FEDEX CUP PLAY-OFFS
BO VAN PELT LEADS BARCLAYS
WITH AN OPENING ROUND OF 65
- FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
- By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM
PARAMUS, New Jersey -- The way Bo Van Pelt sees it, he really has nothing to lose this week at The Barclays.
After all, there was a time earlier this year when he was playing so poorly, Van Pelt wondered if he would even make the FedExCup Play-offs. But he did, and Van Pelt has seized the opportunity, firing a 65 at Ridgewood Country Club on Thursday that left him with sole possession of the lead.
Van Pelt, who came into The Barclays ranked 104th, is trying to join Camilo Villegas (2008 BMW Championship), Heath Slocum (2009 Barclays) and Justin Rose (2011 BMW Championship) as the only players to bust a FedExCup bubble with a victory.
"Once I knew I was getting here, that was a big relief with how poorly I started, and I was just having fun with it," said Van Pelt, who owns a one-stroke lead over eight others, including the 2010 FedExCup champion, Jim Furyk.
Van Pelt thinks he has several things working in his favor this week.
He loves A.W. Tillinghast course designs like Ridgewood, which reminds him of the tree-lined lay-out he grew up playing in Indiana. He's also rested after a rare two-week break, and it showed last week at the Wyndham Championship when Van Pelt shot four rounds in the 60s and tied for 14th.
After all, there was a time earlier this year when he was playing so poorly, Van Pelt wondered if he would even make the FedExCup Play-offs. But he did, and Van Pelt has seized the opportunity, firing a 65 at Ridgewood Country Club on Thursday that left him with sole possession of the lead.
Van Pelt, who came into The Barclays ranked 104th, is trying to join Camilo Villegas (2008 BMW Championship), Heath Slocum (2009 Barclays) and Justin Rose (2011 BMW Championship) as the only players to bust a FedExCup bubble with a victory.
"Once I knew I was getting here, that was a big relief with how poorly I started, and I was just having fun with it," said Van Pelt, who owns a one-stroke lead over eight others, including the 2010 FedExCup champion, Jim Furyk.
Van Pelt thinks he has several things working in his favor this week.
He loves A.W. Tillinghast course designs like Ridgewood, which reminds him of the tree-lined lay-out he grew up playing in Indiana. He's also rested after a rare two-week break, and it showed last week at the Wyndham Championship when Van Pelt shot four rounds in the 60s and tied for 14th.
He also happened to play with Villegas in the final round last week
in Greensboro as the Colombian fired a 63 that enabled him to break a
four-year victory drought.
"I felt like I played really well on Sunday -- just didn't convert," Van Pelt said. "So things have kind of been trending I guess in a lot better direction. ... I felt fortunate to be here with the position I was in three months ago.
"So I just felt like if I kept doing what I was doing, hopefully I would at least get to next week and then kind of cross that bridge when I got there. So I was just kind of enjoying, my game felt good."
According to the pre-tournament projections, Van Pelt only needs to finish 49th or better to play his way into the top 100 that are eligible for the Deutsche Bank Championship.
A top-10 finish could move him to the top-70 plateau, which could bring the BMW Championship into play, while a runner-up finish might move him into the top 30.
RELATED: Scores | Tee times | Video | LIVE@ schedule | TOUR Report | FEDEXCUP: Update | Projected standings | Scenarios | 125 glance
And a win? Well, that's the all-important top-five territory that would send him to East Lake in control of his own destiny, assured of winning the $10 million FedExCup bonus with a victory in the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola.
Van Pelt, who missed eight of his first 15 cuts, said his game began to turn around in June after he qualified for the U.S. Open.
He started driving the ball better, and the ArmLock putting style he adopted in Tampa, when he ranked 148th in the FedExCup, has added consistency to his game. Iron shots that cozied up closer to the pins didn't hurt, either.
"I felt like my game wasn't that bad but my scores were pretty horrible," Van Pelt recalled. "So I just felt like, man, if I could just get a little momentum going in the right direction."
And that's exactly what has happened.
Van Pelt was so comfortable earlier this week that he spent Tuesday fishing for striper in the infamous East River "so maybe that was my good luck charm," he said with a smile. Don't worry, though -- he certainly didn't eat them and he didn't channel Seinfield's friend Kramer and swim in it, either.
RORY McILROY'S DISAPPOINTING 74,
RUSSELL KNOX TIED 10th WITH A 67
"I felt like I played really well on Sunday -- just didn't convert," Van Pelt said. "So things have kind of been trending I guess in a lot better direction. ... I felt fortunate to be here with the position I was in three months ago.
"So I just felt like if I kept doing what I was doing, hopefully I would at least get to next week and then kind of cross that bridge when I got there. So I was just kind of enjoying, my game felt good."
