Live scoreboard: Knockout round at Match Play

NORTON, Mass. – Bryson DeChambeau spent a good portion of his third round Sunday chatting up his playing partner. You could’ve sworn he was prepping for an oral exam in quantum mechanics. Meanwhile, he also managed to fit in four birdies in his first seven holes, showing he had lost none of the momentum from last week’s victory in the FedExCup Playoffs opener. He was on top of his game, on top of the FedExCup standings and having a blast. Yet he was nervous. With good reason. “It’s Tiger Woods, guys,â€� DeChambeau explained, the simplest answer always being the best. For the first time in his blossoming career, DeChambeau played a competitive round with his childhood idol. Although they’ve become frequent practice partners, DeChambeau knew Sunday was different. Tiger would have his game face on. As it turns out, DeChambeau can deliver one pretty good game face, too. The FedExCup leader shot an 8-under 63 that left him at 12 under through three rounds of the Dell Technologies Championship and gives him a golden opportunity to claim the first two Playoffs events. For the second straight week, he’ll be in the final twosome in the final round, this time with tournament leader Abraham Ancer, who’s 13 under. Meanwhile, Woods had to settle for a 3-under 68 that left him at 7 under and perhaps too far back to break his five-year victory drought in Monday’s Labor Day finish at TPC Boston. Afterwards, DeChambeau wore a huge smile, and it was tough to tell if it came from moving up the leaderboard or simply because he fulfilled a childhood fantasy. “I’ve admired him my whole entire life,â€� DeChambeau said. “And to be finally able to play with him under tournament conditions, it was different. I was a little nervous, for sure. But I was able to get out there and execute shots and worry about my game and focus on hitting the best shots possible – and I was able to play really well like that.â€� DeChambeau said his nervousness didn’t disappear until after the seventh hole. By then, he was 4 under on his round. Woods was 3 under on his round at that point, but while DeChambeau remained hot on the back nine, Woods quickly cooled off. He wouldn’t post another birdie until the par-5 18th. “I didn’t get a lot out of my round today,â€� Tiger shrugged. Still, it was an interesting, entertaining Sunday – even if Bryson did most of the talking. Told that Woods didn’t always seem this chatty, DeChambeau corrected, “He still isn’t, by the way.â€� Woods was asked if earlier in his career – in other words, the dominant Tiger years — he would have been as willing to engage with his playing partner. He referenced the names of players much older than him: Mark O’Meara, Mark Calcavecchia, Davis Love III, Fred Couples and the late Payne Stewart. “We were always chatty,â€� Tiger said. “When you’re playing with friends, yeah, you’re competing, but you’re still playing with friends.â€� Whether DeChambeau has reached that level of friendship is tough to say. But it’s apparent that Woods has taken a shine to the 24-year-old and fellow California native. “He’s fantastic to play with,â€� Woods said of DeChambeau. “He’s great. … Two friends going out there competing and playing. We both have jobs to do today and try to shoot as low rounds as we possibly could do today. And he did that.â€� It helps, obviously, that DeChambeau has emerged at one of the game’s top young golfers. His win last week at THE NORTHERN TRUST was the third of his PGA TOUR career and made him just the 11th player in the last 30 years to post three wins before turning 25. Besides taking over the FedExCup lead, he also moved to 12th in the world rankings. “Pretty impressive,â€� Woods said. “And just the way he’s played, especially the last couple of weeks. He’s had opportunities and had runs, but I think he’s cleaning up the rounds. He’s not making that many mistakes. And if he does … I’ve talked to him over the past couple of months, he’s missing the ball in the correct spots. That makes all the difference.â€� Their friendship has grown to the point of open speculation that they will be partners at next month’s Ryder Cup. The fact neither of them are yet on the U.S. team seems to be a moot point. Three of Jim Furyk’s four Captain’s picks will be announced next Tuesday, and expectations are that Woods and DeChambeau will be chosen. “I think if all the stars were to align and that were to happen, I think we could feed off of each other pretty well,â€� said DeChambeau, whose focus the next few weeks remains squarely on the FedExCup race. As for Tiger’s perspective on the pairing? Well, Sunday’s 63 at TPC Boston was a pretty strong statement. “If he goes around and shoots 8 under par every time,â€� Tiger said, “that will work.â€�

