Laird Giftwraps Barclays Trophy, Hands to Kuchar

Martin Laird three putted the 18th hole from twenty five feet to force a playoff with Matt Kuchar in the 1st FedUp Cup playoff event of the season, The Barclays. On the 1st playoff hole Kuchar stuffed his approach to 30 inches and completed the comeback. Laird had a five shot advantage at the start of the final round. Kuchar shot 66 to Laird's even par 71 to set up the extra hole.

Kuchar's win moved him to the #1 position in the FedUp Cup standings. Matt has enjoyed 9 top 10s this year culminating in this, his first 2010 win. Laird's efforts earned him the #3 spot in the playoffs, up from 95. Tiger Woods' closing round 67 moved him from 112 to 65, easily gaining a spot in the next FedUp Cup event, the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston. 

I've always portrayed the FedUp Cup as a manufactured money grab at the end of a long golf season. I will admit though that it did indeed present a top shelf field this week, which resulted in compelling action, witness today. Given the 80s temps, I was on the golf course and compiled this from other post-tourney articles. I changed a few words to avoid the plagiarism rap.

Til' next,

The Barclays - Odds and Expert Picks

125 men go in, 100 men come out. Thank Tina Turner. The Barclays, sounds like a restaurant/resort doesn't it? Regardless, the first round of the so-called PGA/FedUp Cup playoffs begins here on Thursday. Holding with tradition this Average Golfer will provide you with the knowledge and skill necessary for you to earn a little dinero while you watch this potential snoozefest. Nothing like a little action to help us pay attention.

Staying true to form we'll use Ladbrokes odds as our baseline and provide the useful commentary that will "almost" guarantee to pad your bankroll.In the end I leave you the caveat, "Hey, it's your money". Let's begin....

Phil Mickelson, 12/1 - Co-favorite with Woods. One tanked round in four seems to do him in this year, Masters excepted. Strange as it may sound, could win, probably won't.

Tiger Woods, 12/1 - Needs the money now. Might supply motivation. Game at best is in flux. Needs 50ish to advance. Will advance, won't win.  

Rory McIlroy, 14/1 - Oddsmaker's joy. Plenty of "I like Rory money". Still, straight and long on less than 7,400 yds. Could win.

Steve Stricker, 16/1 - Popular pick among writers. That's because they feel he's due. I don't. Won't win.  

Jim Furyk, 20/1 - Like I've been sayin' all year. "As goes the putter, goes Jim." I like him here. Semi-shorter track = shorter putts = win.

Paul Casey, 25/1 - An enigma wrapped in a conundrum. Certainly can win. Probably won't and I have no reason.

Dustin Johnson, 25/1 - Had his chances. Snakebit to be kind. That was obviously a bunker BTW. Still smarting from last week. Won't win.

Ernie Els, 33/1 - Best season in many moons. Two wins this year. I assume he hasn't forgotten how. Could win.

Padraig Harrington, 33/1 - Paddy's a head scratcher. Just when I say his game's missing, watch him lap the field and make every putt he looks at. Won't win. I think.

Matt Kuchar, 33/1 - On paper having as good a year as almost anyone. Unfortunately the game's not played on paper only scored. Still, gut feeling, could win.

Hunter Mahan, 33/1 - Tools as good as anyone out here. Seems to go to sleep for 9 holes in 72. Possible.

Retief Goosen, 40/1 - I've picked him plenty this year. Oh fer. Can't ever count him out. Unreal putter. Yet, I have a tough time picking him after so many letdowns. Won't win. May change my mind on Saturday.

Nick Watney, 40/1 - I like Watney, but how he rates over Bubba Watson at 50/1 is beyond me. Needs more killer instinct to add to his prodigious talent. Won't win.

50+/1s To Look Out For....  

Luke Donald, 50/1, Bubba Watson, 50/1, Sean O'Hair, 50/1, Camilo Villegas, 50/1, JB Holmes, 66/1, Adam Scott, 66/1, Justin Leonard, 66/1, Rickie Fowler, 80/1, and a host of others.  Barclays 1st Round Field and Tee Times.

Average Golfer's Expert Picks

1. Ernie Els

2. Jim Furyk

3. Phil Mickelson

Dark Horse

JB Holmes

Sentimental

Woody Austin 

As per usual, "Bet early and often".

