture of good breaks and great shots, and a midas touch with the putter for the California kid with blond locks flowing under his cap.

He thought his 4-iron was short and headed for the bunker on No. 11 when it barely cleared, tumbled through the rough and settled 3 feet away. From the front bunker on the 13th, trying to get it close on the firm greens, he holed it for an unlikely birdie.

Once he realized he was in the lead, he poured it on with three more birdies over the final four holes for a five-shot victory over Day (71), Geoff Ogilvy (66) and Luke Donald (69).

Not bad for a guy who was just hoping to stay in the top 70 and advance to the third round of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.

"The Playoffs, that's what you try to do," Hoffman said. "I wasn't even close to anything for the most part starting the Playoffs. Played decent last week, and just got it going this week."

Did he ever. Hoffman finished at 22-under 262 to tie the tournament record first set by Vijay Singh in 2008.

"I had the best seat in the house to watch that," Ogilvy said. "He hit great shots all day. He putted really well and as soon as he got himself in trouble he'd go and hole a bunker shot or something like that. So it was a pretty class act and he never looked like doing anything but winning after about three holes."

It was the second victory of Hoffman's career, and will put him just outside the top 50 in the world.

Day was wild off the tee early, then struggled with his putter coming in. Donald, who also had a share of the lead early, remained winless on the PGA TOUR since 2006.

The disappointment was Mickelson, with his best chance at replacing Woods atop the world ranking. He started five shots out of the lead, needing only a fourth-place finish to be No. 1. Mickelson was in range until twice hitting into the hazard on the 10th hole for a triple bogey, sending him to a 41 on the back nine.

A month ago, Mickelson was four shots out of the lead at Firestone and closed with a 78.

"It was a frustrating back nine for me," Mickelson said. "I got off to a poor start. I enjoyed the tournament, I enjoyed the chance I had heading into today, and it was fun to go out there."

It wasn't much fun for a few players who failed to finish among the top 70 to advance to the BMW Championship, which starts Wedneseday at Cog Hill. Steve Marino shot a 76 and John Rollins had a 79 to fall out of the top 70.

The heartbreak beloned to Kris Blanks, who closed with a 70 and appeared to narrowly make the field in Chicago until Charlie Wi birdied the last hole to bump him down to No. 71. The final spot went to Scott Verplank, who withdrew Saturday with a wrist injury.

Upon learning he was No. 70, Verplank planned a cortisone shot Monday night with hopes of playing.

Andres Romero, who started these playoffs at No. 115 and only got to the TPC Boston with a 40-foot birdie putt on the final hole last week, shot a 72 and narrowly made it at No. 68. The surprise was Tom Gillis, who was at No. 92 until a 65-65 weekend gave him a tie for fifth and moved him to No. 48.

Hoffman not only is headed to Chicago, he's starting to set some pretty big goals -- about 10 million of them.

"That wasn't anything I was thinking about until this afternoon," Hoffman said of the big bonus for winning the FedExCup. "I wasn't really in the race. I guess that's why this format is pretty unique. You can come out of nowhere."

That's exactly what Hoffman did Monday.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Kuchar Wins Barclays Play Off

Scotland's Martin Laird lost in a play-off to Matt Kuchar having let slip a five-shot lead to miss out on a second US PGA Tour victory at The Barclays in New Jersey, the opening event of the FedEx Cup play-off series.

Laird began the final round with a three-shot lead and soon extended that to five with birdies at the opening two holes at Ridgewood Country Club, only to then run up a double bogey seven on the third and bogey the fourth.

After reaching the turn in 36, one over par, the 27 year old regrouped and birdied the 12th and 17th to take a one-shot lead to the 72nd hole, but then three-putted from 20 feet after charging his birdie attempt seven feet past.

That gave Laird a closing 71 and left him tied with American Kuchar on 12 under par, Kuchar having set the clubhouse target after a final round of 66. The pair returned to the par four 18th for the first play-off hole and both missed the fairway off the tee, Kuchar to the left and Laird to the right.

However, Kuchar's approach ran up the green and almost over the back before curling back toward the hole and eventually finishing just two feet from the cup. Laird also found the green and this time two-putted for par, but it was not enough as Kuchar tapped in for birdie to take the title.

"It's obviously not the finish I would have like but I am very proud of the way I played today," Laird said.

"I was battling all day and I holed two or three big putts just to be where I was.

"I'm not too upset with my three putt on the last because I didn't think I hit my first one too hard, I just had no idea how fast that putt was.

"The last thing I wanted to do was trickle it down there and leave it three feet short down the hill. I felt good and had just holed a bit putt on 17 and was just trying to stay calm."