Stricker's the man halfway through FedEx Cup chase

Mike Dudurich

Posted 2009-09-08

Since its inception, the FedEx Cup and its contrived playoffs has raised many an eyebrow because of a perceived lack of “buzz” in the golfing world.

And, indeed, the idea of Vijay Singh being able to win the $10 million pot of gold at the end of the PGA Tour rainbow before evening playing in the Tour Championship does take away a bit from the glitter of the event.

But maybe, just maybe, that might be changing.

Heath Slocum got things started last week with his Cinderella story, getting into the Barclays Championship as the 124th-ranked player in a 125-player field and running roughshod over the field and capturing the first of the four playoff events.

The Barclays was also the first event contested at picturesque Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J., a tight, long layout that provided eye-popping views of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.

The traveling show of 100 surviving Tour players moved up the coast to suburban Boston at the TPC Boston for the Deutsche Bank Championship.

A nice story line developed over the first two days of the tournament – the only event on Tour that is played Friday through Monday. Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly, a pair of Wisconsoners, went on birdie-hunting expedition and lit the place up.

They came into Monday’s final round with Stricker tied for the lead and Kelly two shots back.

And while Tiger Woods wasn’t in serious contention until, he certainly created buzz, positively and negatively in his visit to Norton, Mass.

Early in his first round Friday, Woods hit another wayward drive and responded by flinging his driver into a wetlands in front of the tee. The club was followed by a volley of Woods’ obscenities and the stomping his Nike golf shoes as he set out in search of the ball.

It was left to caddie Steve Williams to dig the club out of the gunk. It took him a while to even find it and he only did so because the grip was the only thing visible.

The event wasn’t recorded by Golf Channel or NBC cameras, but the omnipresent cell phone video showed up on the internet and the event has now been seen by millions.

Woods’ X-rated outbursts are nothing new on Tour, club-flinging would seem to be breaking new ground. Neither are admirable activities, especially when they’re being done by the No. 1 player in the world. They do, however, take place regularly away from the television spotlight by players who can only dream about being No. 1.

Monday, however, Woods was at his best. Knowing that even if he shot a really low number, he still might be too far behind to win. But just for giggles, Woods went out and shot 30-33—63.

He was right, that number got him to 12-under par, five shots short of Steve Stricker’s winning 17-under total.

Believe it or not, Woods’ 63 was the 20th time he’s gotten that low on the PGA Tour and it matched his lowest-ever competitive final round.

The ultimate buzz from the second stage of the playoff chase? How about Steve Stricker solidifying once again the tag of Mr. September he’s earned with strong play over the last few years. A week after missing a 10-foot putt that would have forced a playoff in the first playoff event, Stricker knocked in birdies on 17 and 18 Monday to record the biggest win of his career.

With the victory, Stricker jumped over Woods in the playoff standings lead and also jumped into No. 2 in the world rankings. He now has a 909-point lead over Woods with two tournaments left. The points will be reset after next week’s BMW Championship in Chicago, so Stricker can be no worse than the No. 2 seed and will have a chance to win the $10 million prize at the Tour Championship.

“It's been a blast, and I want to keep riding it out," Stricker said after winning $1.35 million and pushing his season’s earning to over $6 million. A bit of negative buzz?

Defending FedEx champion Vijay Singh shot 73 on Monday and was eliminated. He won’t play in the Tour Championship for the first time in 15 years.

A year ago, Singh won the Barclays and the Deutsche Bank to take all the drama out of the final two weeks. This year he missed the cut at the Barclays and then bogeyed two of the final three holes. What will Singh, who likes to play a lot, do with three weeks off?

“I don’t know,” he said. “I haven’t even looked at it yet. I’ll have to figure it out.”

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About Mike...
As a sports writer for over 35 years, Mike Dudurich has seen a lot of great things, covered spectacular events, but his passion is, and has been golf. He recently ended a 29-year career at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and will now be a frequent contributor on GolfGearReview.com. Mike hosts a weekly golf radio show on 1250 ESPN in Pittsburgh from the beginning of April through the end of August. The show airs Saturdays from 8-9 a.m. and can be heard online at http://stations.espn.go.com/stations/espnradio1250/show?showId=insidepghgolf - Listen to Mike Here!.

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