ATLANTA — Brandt Snedeker played the biggest round of his career for the biggest payoff in golf.Needing to win the Tour Championship on Sunday to beat out Rory McIlroy for the FedEx Cup, Snedeker came up with three big birdies on the back nine at East Lake to take all the drama out of a final day that had been loaded with possibilities.Snedeker hit his final tee shot into the grandstand left the 18th green and made bogey. By then, it didn't matter. So dominant was his performance that he was the only player from the last five groups who managed to break par, closing with a 2-under 68.Along the way, he answered any questions about why Davis Love III made him a captain's pick for the Ryder Cup next week at Medinah.Snedeker won by three shots over Justin Rose (71) in the Tour Championship, his second title of the year, and collected $1.44 million. And he won the $10 million bonus for capturing the FedEx Cup, which comes with a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour.McIlroy and Tiger Woods, both of whom could have won the FedEx Cup with a victory Sunday, faded early and were never a factor.Snedeker joins Woods (twice), Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk and Bill Haas as winners of the FedEx Cup in its six-year history.McIlroy had won the last two playoff events and three of his last four tournaments dating to his eight-shot win in the PGA Championship. He still is virtually a lock to be voted PGA Tour player of the year, but he had to settle for second place in the FedEx Cup."I knew what I needed to do," McIlroy said. "I needed to win. Brandt knew what he needed to do. And he played fantastic. He really deserved it."It was an emotional week in so many ways for Snedeker, already a high-strung personality. His father, Larry, flew in to watch final round at East Lake, only the second tournament he has attended since having a liver transplant last year.Snedeker stopped by a hospital in Atlanta to visit Tucker Anderson, the son of his swing coach who was critically injured in a recent car accident and remains unable to communicate with words."I asked him if he thought I was going to beat Rory McIlroy, and he gave me a wink," Snedeker said.He beat everybody at East Lake in a convincing fashion. After taking a double bogey on the par-3 sixth when he hit his tee shot into the water, Snedeker responded with a 40-foot birdie putt on the eighth, an 18-foot birdie putt on No. 13, and chipping in from short of the 17th green to end all doubt."I had complete confidence in what I was doing," Snedeker said.He finished on 10-under 270 and will move into the top 10 in the world ranking for the first time in his career.Ryan Moore made the strongest run at Snedeker on the back nine, and with an up-and-down behind the par-5 15th green for back-to-back birdies, he was tied for the lead. Moore never was in the mix for the $10 million bonus, though he could have affected the outcome of the FedEx Cup.
Showing posts with label Snedeker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Snedeker. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Snedeker makes strong push to move into lead
ATLANTA — Brandt Snedeker gave himself the opportunity he wanted in the FedEx Cup. He also has the company he expected.
Steady hand: Brandt Snedeker putts on the 16th hole during the third round of the Tour Championship. APSnedeker played one of his best rounds this year at just the right time Saturday, making a collection of tough putts and relying on his short game to pick up a couple of other birdies on his way to a 6-under 64 that gave him a share of the lead with Justin Rose in the Tour Championship.That means he now only has to win Sunday at East Lake to claim the FedEx Cup and its $10 million prize, the richest payoff in golf.So does Rory McIlroy, who was only three shots out of the lead.Ditto for Tiger Woods, four shots behind.The Tour Championship has never had so much at stake for so many top players."It's going to be one of the most exciting Sundays of the year," McIlroy said after a 68. "Great to be in the mix."McIlroy, who won the last two FedEx Cup playoff events, had his 11th consecutive round in the 60s. Woods salvaged an important par after his shot ricocheted off a Georgia pine and wound up with a 67.Snedeker, McIlroy and Woods were among the top five seeds coming into the Tour Championship, giving each the best shot at the $10 million because they only have to win the Tour Championship no matter what anyone else does at East Lake.They won't be the only players with a chance to win at least one trophy — the Tour Championship — on Sunday. Rose will be in the final group with Snedeker, and while it's unlikely he can win the