Heath Slocum Outplays Big Names, Takes Barclays

The setting is The Barclays, the 1st event of the pseudo- PGA playoffs, pushed to status by an outlandish FedEx Cup payoff. Heath Slocum is faced with a twenty footer on the final hole of the tournament for the win. Tiger Woods, on the same green moments earlier, has a seven footer for an almost assured spot in a playoff. Who's your money on? If you're being honest in your answer, you'd be wrong. Slocum laced his putt, Woods yanked his outside the cup giving Slocum the win and vaulting him from 124th to 3rd in the Fedex Cup standings. Heretofore unheralded Heath shot a final round 67 to best a host of all-stars at -8. That illustrious group of first losers included Woods, Padraig Harrington, Steve Stricker, and Ernie Els. Woods and Stricker maintained their first and second place status in the four event playoff. Third round leaders Paul Goydos and Steve Marino fell off the planet in the final round. They seemed to feed off each other's miscues. Pity, as Goydos would have been a great interview as the winner. Still, it was a potential career changing win for Slocum, a light hitting journeyman who may have just discovered he has more potential in the game than just earning seven figures by making cuts. Slocum was also noted as being one of the few players not dismissing the Liberty National course as a dog track. In fact he noted that it was his new favorite course and would consider the $500,000.00 membership fee if asked to join their elite clique. Final Full Field Scores.

The FedEx Cup field, now winnowed from 125 to 100, advances to the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston. Tiger, Phil, and Vijay are previous winners and there's no reason to expect they won't contend. The Monday Labor Day finish is unique and is a nice extension to the weekend in this Average Golfer's opinion. Follow along as the "dash for cash" continues.




Til' next,