FedExCup Update: A 7-footer to save a season

OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. – Luke Donald glanced at the electronic leaderboard while waiting to putt out at the 18th green early Friday afternoon. He noticed the cut line: 2 over. He was 2 over. Having started the week outside the top-100 bubble, the par putt from 7 feet meant his season was on the line. It also meant the potential closure of a frustrating stretch of golf. Donald entered THE NORTHERN TRUST having missed eight consecutive cuts on the PGA TOUR. The last time he reached the weekend was at the RBC Heritage in mid-April. He finished solo second on a shot-maker’s course suited for his game. Since then, just three of his last 16 rounds have been in red numbers. The lowest was a 64 he shot in a four-ball round with partner Jamie Lovemark at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event. They missed the cut by two shots that week. Until this stretch, he had never missed more than three consecutive cuts since becoming a full-time TOUR member in 2002. “Been a tough run the last few months,â€� said Donald, who did make the cut in two European Tour events this summer. “It’s a fickle game. It doesn’t feel like I’m very far away. I feel like something good is coming soon.â€� But he former World No. 1 is finding it tough to compete on courses requiring length off the tee. He ranks 193rd in strokes gained: off-the-tee and 187th in driving distance. His short game and putting are among the best on TOUR – he ranks third in strokes gained: putting this season – but it hasn’t been enough. Even Glen Oaks, a first-time venue on TOUR, is not ideal for him. Its wide fairways and 7,436-yard length favors the bombers, and he’s a strategist and grinder. “Not much strategy,â€� he said. “Grab a driver and hit it as far as possible.â€� He opened with a 1-over 71 on Thursday, then made 16 consecutive pars to start his second round. He bogeyed the par-3 17th after finding a bunker, and at the 18th saw his approach dribble into the high rough behind the green. Then his chip didn’t release as he had hoped. So now he was 7 feet away from staying alive. At 107th in FedExCup points, it was weekend or bust. Unlike everyone else in the field, though, Donald has an additional reason to keep advancing. The third leg of the FedExCup Playoffs is the BMW Championship. It will be held for the third time at Conway Farms – Donald’s home course outside Chicago. Donald played in the BMW in 2013, used his local knowledge and made a big move to advance to the TOUR Championship. He didn’t get to play there in 2015. Donald first played Conway Farms while attending Northwestern, and was influential in helping it become a TOUR stop. No one on TOUR knows the course better – “I was there all this summer. Played a few rounds,â€� Donald said — and now he wants to help shape it. On Monday, Donald will travel to Conway Farms as part of the bid process for some bunkering renovation with architect Dave Zinkand. “I’m starting to get into that side of the business,â€� Donald said. “We’re one of the finalists to try to do it. See if we can get the job.â€� But first, there was this nasty business Friday of saving par from 7 feet. He rolled in the putt. Set your alarm clock, Luke. You’ve got an early tee time Saturday. 14 PLAYERS ELIMINATED Fourteen players who started the week outside the top 100 in FedExCup points were officially eliminated by missing the cut at Glen Oaks. Those players include: Jimmy Walker (5 over) Brian Gay (3 over) Brandon Hagy (7 over) Steve Stricker (4 over) Derek Fathauer (11 over) Tyrone Van Aswegen (3 over) Harris English (5 over) Dominic Bozelli (DNP) Nick Watney (4 over) John Huh (9 over) Blayne Barber (6 over) Ben Martin (7 over) Rory Sabbatini (5 over) J. J. Henry (4 over) BUBBLE WATCH Here are the players who are projected to move inside the top 100 that will advance to next week’s Dell Technologies Championship, along with the players who are projected to fall out. QUOTE OF THE DAY Guys, this has grown in stature. Now we’re over a decade in. It means a big deal. Guys are putting this down on the list of things they want to accomplish on the golf course. TOP 5 WATCH The top 5 players entering the TOUR Championship will control their own destiny at East Lake. Here’s a look at how the current top 5 fared Friday at THE NORTHERN TRUST. 1. Hideki Matsuyama (69). Bogeyed two of his final three holes – including a missed 4-footer for par on his final hole – to miss the cut at 3 over. Projected to drop to sixth. 2. Justin Thomas (69). Had a wild final five holes, with three birdies, a bogey and a double bogey and is 3 under and tied for 10th. Projected to fall to 5th. 3. Jordan Spieth (65). Fueled by five consecutive birdies on his back nine, Spieth enters the weekend tied for the lead at 6 under. Projected to first. 4. Dustin Johnson (69). Was leading at 8 under until back-to-back bogeys. Still, he’s tied for the lead at 6 under. He’ll move into first with a win, but currently projects to second (since he’s tied with Spieth). 5. Rickie Fowler (66). Another member of the top-5 club tied for the lead, thanks to his five birdies. Not guaranteed to take over first with a win but it’s likely. Currently projected to third since he’s tied with Spieth and Johnson. FEDEXCUP NOTES Geoff Ogilvy, who started the week outside the bubble at No. 116, arrived at his final hole Friday comfortably inside the cut line at even par. But then he found not one, not two, but three bunkers on the ninth hole. He had to sweat out a 4-foot putt for double bogey that left him at 2 over – right on the cut line. … Incidentally, if Ogilvy had missed that putt, the cut line would’ve moved to 3 over. It also would’ve saved the season for Brian Gay and Tyrone Van Aswegen, two players who were officially eliminated Friday after missing the cut. Graham DeLaet withdrew on the third hole Friday with a back injury, but he’s safely in for next week’s event at TPC Boston. DeLaet entered the Playoffs 67th in points and is projected to fall to 76th.

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