Scott’s brilliant shotmaking under pressure gets him to Atlanta
Adam Scott – on his way to Atlanta – file photo
The volatility and the range of permutations of the FedEx Cup Playoffs were no better illustrated than this weekend when, after leading the BMW Championship though 36 holes and moving into 3rd place in the projected FedEx Cup standings, Adam Scott was forced to fight to the end to ensure he would be in Atlanta next week for the Tour Championship.
Scott’s third round of 69 yesterday dropped him to 28th in the standings and he needed a round of even par or better today if he was to maintain his place inside the top 30 players who earned the right to play at East Lake next week.
The 42-year-old Australian’s final round got off to a shaky start when he reached the turn in 2 over 37 and by then he had slipped outside the top 30 in FedEx Cup standings.
Three shots however, and perhaps two in particular, would determine his fate. A stunning approach from just over 200 yards with a mid-iron to 15 feet at the 12th set up an eagle chance which was converted and, all of a sudden, he was back inside the top 30.
Scott then proceeded to bogey the very next hole to be right on the cusp but a fine bunker shot to 6 feet at the 14th set up a birdie and needing to par his way in he managed to do that at the next three holes before, from an awkward lie at the last, he pulled his approach into the left hand greenside bunker.
Needing to get up and down from 30 yards for the all-important par, Scott hit a brilliant bunker shot to 2 feet (see below) and when he converted he was safely inside the top 30 and on his way to Atlanta.
Scott finished in a share of 5th in this week’s event but he gets another opportunity to advance his cause at next week’s Tour Championship which he has won previously (2006).
“Yeah, it’s really good,” said Scott. “I guess that’s the beauty of the FedExCup Playoffs the way they are. You can scratch it around a lot for the year and have a couple good weeks and get heavily rewarded by getting to East Lake and being in that top 30 and all the perks that come with it.
“This week was a great event, and I felt like I played some really good golf. Today was a bit of a struggle, but still managed to have a decent score.
“This week I felt like I played really high-quality golf. I was out there with Scottie Scheffler yesterday who’s obviously played incredible this year, and I felt like I was playing at that high, high level again, and I haven’t been in so many of those situations this year. But I felt like my game stacked up, and I felt like a top player.
“Hopefully stuff to build on this week, and go for it next week with really nothing to lose and head into the next season full of confidence and hopefully keep my head in this place where I feel like I’m one of the best players out here.”
Of the other Australians in the field at the BMW Championship, Lucas Herbert put together a very good week with rounds of 68 and 69 to finish in a share of 15th this week but fell short of making it to the top 30, finishing 43rd in the FedEx Cup standings.
Despite this, it has been an impressive first full season on the PGA Tour for the Victorian with a win and two other top ten finishes.
Marc Leishman finished 28th this week but misses out on a trip to Atlanta by finishing 58th in the race to Atlanta as does Cameron Davis who finished 35th this week but ends the year in 55th place in the FedEx Cup standings.
Cameron Smith who was forced to withdraw this week due to injury issues is now in 6th place on the FedEx Cup table.
The event was won by Patrick Cantlay who successfully defended the title he won last year, albeit on a different layout.
Cantlay goes to 2nd on the Fed Ex Cup standings while Scottie Scheffler who finished third this week is back on top of the FedEx Cup after being overtaken briefly by Will Zalatoris last week. Zalatoris was forced to withdraw with injury this week and is now 3rd on the FedEx Cup table.
