FedExCup Playoffs move to second leg of Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston
The FedExCup Playoffs Championship will now be moving to the Deutsche Bank Championship at the TPC Boston, with Dustin Johnson at the top of the money list after his much-awaited victory at The Barclays. The first leg of the event at Plainfield Country Club
was shortened to 54-holes by the approaching Hurricane Irene and the final round was played on Saturday, where Johnson took the better of the defending champion, Matt Kuchar, who was the overnight leader in the opening two rounds.
Rendered as the most aggressive player on the tour, Johnson, has now soared to Number Four on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) and will be the top-bet in the second event of the lucrative $10-million Playoffs. TPC Boston is considered one of the easiest
courses on the tour and practically went untouched last year, apart from the usual maintenance by the ground’s staff.
The 7,214 yards par-71 course was ranked third easiest in par-71 courses, and is likely to face heavy scoring in the upcoming event. The greens and fairways will be softened after battering the devastating Hurricane and although the course drains well, it
will still be softer for the field.
Nick Watney, who reigned the FedExCup points table before last week, has a strong chance to post a comeback to the top slot. Finished for a joint 10th, Watney is ranked at Number 30 on the tour in terms of Greens in Regulation and is quite merciless
when it comes to putting from long distances.
Jason Day continued with his fine form, posting another top-15 in his 18 starts this season. He finished for a joint 13th at the Plainfield Country Club last week and his fondness for the sprawling PGA Tour might see him forge his way to the top,
this week.
Matt Kuchar, runner-up in last year’s Playoffs and winner of the Barclays, is ranked 29th in Greens in Regulation and 31st in strokes gained putting. Kuchar will be eager to win the closing high-profile event of the season, as he boosts
of solid form to do so.
World Number One, Luke Donald posted a joint 18th against his joint second last year, posting rounds of 66’s over the weekend. Ranked number third in greens hit and a joint second in birdies scored, Donald also has a sweet tooth for PGA courses
and his career profile relies more on victories clinched on American turf.
Steve Stricker, another of the top ranking Americans, has displayed tremendous form and skill in the current season, winning twice at the Memorial and the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run. He finished for a comparatively disappointing joint 24th,
breaking the string of 11 top-20 finishes in the year. Stricker is also the winner of the 2009 Deutsche Bank Championship and is familiar with the course outlay at the TPC Boston.
Fijian Vijay Singh, posted a strong finish tied for third at the Barclays last week and has won twice here in 2004 and 2008. While some of the other probables are Camillo Villegas, Webb Simpson and Charlie Hoffman, all of whom have done well in the ongoing
season.
TPC Boston is forecasted to have a sunny weekend with mild temperatures ranging from mid to high 70’s. The course will also have light winds which are not likely to affect the dynamics of the sport. Top-70 will proceed to the next leg of the event while
the last event, the Tour Championship, will have only top-30 players in the field.
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