PERFECT conditions at the Plainfield Country Club in New Jersey ensured low scoring in the third round of The Barclays, the first of the four-tournament FedEx Cup series that culminates with a jackpot prize of $10m.
As usual with the FedEx, there were unpredictable swings in fortune as an array of journeymen and players of established world class battled for ascendancy.
With one round remaining, Jason Day and Sangmoon Bae lead at 11 under par, one ahead of Bubba Watson. Henrik Stenson, Zach Johnson and Ryan Palmer lie a further stroke behind.
Day and Bae seemed like the rhyming twins as they inspired each other to shoot 63s that propelled them to the head of affairs. “I was just trying to keep pace with him,” said Day. Bae made birdies on half his holes, which was one better than Day, who had one fewer bogey.
Bae was modest. “I played pretty solid today,” he said. A citizen of South Korea, he has to return home to do his national service once the FedEx Cup has been completed.
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The battle between Watson and Stenson, who decided the best method to attack a tricky course with penal rough was to hit it as far as possible and get out the wedge, be it from fairway or not, promised to be the chief storyline, but not for long.
Teeing off in the last pair, they provided a study in contrast. Watson was slinging the ball all over the property but managing to control his spin like a magician. Stenson, hitting it arrow-straight, mostly took his three-wood, a club he hits prodigious distances.
From the first tee, their balls landed dead centre of the fairway a yard apart. Watson’s was the longest, but Stenson had taken less club so had some bragging rights. He also put his approach closer and made a birdie that put him level with Watson at seven under par. But that was Stenson’s only joy for a while, for he took three putts on the second and missed several birdie opportunities thereafter. Watson made progress but he also suffered some frustration. Both shot 67. Needless to say, both are capable of shooting much lower and winning today.
With Watson and Stenson stalling, the invitation to take advantage was taken up by Johnson, the Open champion, Day, the US PGA champion, Bae and Palmer. Johnson shone with the wedge and the putter while Day battled hard despite some back trouble. Palmer, a Tour stalwart, recently lost his father and has dedicated his week’s work to his memory. He has done him proud.
Justin Rose continued to make signal progress after his 77 in the opening round. “I felt flat coming in here and probably needed a week off,” he said, “but I found my stride and energy on Friday and then we had the best of it this morning.” Rose shot 65 on Friday and 63 yesterday, a round comprising seven birdies and no dropped shots.
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The leading 100 players after today’s final round proceed to Boston for round two of four. There, Jordan Spieth, who missed the cut on Friday, and Rory McIlroy, who did not play this week, will resume their contest for the number-one spot in the world rankings.
It seemed odd that Spieth should drop below McIlroy, who had not played, but it was merely a matter of arithmetic. They are so close in points that they may be changing places with some frequency, a sub-plot that should be just as intriguing as the winning of the $10m FedEx bonus prize.