Til' next,

Majors Over, PGA Tour Money Grab Begins at The Barclays

Phil won the Masters. The other three were won by..... Oh yeah, McDowell, Oosthuizen, and Kaymer. Now we're expected to get excited about golf tournaments during football season? It's the money, follow the money. Some kabillionaire golfer cashing a ten million dollar check and the NFL is a remote click away? Not here. As far as this Average Golfer is concerned it's golfing purgatory. The upcoming Ryder Cup is must see TV. This is a regular tour event with a better purse. Not that I'm against regular tour events, it's just that I've about had my fill after 27 of them and the majors shuttled until next year. I Know, I know, it's the money. Ratings, sponsors, ticket sales, etc. I like meaningful golf. The only meaning in this fabricated post-season is for the guys playing. Parochial on my part? Yes. Hey, I only have so much time and when my head hits the pillow I can't get that day back.

Since you insist, this week's FedUp Cup playoff event is The Barclays at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, NJ. Wouldn't Paramus be a great name for a newly discovered dinosaur? 125 of the season's point leaders will tee it up for the honor of pocketing boatloads of cash and surviving to play in next week's Deutsche Bank Championship where the field is pared to a paltry 100. The lucky 70 that survive that tourney play in the BMW Championship where the field is decimated to arrive at the lucky 30 that battle in THE TOUR Championship, the end of the playoff run. (BTW, those are their capital letters, not a nervous finger on my part). Phew, feel the drama.

Placing hard earned money on players/horses is one way to spice up the FedUp Cup. Tomorrow we'll provide valuable insight for The Barclays to ensure you're baby's college fund is safe.

Til' next,

Sergio's Rodent Relief - Rule 25.

For those of you that sat perplexed watching Sergio Garcia passionately plead his case during yesterday's final round of The Barclays, let's try and shed some light. From what I could decipher over hand gestures and partial audio, Sergio was asking for relief from an abnormal ground condition from PGA official Slugger White. The fact that a huge tree was between him and the green played a large part in the request. On TV it appeared there were lumps in the dirt that were the work of a burrowing mammalian. Be it a mole, chipmunk, or wildebeest was irrelevant. Sergio even tracked the little bastard to larger hole of some type that was evidently the foyer to the beast's domicile. He rudely pounded down the front door to emphasize his point. What I couldn't determine from TV was whether the critter's construction actually hampered Senor Garcia's stance or lie. I assume the relevant ruling was Rule 25 of the Rules of Golf, demonstrated here.....

25-1. Abnormal Ground Conditions
• a. Interference
Interference by an abnormal ground conditions occurs when a ball lies in or touches the condition or when the condition interferes with the player’s stance or the area of his intended swing. If the player’s ball lies on the putting green, interference also occurs if an abnormal ground condition on the putting green intervenes on his line of putt. Otherwise, intervention on the line of play is not, of itself, interference under this Rule.

Note: The Committee may make a Local Rule stating that interference by an abnormal ground condition with a player’s stance is deemed not to be, of itself, interference under this Rule.

• b. Relief
Except when the ball is in a water hazard or a lateral water hazard, a player may take relief from interference by an abnormal ground condition as follows:

(i) Through the Green: If the ball lies through the green, the player must lift the ball and drop it without penalty within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief. The nearest point of relief must not be in a hazard or on a putting green. When the ball is dropped within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, the ball must first strike a part of the course at a spot that avoids interference by the condition and is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.
(ii) In a Bunker: If the ball is in a bunker, the player must lift the ball and drop it either:
(a) Without penalty, in accordance with Clause (i) above, except that the nearest point of relief must be in the bunker and the ball must be dropped in the bunker, or if complete relief is impossible, as near as possible to the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole, on a part of the course in the bunker that affords maximum available relief from the condition; or
(b) Under penalty of one stroke, outside the bunker, keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the bunker the ball may be dropped.
(iii) On the Putting Green: If the ball lies on the putting green, the player must lift the ball and place it without penalty at the nearest point of relief that is not in a hazard, or if complete relief is impossible, at the nearest position to where it lay that affords maximum available relief from the condition, but not nearer the hole and not in a hazard. The nearest point of relief or maximum available relief may be off the putting green.
(iv) On the Teeing Ground: If the ball lies on the teeing ground, the player must lift the ball and drop it without penalty in accordance with Clause (i) above.