According to the pre-tournament projections, Van Pelt only needs to finish 49th or better to play his way into the top 100 that are eligible for the Deutsche Bank Championship.
A top-10 finish could move him to the top-70 plateau, which could bring the BMW Championship into play, while a runner-up finish might move him into the top 30.
RELATED: Scores | Tee times | Video | LIVE@ schedule | TOUR Report | FEDEXCUP: Update | Projected standings | Scenarios | 125 glance
And a win? Well, that's the all-important top-five territory that would send him to East Lake in control of his own destiny, assured of winning the $10 million FedExCup bonus with a victory in the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola.
Van Pelt, who missed eight of his first 15 cuts, said his game began to turn around in June after he qualified for the U.S. Open.
He started driving the ball better, and the ArmLock putting style he adopted in Tampa, when he ranked 148th in the FedExCup, has added consistency to his game. Iron shots that cozied up closer to the pins didn't hurt, either.
"I felt like my game wasn't that bad but my scores were pretty horrible," Van Pelt recalled. "So I just felt like, man, if I could just get a little momentum going in the right direction."
And that's exactly what has happened.
Van Pelt was so comfortable earlier this week that he spent Tuesday fishing for striper in the infamous East River "so maybe that was my good luck charm," he said with a smile. Don't worry, though -- he certainly didn't eat them and he didn't channel Seinfield's friend Kramer and swim in it, either.
RORY McILROY'S DISAPPOINTING 74,
RUSSELL KNOX TIED 10th WITH A 67
(AP REPORT) -- Rory McIlroy took a week to celebrate his blockbuster summer and paid for it in The Barclays with his worst start in two months.
He could afford a day off.
That wasn't the case for players like Bo Van Pelt and Paul Casey, and they picked a good time to produce good scores.
With no guarantee of playing beyond this week, Van Pelt opened with three straight birdies Thursday and chipped in for eagle late in his round for a 6-under 65 that gave him a one-shot lead in the opener of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Van Pelt is No. 104 in the FedEx Cup. Only the top 100 advance to the next tournament.
Casey is No. 118 with a lot on his mind - specifically the birth of his first child in two weeks - and played bogey-free at Ridgewood to join seven other players at 66. That group included Brendon Todd, who is trying to get Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson's attention as a possible wild-card pick; and Hunter Mahan, who at No. 62 is in danger of missing the Tour Championship for the first time since the FedEx Cup began in 2007.
Ridgewood featured some of the deepest rough of the year, though the greens were soft enough to allow for birdies if players could keep it in the fairway. The average score was 70.8, with 44 rounds in the 60s.
McIlroy was not among them.
The Open and PGA champion went 13 holes before he made his first birdie and finished with a 74. That ended a streak of 14 straight rounds under par, and it was his highest score in the opening round since a 74 in the Irish Open in June.
''Fatigue isn't playing a part,'' he said. ''It's I think just not putting the time in that I probably should have over the past week. And I think I allowed myself that and deserved that. But this is the consequence of it and I need to work hard this afternoon and go out tomorrow and shoot a good number.''
McIlroy established himself anew as golf's No. 1 player with a wire-to-wire win at the Open, a come-from-behind win at a World Golf Championship and a late charge at Valhalla to win the PGA Championship and become the third-youngest player with four majors.
''I wanted to enjoy it for a week,'' he said.
Van Pelt doesn't have that luxury. He started his year missing seven cuts in nine tournaments before it slowly started to come around over the last month. He felt he was heading in the right direction and received more confirmation Thursday. Van Pelt didn't make a bogey, and finished strong with a 10-foot birdie putt on the 16th and the eagle on the par-5 17th hole that put him in the lead.
''As poorly as I played at the start of the year, I'm just kind of glad to be here,'' Van Pelt said. ''Things have been trending in a lot better direction. So I felt fortunate to be here with the position I was in three months ago. I just felt like if I kept doing what I was doing, hopefully I would at least get to next week and then kind of cross that bridge when I got there.''
Jim Furyk, Charles Howell III, Brendon de Jonge, Ben Martin and Cameron Tringale also were in the group one shot behind.
Casey hasn't had a top 10 on the PGA Tour all season and didn't make it into the playoffs with much room to spare. He's not sure how long he'll be around, although a solid start was sure to help.
''I think today was probably a product of really not having really any expectations and just going out there and smashing it around and having fun,'' Casey said.
McIlroy had his fun last week, and he was headed to the range after his opening round to get his game back. He took an early double bogey by barely getting out of a bunker and chipping 15 feet by the hole on No. 12, and then going long into a bunker for a bogey on the par-5 13th.
''It's not a bad thing,'' he said. ''A score like this would be tougher to take if I had not just come off the weeks that I had. But at the same time, I want to play well and I want to give myself chances to win tournaments.''
