Adam Scott – file photo
Adam Scott began the Fed Ex Playoffs on the outside looking in as far as his chances of making it to the Tour Championship were concerned but an impressive share of 5th place at last week’s opening event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs in Memphis and now a brilliant start to the BMW Championship in Delaware, has the 42 year old Australian with not only Atlanta on his mind but the possibility of even winning the FedEx Cup.
Scott added a second round of 69 to his opening 65 and at the halfway mark of the penultimate event of the PGA Tour season, he leads by one and has improved 42 places to 3rd in the FedEx Cup projected standings.
Only Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris are ahead of him at this stage and while there are many permutations which might eventuate over the next six rounds of the FedEx Cup, Scott has emerged as a real threat.
Scott leads the BMW over the projected FedEx Cup leader, Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Corey Connors and Jordan Spieth with Australian Cameron Davis amongst a group another shot back and sharing 6th.
Scott’s only real blemish came at the par 4 16th where a poor drive led to a double bogey but that aside it was yet another impressive round to add to the solid form he has been in of late.
“Overall, I felt really in control today,” said Scott. “When you’re playing that way, it always could be a couple better, and a poor shot on 17 was quite costly.
“It’s a good reminder for the weekend that I’ve really got to keep it under control and don’t want to have too many get off the map and get out of position around here. But I kept it in position really well all day and had so many good looks and was cruising there for a while.
“I mean, last week I kind of got it done with the putter, and this week it feels like the game is taking shape a bit, which is a nice position, and I played very free and was able to let go a little bit today and swing freely and rolled a few in. That’s a nice feeling. I’d like that kind of feeling over the weekend.”
Davis has moved from 51st to 32nd in the projected standings and if he is able to continue his early form this week he might well make it all the way to Atlanta where the leading 30 players in the FedEx Cup standings get to fight it out for the pointy end of the riches of the FedEx Cup.
“It was really good,” said Davis enthusing about his round of 67. “I started off really strong. My big issue is getting the ball off the tee around here. It was the same sort of last week, and once I started finding fairways I could start to get a bit of momentum going.
“I would say a round of two halves. Found a lot of fairways early on, and then towards the end of the round started finding it a little difficult to get myself in play, but I feel like I’m managing it well enough to not lose too many strokes when things are going wrong.”
“That would be goal achieved for this year,” said Davis when asked about the possibility of making it to Atlanta. “Last year I got to BMW and didn’t quite get to East Lake. This year I wanted to make it one step further forward. All I could do is get myself here and have a chance, and I guess I’ve still got a chance, so I’ve just got to keep playing well.”
Marc Leishman is 22nd this week and now 61st in the standings, Lucas Herbert 33rd and now 53rd and so both need to improve sharply over the final 36 holes if they are to have any chance of one more event in their PGA Tour season.