The ball may be cleaned when lifted under Rule 25-1b.

(Ball rolling to a position where there is interference by the condition from which relief was taken — see Rule 20-2c(v).)

Exception: A player may not take relief under this Rule if (a) it is clearly unreasonable for him to make a stroke because of interference by anything other than an abnormal ground condition or (b) interference by an abnormal ground condition would occur only through use of an unnecessarily abnormal stance, swing or direction of play.

Note 1: If a ball is in a water hazard (including a lateral water hazard), the player is not entitled to relief without penalty from interference by an abnormal ground condition. The player must play the ball as it lies (unless prohibited by Local Rule) or proceed under Rule 26-1.

Note 2: If a ball to be dropped or placed under this Rule is not immediately recoverable, another ball may be substituted.

There, aren't golf rules fun! My Philadelphia lawyer is no match for the Rules of Golf. Thought I'd share in case you cared. BTW, Sergio's subsequent shot ended up short of the green and resulted in a missed chip just before Vijay two putted for the win.

Til, next,

Sergio Coughs Up The Barclays - Vijay Says Gracias.

After a nearly perfect tee ball and an even better approach on the par five 17th hole, Vijay Singh stood and watched, for quite some time, Sergio Garcia hand him The Barclays title, first of the FedExCup playoff events. Sergio's tee shot on the same hole hooked when it shouldn't and his second from trouble refused to hook when it needed to. His hooked tee ball left him precariously close to the left side marked hazard. He intended to hook his second, but it failed to cooperate and ended up stymied behind a red oak on the right side of the fairway. In a strange sequence of events Sergio then called for a ruling from PGA rules official extraordinaire Slugger White. After a lenghthy discussion on the merits of burrowing animal condos, Garcia was allowed a drop. The time taken interfered with my viewing of Hawaii winning the Little League World Series, and I plan to file a formal protest. Sergio's gift drop gave him a clear shot at the green, but he came up short. He needed to hole a chip for birdie, but not to be. Singh's second shot was a beauty and left him a makeable eagle putt for the second time in a row on 17. He calmly lagged and tapped in for the win. Good thing too, as his putter has been as predictable as a single throw at the roulette wheel.

The real drama was the 1st hole of the playoff, 18. Kevin Sutherland, Singh, and Garcia had all finished at -8. Sutherland committed hara-kiri and that left Garcia and Singh with twenty foot or so birdie putts on the hole that had ceded precious few. When an elated Garcia holed his first it seemed the win was his based on Singh's putting woes. Nope, Singh's putt looked to be a tad off line, but fell in off the edge to send them to 17 and the final result. High drama. So, Singh leads the playoff points race and the field narrows to 120 for next week's Deutsche Bank Championship, 2nd of four stops in the playoff schedule.

Average Golfer question....After Hunter Mahan's opening round 62 put him at -9, who whoulda bet that -8 would get you into a playoff? Mahan sunk to T31. Not exactly the way to stay on Azinger's radar. 3rd round leader Kevin Streelman kept the overnight leader jinx intact with a 72 today to end up T4.

Til' next,

Leaders Play "Hot Potato" at The Barclays.

Little did Steve Stricker know that the lead is the worst thing to have at The Barclays. After grabbing the 2nd round lead, Stricker coughed it up with emphasis after a 3rd round, back nine 43 derailed his chances. A triple bogey 7 on the par four 11th hole just made the hole in his boat much larger. He ended up in a tie for 11th place. Aiming for a Ryder Cup bid from Paul Azinger, Stricker became the 2nd man in a row to spit the leader's bit. Similarly, Hunter Mahan, following a 1st round 62, ballooned with a 73, 74 to drop him into a tie for 11th with fellow plunger Stricker. Kevin Streelman inherited the 3rd round lead with a superb 68 today and sits overnight at 205.

Four players took advantage of moving day with excellent rounds to form a logjam for 2nd place at 206. They were Paul Casey, 69, Sergio, 69, Vijay, 66, and Mike Weir, 67. All were prudent to play well enough to be right there in contention, but without assuming the jinxed position of being in the lead. I sure hope that nothing unfortunate happens to the winner of this event on Monday. Two more strokes back at 205 was the foursome of Robert Allenby, Angel Cabrera, Jason Day, and Kevin Sutherland.

