FedExCup Playoffs (Event 2)
Deutsche Bank Championship
TPC Boston
Norton, MA
Friday August 30 – Monday Sept 2, 2013
Purse: $8,000,000
Champion: $1,440,000; 2,500 FedExCup Points
The PGA Tour’s FedExCup Playoffs move to New England this week for the 11th playing of the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston. The Deutsche Bank is the second event, of four, that comprise the playoffs, with Adam Scott taking home the trophy and the 2,500 FedExCup points last week at The Barclays. The field this week has been cut down to the top 100 in FedExCup points with the top 70 advancing to the BMW Championship next week outside of Chicago. Rory McIlroy (65-65-67-67 = 264) returns to TPC Boston to defend his Deutsche Bank title, where he overtook 36 and 54-hole leader Louis Oosthuizen and held off a hard-charging Tiger Woods to triumph.
McIlroy came into the Deutsche Bank last year ranked #1 in the Official World Golf Rankings having secured that spot with his victory at the PGA Championship. He followed his victory at the PGA by not only winning the Deutsche Bank but also winning the following week at the BMW Championship.
McIlroy enters this week ranked #4 in the World Golf Rankings and is 36th in FedExCup points, so not quite the same story as last year but he will certainly be a top storyline this week nonetheless. Runner-up Oosthuizen has been sidelined with injury since mid-July and did not qualify for the playoffs this year. While McIlroy has shown some signs of life recently and is the defending champion, top billing this week will be the marquee pairing of world #1 Tiger Woods, #2 Adam Scott and #3 Phil Mickelson for the first two rounds on Friday and Saturday.
Woods, Scott and Mickelson are also #1, #2, and #3 in the FedExCup points rankings. While there will be plenty of attention this week given to those players at the top of the points rankings, there will also be plenty of drama towards the bottom of the list. Last week, Greg Chalmers, Erik Compton, Stuart Appleby and Camilo Villegas were all on the outside looking in but played their way into the top-100 with their finishes at The Barclays. For the players that finish #71-100 in the points rankings this week, their playoffs will be over. Who can play their way into the top-70 this week to survive and make it to third playoff event, the BMW Championship in Lake Forest, IL?
Tournament Notes:
Tiger Woods: The primary beneficiary of the Deutsche Bank Championship is the Tiger Woods Foundation. Additionally, with his 3rd place finish here last year, Woods surpassed the $100 million mark in career earnings – the first player ever to accomplish this feat on the PGA Tour.
Field Watch: Defending Champion: Rory McIlroy; Runner-up: Louis Oosthuizen (not in field – injury).
Oddsmakers (outright): Woods 7/1; Mickelson, Adam Scott 12/1; McIlroy 14/1; Justin Rose 18/1; Jason Day, Henrik Stenson 25/1.
Past Champions in Field: McIlroy, Webb Simpson, Charley Hoffman, Steve Stricker, Mickelson, Woods, Scott.
Course Length: Measures 7,216 yards on the card (Par 71; 36-35).
Field: Top 100 FedExCup point standings.
36-hole Cut: Top 70 and ties.
Weather [Forecast]: FRI: Partly Cloudy; High 78F / Low 63F; Winds WNW at 8mph; Rain Chance 10%. SAT: Partly Cloudy; High 80F / Low 64F; Winds SW at 8mph; Rain Chance 10%. SUN: Isolated T-storms; High 76F / Low 66F; Winds S at 10mph; Rain Chance 30%. MON: Isolated T-storms; High 78F Low 65F; Winds SSW at 10mph; Rain Chance 30%.
Names to Watch (FedExCup Ranking):
• Tiger Woods (#1) – Ailing back and all, Woods is still the favorite with oddsmakers at 7/1. Won, T40, T2 in his last three starts. Solo 3rd here a year ago and four top-10s total including a win in 2006. 2nd on Tour in Strokes Gained Putting and Par Breakers.
• Adam Scott (#2) – T14, T5 and won in his last three events. T7 here a year ago was his third straight top-10 in this event. Won the inaugural Deutsche Bank in 2003. Scott is 8 for 8 in this event with five of them going for top-10s. 10th on Tour in Ball Striking and 28th in Par Breakers.
• Phil Mickelson (#3) – T21, T72 and T6 in his last three starts. Back-to-back top-10s here including a T10 in 2011 and a T4 last year. One of only two people (Adam Scott) to have won this event in their first go around, winning in 2007. 5th on Tour in Strokes Gained Putting and 1st in Par Breakers.
