Thursday, August 26, 2010
Associated Press
PARAMUS, N.J.
Ernie Els has been atop the FedEx Cup standings for the last five months, ever since he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational for his second PGA Tour win of the year. He knew all along he would be playing in The Barclays.
Scott Piercy was among the late arrivals.
He was in dire need of a good finish last week at the Wyndham Championship just to get into the top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings and be eligible for the first round of the PGA Tour playoffs.
Piercy shot 68 in the final round, moving into No. 125 with two points to spare.
Perhaps it was no surprise, but the first question he faced Wednesday was how well he knew Heath Slocum.
A year ago, Slocum’s performance at The Barclays raised hope for everyone who narrowly made the playoffs, a group this year that includes Tiger Woods. He held off a world-class list of challengers and won with a birdie on the final hole, changing his fortunes quickly and dramatically. One week after barely getting into the playoffs, Slocum was assured a spot in the season-ending Tour Championship, and all four majors the following year.
“I’m really excited that I’m actually getting to play,” Piercy said. “Hopefully, I can play two or three or four — all of the playoff events — and keep this little run going.”
The fourth year of the FedEx Cup playoffs gets under way today at Ridgewood Country Club with hope for all, assurances for the few who have played the best this year.
Els is the top seed for the first time, followed by Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk and Phil Mickelson. The points are quintuple the value they were during the regular season, with the top 100 advancing to the second round in Boston and the top 70 moving on to the third in Chicago. After that, the points are reset for the top 30, who will play for the $10 million prize at the Tour Championship.
“Totally different ball game the next four weeks,” Els said. “It’s very important for me to play well, like it is for everybody else.”
But it’s especially true for Woods.
In a year of turmoil off the course, it hasn’t been much better inside the ropes. Woods is winless for the first time in his career this late into a season, and time is running out. With only two top 10s — and two tournaments he didn’t even finish — Woods showed up at The Barclays at No. 112 in the standings.
He was No. 1 to start the playoffs the past three years, even in 2008, when he only played six tournaments. The first year of this playoff system, Woods was so far ahead he didn’t even bother playing in The Barclays.