Hey, it is playoff time on the PGA Tour! Are you excited? Nah me either, but we should have a pretty good stretch of golf over the next month as we go towards the Ryder Cup to close out the season for most of the biggest players.
While most of the focus this weekend at The Barclays will be trying to throw a rivalry together between Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, here are three things to watch for as the FedEx Cup gets serious this weekend at Long Island’s Bethpage Black.
How will Bethpage Black Play?
This is the third old U.S. Open course that the Tour will play on this year and the first time anyone has played this course as a regular tour venue. Playing at over 7,460 yards, it offers plenty of crazy landing areas off the tee and has a fair share of doglegs that should keep driver out of the hands often of smart players.
Lucas Glover won the Open here in 2009 when the United States Golf Association had Bethpage as a par-70. As a par-71—as those who play the course often do—Glover’s 276 translates out to an eight-under winning score. With greens a bit slower and the rough not as thick as it would be for an Open setup, really 10-12-under should win.
This is still not a pushover course.
Pebble Beach and Torrey Pines South are the other two recent Open courses on tour, by the way, and they share their tournaments with other courses. The Tour is starting off the playoffs with a fastball on Long Island.
Should we Expect Anything Out of Phil?
It has been an intensely difficult summer for one of the game’s biggest stars. Mickelson has only broken par twice on Tour since May. Not twice in a tournament, but just two rounds. His 69 Friday at the WGC-Bridgestone at Firestone, in fact, was the only time Lefty broke 70.
How much energy is in the tank and how much he really wants to make a go at winning the FedEx Cup remains the biggest question. An automatic lock for the Ryder Cup, three high pressure tournaments in four weeks leading up to the really high pressure Ryder Cup is the last thing Mickelson needs right now.
If he does not shoot a good number Thursday, watch to see how much effort gets put in to make the cut.
Phil probably needs the full winter to recharge, but has to soldier on because the stakes are too high. Hitting a fairway or two would help along with trusting his putter.
Where in the World is Rickie Fowler?
Fowler has played himself right out of an automatic point berth for the Ryder Cup right into captain Davis Love III having to decide whether he can help.
Since his win at the Wells Fargo in May at Quail Hollow, Fowler’s last top five came at Colonial in Fort Worth on May 27th. Since then, Fowler has yet to crack the top 30 and did not make the cut two weeks ago at the PGA.
For someone that was just seemingly on the brink of breaking out of being a Justin Beiber look-alike, Fowler has imploded recording three rounds in the 80s including an 84 for the last round at The Memorial in Dublin, Ohio.
For Fowler, winning the FedEx Cup would be a big deal. He broke through for his first win this year and just would love the chance to put the Cup onto his growing resume.
A solid week this week also probably ensures his place on the Ryder Cup team as well. Rickie needs to get some momentum going in the right direction and Bethpage could be the place.