• Rory McIlroy (#36) – Defending champion here going 67-67 over the weekend to overtake 36 and 54-hole leader Louis Oosthuizen to win by one. Probably more memorable though was the Sunday charge from Tiger Woods (66) which ended up a couple strokes short of forcing a playoff. No longer World #1 as he was last year at this time but McIlroy has been showing some signs of life with a T27, T8 and T19 in his last three starts. Even with McIlroy’s putting woes this year (119th in Strokes Gained Putting) he still ranks 10th on Tour in Par Breakers so he’s making plenty of birdies. Saving pars however, has been his Achilles heel as he ranks 155th on Tour in Scrambling this season.
• Jason Day (#16) – 18 for 18 so far in 2013 with six top-10s including a T8 three weeks ago at the PGA Championship. T53, T8 and T25 in his last three starts. Had back-to-back top-10s here finishing T2 in 2010 and T3 in 2011. Day seems to have a penchant for playing well in the bigger tourneys and the stakes are rising here in round two of the playoffs. Question this week is does Day have enough fire power to keep up as the winning scores here tend to be close to 20-under. 72nd on Tour in Birdie Average at 3.49 will not be enough to win but going back to last year he hasn’t missed a cut in 22 straight events so he’ll definitely be around.
• Steve Stricker (#28) – Took last week off to rest a sore hamstring but it doesn’t seem to be affecting his play going T10, T13 and T12 in his last three starts. Has only played in 10 events this year but he’s racked up five top-10s. Has made his last seven cuts here at TPC Boston with four of those going for top-10s including his victory in 2009. Hasn’t played enough events this season to officially qualify for stats but if he did he’d be 10th on Tour in Strokes Gained Putting and 9th in Par Breakers.
• Jim Furyk (#14) – Mediocre for most of the year Furyk has come storming back onto the scene with four straight top-10s. Eight for eight here at TPC Boston including three top-10s. Similar to Day, the question here is can Furyk (127th in Par Breakers) make enough birdies to contend for the win. That being said, Furyk was the big man on campus in 2010 winning the FedExCup and he also has the most top-10s in the history of the playoffs so there’s that.
• Dustin Johnson (#22) – Four for four here with bookend T4’s in 2009 and last year. T33, T8 and missed the cut last week (by one) at The Barclays in his last three starts. Generous landing areas off the tee here so that should play well to a guy who is 178th on Tour in Driving Accuracy. 1st on Tour in Eagles and 16th in Par Breakers so he can go low. 172nd on Tour in Scrambling this year so that’s a concern but he’s been under par in 12 of his 16 total rounds here with a scoring average of 68.94. Couple weeks removed now from his engagement announcement so look for DJ to get back into contention.
• Brandt Snedeker (#6) – Off form of late with a T66 and two missed-cuts in his last three events. A return to TPC Boston should cure what ails him though as he is third in career scoring average here at 68.25 (20 rounds). Finished solo-6th here a year ago for his third straight top-10 (T3 in 2011, T5 in 2010) in this event. 4th on Tour in Strokes Gained Putting and 8th in Par Breakers.
• Graham DeLaet (#7) – That’s not a typo. On the strength of six top-10s including a T2 last week, the Canadian comes in ranked 7th in the points rankings. Missed the cut here last year in his only appearance but he scorched Liberty National last Sunday with a final round 65 for his highest career finish on the PGA Tour. Ranks 1st on Tour this year in Ball Striking where he’s 3rd in Greens and 1st in Total Driving. DeLaet is also eyeballing a President’s Cup pick where he currently sits 10th on the International Team standings. The President’s Cup teams are picked this coming week following THIS tournament.
• Luke Donald (#54) – TPC Boston might just be what the doctor ordered for what has been a disappointing season so far. 9th on the career scoring list at TPC Boston (68.69) could be perfect timing for Donald as he enters this week at #54 in the points rankings and is in danger of being eliminated from the playoffs. Look for added motivation this week for Donald to stay in the game with the BMW Championship taking place next week outside of Chicago where Donald was a four time All American at Northwestern and has his residence in Evanston, IL. Followed a T2 here in 2010 with a T3 in 2011.
My Golf Channel Fantasy picks: Group 1: Phil Mickelson; Group 2: Dustin Johnson; Group 3: Graham DeLaet; Group 4: Matt Jones.