It'll be fun to see how tour rookie Sutherland handles the lead. A win here might lock up rookie of the year honors for him. The paycheck and exemption wouldn't hurt either. He's made impressions with his play this year coming out of nowhere to be paired with Woods at Torrey Pines in January and holding the first round lead at the US Open. Gut check time now. Average Golfer says he better double team Sergio and Vijay.

Til' next,

Stricker Hunts Down Mahan at Barclays.

Count Steve Stricker among those that love the FedExCup. Hearkening back to his performance of last year, Stricker fired a nifty 64 to overtake 1st round leader Hunter Mahan at The Barclays. Stricker punched out after his day's work at -10, while Mahan slipped precipitously with a 2nd round 73 that left him three in arrears at -7. A hole out eagle on the 3rd hole, coupled with a birdie on the 2nd jump started Stricker's day. Four more birdies and nary a bogey finished his clean card. Five bogeys today prevented Mahan from hanging on to the advantage he'd earned with his 1st round 62. "Sybil golf", just like my game.


Behind the two leaders saw a knot for 3rd featuring Angel Cabrera, 67, Dudley "Dooright" Hart, 69, and Kenny Perry, 67, doing his best Hume Croyn impression that we've seen all year. Hey Kenny! You've already made Azinger's squad. A quad at -5 included Paul Casey, 71, Sergio, 67, Anthony Kim, 67, and Kevin Streelman, 70, who is highly regarding in my rookie of the year debate. Barclays sign wearer, Phil Mickelson, paired rounds of 70,70, to end up tied for 21st.

Bombers and Crashers.....

Players missing the cut at +1, with the Americans in the group failing to impress captain Azinger include, Woody, Baddeley, Els, O'Hair, Villegas, Harrington, Ogilvy, Zach Johnson, Goosen, Couples, DiMarco, and Pat Perez.

Most players are commenting on the superb conditions at Ridegewood Country Club. It favors positioning and placement. The greens are immaculate and no one seems to miss Westchester. Moves are made tomorrow. Tune in.

Til, next,

Hunter Mahan Blitzes Barclays - Reluctant Ryder Cupper?

“And from what I’ve heard, the whole week is extremely long,” Mahan said in the interview. “You’ve got dinners every night – not little dinners, but huge, massive dinners. I know as players, that’s the last thing we want to do. We want to prepare ourselves. That’s part of the whole thing: You’re just a slave that week.”

Ah, portions of the youthful expressions from Hunter Mahan quoted in Golf Magazine in an interview originally conducted in the spring, but printed during the PGA Championship week. To his credit he apologized quickly to both Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger and the PGA. A straight apology for once. No nonsensical double talk or Clintonesque musings about what "is" really "is".

Mahan's 62 today at The Barclays, the 1st of four FedExCup playoff events, would make you think he possessed with earning Azinger's favor. Four shots better than Paul Casey, five ahead of Bo Van Pelt, (Lucy's cousin), Kevin Streelman, Mathew Goggin, Charly Hoffman, and Dudley Hart. The resurgent Rich Beem was one more back with a 68. Mahan spun a 98 yd. wedge into the hole for an eagle 2 on the 1st hole. That's the way to get out of the gate. That couples with 8 birdies will get you well on your way to a 62. Tons of golf left. It'll be interesting to see how he holds up for the coming rounds. Just make your your butt can cash the checks that your mouth writes.

Azinger is expected to make his 4 captain's picks on September 2nd. That leaves 7 more rounds for the hopefuls to impress the boss. Mahan certainly got out of the gate better than could be expected. If he makes the team, pair him with Furyk or Woods. Then there will be no doubt in his mind about the meaning of the Ryder Cup.

Other Tours....

LPGA - Safeway Classic, 54 holer, Lorena Ochoa defends.

Champion's Tour - The Boeing Classic, Denis Watson defends.

European Tour - KLM Open, Ross Fisher defending.

Nationwide Tour - Northeast Pennsylvania Classic, Justin Bolli won last year.

Til' next,