FedEx Cup, the Englishman surely would settle for his second win of the year against a strong field."I have the advantage of just playing the Tour Championship," said Rose, who won a World Golf Championship at Doral in March. "The whole year, we've been grinding for the FedEx Cup, and it's still possible. It's not an easy golf course. Things can happen out there. But for me, it's about one tournament."Snedeker and Rose were at 8-under 202.Ryan Moore spoiled his round with a bogey on the 17th and still had a 65, putting him alone in third at 6 under.Jim Furyk, the 36-hole leader, was tied for the lead until he pulled his tee shot into the water on the 17th, hit the next tee shot into the gallery, his fourth shot into a bunker and made triple bogey that sent him tumbling down to a 72. He was still in the mix at 205, along with McIlroy and Masters champion Bubba Watson, who had a double bogey on the 16th hole and shot 70.Typical of the FedEx Cup playoffs, there was plenty of star power in contention, with 11 of the top 14 players on the leaderboard headed to the Ryder Cup next week.For now, the attention shifts in a big way to the $10 million payoff."My first goal for this week is achieved," Snedeker said. "And that is to have a chance going into Sunday. It should be a lot of fun."Snedeker also shot a 64 in the second round of the British Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, though he rated this one as better. There was no wind at Lytham, and the conditions were relatively soft. East Lake demanded a crisp game as the wind rustled pine branches and the greens became firm.
Steady hand: Brandt Snedeker putts on the 16th hole during the third round of the Tour Championship. APSnedeker played one of his best rounds this year at just the right time Saturday, making a collection of tough putts and relying on his short game to pick up a couple of other birdies on his way to a 6-under 64 that gave him a share of the lead with Justin Rose in the Tour Championship.That means he now only has to win Sunday at East Lake to claim the FedEx Cup and its $10 million prize, the richest payoff in golf.So does Rory McIlroy, who was only three shots out of the lead.Ditto for Tiger Woods, four shots behind.The Tour Championship has never had so much at stake for so many top players."It's going to be one of the most exciting Sundays of the year," McIlroy said after a 68. "Great to be in the mix."McIlroy, who won the last two FedEx Cup playoff events, had his 11th consecutive round in the 60s. Woods salvaged an important par after his shot ricocheted off a Georgia pine and wound up with a 67.Snedeker, McIlroy and Woods were among the top five seeds coming into the Tour Championship, giving each the best shot at the $10 million because they only have to win the Tour Championship no matter what anyone else does at East Lake.They won't be the only players with a chance to win at least one trophy — the Tour Championship — on Sunday. Rose will be in the final group with Snedeker, and while it's unlikely he can win the FedEx Cup, the Englishman surely would settle for his second win of the year against a strong field."I have the advantage of just playing the Tour Championship," said Rose, who won a World Golf Championship at Doral in March. "The whole year, we've been grinding for the FedEx Cup, and it's still possible. It's not an easy golf course. Things can happen out there. But for me, it's about one tournament."Snedeker and Rose were at 8-under 202.Ryan Moore spoiled his round with a bogey on the 17th and still had a 65, putting him alone in third at 6 under.Jim Furyk, the 36-hole leader, was tied for the lead until he pulled his tee shot into the water on the 17th, hit the next tee shot into the gallery, his fourth shot into a bunker and made triple bogey that sent him tumbling down to a 72. He was still in the mix at 205, along with McIlroy and Masters champion Bubba Watson, who had a double bogey on the 16th hole and shot 70.Typical of the FedEx Cup playoffs, there was plenty of star power in contention, with 11 of the top 14 players on the leaderboard headed to the Ryder Cup next week.For now, the attention shifts in a big way to the $10 million payoff."My first goal for this week is achieved," Snedeker said. "And that is to have a chance going into Sunday. It should be a lot of fun."Snedeker also shot a 64 in the second round of the British Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, though he rated this one as better. There was no wind at Lytham, and the conditions were relatively soft. East Lake demanded a crisp game as the wind rustled pine branches and the greens became firm.
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