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JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — Tony Finau ended more than five years and 142 tournaments without winning with a dynamic charge on the back nine and big miss from Cameron Smith to capture the rain-delayed THE NORTHERN TRUST in a playoff Monday. RELATED: Final leaderboard | Updated FedExCup standings Finau was three shots out of the lead when he ran off a birdie-eagle-birdie stretch at Liberty National, the last one a 30-foot putt across the 14th green. He closed with a 6-under 65. Smith had a rally of his own with two late birdies, missing a 25-foot birdie chance on the 18th in regulation that would have won it. He closed with a 67. That was as close as the Australian came to winning. With the win, Finau moved to No. 1 in the FedExCup standings. On the 18th in the playoff, Smith hit such a wild drive that it sailed over the retaining wall that separates Liberty National from the edge of the Hudson River. Finau had already pounded his drive down the middle of the fairway, and the playoff at that point was effectively over. That’s just what Finau needed — no drama, and more importantly, a victory. Since winning the Puerto Rico Open in the spring of 2016, Finau had eight runner-up finishes, three of those in a playoff, and 11 finishes in the top three. Now, one of the most likeable players in golf goes to the top of the FedExCup standings and No. 8 in the Ryder Cup standings with one week left to be among six automatic qualifiers. He was the guy who did everything right but win, and now that burden was lifted. Finau, who had to save par from the bunker with a 6-foot putt on the 18th in regulation to finish at 20-under 264, only had to two-putt for par in the playoff. He lifted his head to the sky and fluttered his lips in sheer relief. “It took just about everything I had,” he said. And it took some help from Smith, who two weeks ago lost a chance to win a World Golf Championships with a wild drive on the 18th. Jon Rahm contributed, too. Rahm looked to be in control all afternoon, even as Finau began his big run. The world’s No. 1 player was bogey-free, made birdie on all three of the par 5s and threw a wedge into 3 feet for another birdie. It came undone quickly, though. Rahm’s tee shot found the bunker on the 15th and he missed a 6-foot par putt. On the reachable par-4 16th, he caught all ball with a pitch that sailed 30 feet by the pin and cost him an easy birdie. He didn’t get another look at birdie over the final two holes, saving par from a bunker on the 17th and having to lay up from a fairway bunker on the 18th, where he closed with a bogey and a 69 to finish alone in third. “I haven’t been able to digest it,” Rahm said after his round. “My son put a smile on my face so at least I’m not in a terrible mood.” There were other big winners Monday, starting with Keith Mitchell. He was at No. 101 in the FedExCup, and only the top 70 advance to the BMW Championship. Mitchell needed a big finish and delivered with three straight birdies for a 69 to tie for eighth at 13-under 271. “We thought 13 (under) was good,” Mitchell said. “When I had that putt on 18, I had to make it in my mind. Fortunately, I hit a great putt.” Tom Hoge started at No. 108 and tied for fourth to advance. That was his best finish of the year, and it came at just the right time with points counting quadruple. Also moving on to the BMW Championship later this week were Alex Noren, Erik van Rooyen, Harold Varner III and Harry Higgs. Van Rooyen was in contention on the front nine until he hit two shots in the water on the par-3 11th and made a quadruple-bogey 7. Finau all along had 20 under as his target, and caddie Mark Urbanek told him at the turn to deliver his best back nine of the year. He shot 30, and that turned out to be enough. The final round was postponed on Sunday as Hurricane Henri approached, and the edges of what became a tropical storm at landfall dumped more than 6 inches of rain on Liberty National. There was another four-hour delay in the morning and spectators were kept away. They missed quite a show, and a popular winner.

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