Mahan is the only player to compete in every playoff event since the FedEx Cup began. He is assured of two tournaments, though he needs a good week somewhere to keep alive his hopes of reaching Atlanta for the Tour Championship. The top 70 advance to the third week, and the top 30 get to East Lake for the finale. Plus, he hopes to audition for one of the captain's picks for the Ryder Cup.
''It will be a bonus to make it to Atlanta and it will be a bonus right now to make the Ryder Cup team,'' Mahan said. ''So I have nothing to be nervous about or get out there and doubt myself. I have to trust myself because everything I'm doing is good and everything else will kind of take care of itself.''
Russell Knox got off to a good start, which does not always happen for the Highlander. But a 67 for a share of 10th place IS a good start.
Paul Casey, Jim Furyk and Brendon De Jonge share second place on 66 behind Bo Van Pelt's 65.
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE
That wasn't the case for players like Bo Van Pelt and Paul Casey, and they picked a good time to produce good scores.
With no guarantee of playing beyond this week, Van Pelt opened with three straight birdies Thursday and chipped in for eagle late in his round for a 6-under 65 that gave him a one-shot lead in the opener of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Van Pelt is No. 104 in the FedEx Cup. Only the top 100 advance to the next tournament.
Casey is No. 118 with a lot on his mind - specifically the birth of his first child in two weeks - and played bogey-free at Ridgewood to join seven other players at 66. That group included Brendon Todd, who is trying to get Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson's attention as a possible wild-card pick; and Hunter Mahan, who at No. 62 is in danger of missing the Tour Championship for the first time since the FedEx Cup began in 2007.
Ridgewood featured some of the deepest rough of the year, though the greens were soft enough to allow for birdies if players could keep it in the fairway. The average score was 70.8, with 44 rounds in the 60s.
McIlroy was not among them.
The Open and PGA champion went 13 holes before he made his first birdie and finished with a 74. That ended a streak of 14 straight rounds under par, and it was his highest score in the opening round since a 74 in the Irish Open in June.
''Fatigue isn't playing a part,'' he said. ''It's I think just not putting the time in that I probably should have over the past week. And I think I allowed myself that and deserved that. But this is the consequence of it and I need to work hard this afternoon and go out tomorrow and shoot a good number.''
McIlroy established himself anew as golf's No. 1 player with a wire-to-wire win at the Open, a come-from-behind win at a World Golf Championship and a late charge at Valhalla to win the PGA Championship and become the third-youngest player with four majors.
''I wanted to enjoy it for a week,'' he said.
Van Pelt doesn't have that luxury. He started his year missing seven cuts in nine tournaments before it slowly started to come around over the last month. He felt he was heading in the right direction and received more confirmation Thursday. Van Pelt didn't make a bogey, and finished strong with a 10-foot birdie putt on the 16th and the eagle on the par-5 17th hole that put him in the lead.
''As poorly as I played at the start of the year, I'm just kind of glad to be here,'' Van Pelt said. ''Things have been trending in a lot better direction. So I felt fortunate to be here with the position I was in three months ago. I just felt like if I kept doing what I was doing, hopefully I would at least get to next week and then kind of cross that bridge when I got there.''
Jim Furyk, Charles Howell III, Brendon de Jonge, Ben Martin and Cameron Tringale also were in the group one shot behind.
Casey hasn't had a top 10 on the PGA Tour all season and didn't make it into the playoffs with much room to spare. He's not sure how long he'll be around, although a solid start was sure to help.
''I think today was probably a product of really not having really any expectations and just going out there and smashing it around and having fun,'' Casey said.
McIlroy had his fun last week, and he was headed to the range after his opening round to get his game back. He took an early double bogey by barely getting out of a bunker and chipping 15 feet by the hole on No. 12, and then going long into a bunker for a bogey on the par-5 13th.
''It's not a bad thing,'' he said. ''A score like this would be tougher to take if I had not just come off the weeks that I had. But at the same time, I want to play well and I want to give myself chances to win tournaments.''
Mahan is the only player to compete in every playoff event since the FedEx Cup began. He is assured of two tournaments, though he needs a good week somewhere to keep alive his hopes of reaching Atlanta for the Tour Championship. The top 70 advance to the third week, and the top 30 get to East Lake for the finale. Plus, he hopes to audition for one of the captain's picks for the Ryder Cup.
''It will be a bonus to make it to Atlanta and it will be a bonus right now to make the Ryder Cup team,'' Mahan said. ''So I have nothing to be nervous about or get out there and doubt myself. I have to trust myself because everything I'm doing is good and everything else will kind of take care of itself.''
Russell Knox got off to a good start, which does not always happen for the Highlander. But a 67 for a share of 10th place IS a good start.
Paul Casey, Jim Furyk and Brendon De Jonge share second place on 66 behind Bo Van Pelt's 65.
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE
Labels: US PGA TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Friday, August 22, 2014
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