FedExCup Update: ‘Weird pressure’ no problem for bubble busters

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Harris English called it a “weird kind of pressure.� Nick Taylor described it as “just a stressful week.� Both players handled it successfully. Entering this week’s Wyndham Championship in danger of missing the FedExCup Playoffs, English and Taylor played their way inside the top 125 who will advance to next week’s Playoffs opener, THE NORTHERN TRUST. English did it with four solid rounds, including a 2-under 68 on Sunday afternoon that left him at 14 under and in a tie for 11th. That was good enough to move him from 132 to 124 in the FedExCup standings – and continue his string of Playoffs appearances, now at seven consecutive seasons. “I don’t want to be on the bubble again,� said English, who secured his spot with a two-putt par from 60 feet on the final hole. “… Nobody wants to be put on the bench and not play the Playoffs and having a chance to win the FedExCup.� Taylor, meanwhile, merely produced his lowest round of the season, a 7-under 63 that left him at 15 under and a tie for eight. That moved him from 129 to 119 in the FedExCup standings. This will be his third Playoffs appearance in his four years on TOUR. His only miss came in 2016 when he finished 129th in points. “It’s been a long year,� said the Canadian, who had to fight back from an early-morning triple bogey in the continuation of his third round. He finished with an even-par 70, then produced four consecutive birdies early in his final round. “I really felt like I was playing well the last couple of months and nothing’s really been going my way, so it’s really satisfying to finish it off.� With two players moving inside the top 125, that meant two others moved out. Martin Piller dropped from 124 to 126, while Tyrone Van Aswegen dropped from 125 to 127. Both players missed the cut on Friday. Having to make a big move in the final week of the regular season is something English would rather avoid in the future. “I haven’t been in this position, on the outside looking in,� he said. “It’s not a lot of fun. Hopefully it’s going to light a fire in me this fall and get off to a better start and get up pretty high in the FedEx and be in better position.� SNEDS NOW A CONTENDER: Brandt Snedeker now believes he has a chance to win his second FedExCup title. A week ago, he didn’t think so. By winning the Wyndham Championship, Snedeker moved from 80th to 30th in the standings. Only the top 30 reach the TOUR Championship with a shot to win the FedExCup, so now Snedeker only needs to maintain to ensure his spot at East Lake. “Your position going into the Playoffs dictates a lot of your chances of winning the FedExCup Playoffs, dictates how you can think and play, your realistic chances of winning or not winning,� said Snedeker, the 2012 FedExCup champ. “As somebody who’s been fortunate enough to win before, I realize how important it is to be in a good position going into the Playoffs and also to play well when you’re there. “To be perfectly frank, I didn’t have any chance at all of winning the FedExCup Playoffs when I showed up here this week and there’s just no way, as far back as I was, I didn’t see it happening. After this week, I feel like I have a chance. I feel like I kind of put myself in position where three good weeks going into East Lake, you never know what’s going to happen. Plus, as Snedeker said, he’s a guy “who always gets hot. When I get hot playing golf, it’s a lot of fun because I can kind of stay there for a little while … So I’m getting hot at the right time.� FIRST TIME FOR SAM: Sam Saunders entered the week ranked 120th. After he made the cut, he felt confident that he would not drop outside the top 125. “I don’t want to say 100 percent certain, but I know the system,� he said. “Of course, if it could ever happen to someone, it was going to happen to me.� Fortunately for Saunders, he played well enough on the weekend (a tie for 45th at 8 under) to keep his spot and make the FedExCup Playoffs for the first time in his career. “It’s great,� said Saunders, whose tie for seventh two weeks ago at the Barracuda Championship gave him some breathing room. “A lot of hard work that finally paid off. “I’ve been so fortunate to be out there. This is my fourth year in a row now [on TOUR]. To know that my fifth year out here is going to be the first time I’ll be in THE PLAYERS. I’m in pretty much every tournament. I can pick my schedule. I’m not worried about which week I’m going to get in, which week I’m not. It’s pretty exciting.� “A lot of people, they watch on TV and they think if you’re not winning, you’re not successful out here. Obviously, that is the goal. You want to win golf tournaments. But very rarely do the Jordan Spieths and the Rickie Fowlers of the world come along. Those are one in a million guys. For the rest of us, this is the norm, how we build our careers.� FURYK COMES CLOSE: Jim Furyk, the 2010 FedExCup champ, needed a solo second or a win to climb inside the top 125. He came close – a tie for fourth after his final-round 63 on Sunday – but his season is now over. He’ll still be active, though. As the U.S. captain for the Ryder Cup, Furyk said he’ll probably attend a couple of FedExCup events to monitor the progress of U.S. players, particularly those who may need a captain’s pick to make the team (including the new Wyndham champ, especially if Snedeker maintains his hot streak). If Furyk’s not on-site, he’ll be watching the action on TV. “I’ve watched more golf this year than I’ve probably have in the last 10 years combined,� Furyk said. “I’ve enjoyed it. “It’s a little disappointing not playing next week but I have plenty of stuff to keep me busy.� GARCIA, HAAS STREAKS OVER: Sergio Garcia and Bill Haas were not able to climb inside the top 125 in points, thus ending their streaks of having qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs every year since its inception in 2007. Garcia, who started the week ranked 131st in points, was projected inside the top 125 at one point Sunday. But he suffered three bogeys in five holes after making the turn and finished with an even-par 70, leaving him in a tie for 24th and in 128th in the final FedExCup standings. Haas entered the week ranked 150th and finished at 8 under and a tie for 45th. That left him dropping two spots to 152nd. Luke Donald, out for an extended time with an injury, also officially saw his streak in. That leaves 10 players who have made the FedExCup Playoffs every year. RODGERS OUT NEXT WEEK: Patrick Rodgers confirmed Sunday that he will not play in next week’s THE NORTHERN TRUST. Rodgers plans to attend a family wedding in Scotland. Ranked 93rd in the FedExCup standings, Rodgers’ absence could put him in danger of being eliminated from the Playoffs if enough players bust the bubble. Only the top 100 players advance to the second Playoffs event, the Dell Technologies Championship. In 2015, eight players busted the bubble at THE NORTHERN TRUST.

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