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By T.J. Auclair
PGATOUR.com Interactive Producer

NORTON, Mass. -- Grinding it out is nothing new to Steve Flesch. It was a rather unspectacular 2007 season for the 40-year-old, but one week can turn a poor season into a great season on the PGA TOUR, and that's what happened for Flesch.

With two handfuls of missed cuts through his first 23 events of the year, he needed something to happen. The breakthrough came at the Reno-Tahoe Classic Open, where Flesch earned the third win of his PGA TOUR career and the first since 2004.

Steve Flesch is focusing on making it to Chicago for round 3 of the playoffs. (Getty Images)

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"Things have been going a lot better, obviously," Flesch said. "But that's the strange part about what we do. Sometimes you're not as far off as your scores or your earnings indicate. But I just had a couple of things click for me, and thankfully, I got that win in Reno, but I made a couple of equipment changes, something clicked, and now I'm playing better."

All of a sudden, the inaugural PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup were no longer a distant thought. Flesch carried the momentum of that win into the PGA Championship where he tied for 23rd.

At No. 81, Flesch was safely inside the top-144 of the FedExCup standings to take part in the opening Playoff event -- The Barclays -- and also in good standing for the 120-man field at this week's Deutsche Bank Championship. However, a spot in the 70-player BMW Championship wasn't - and still isn't - a given.

With a strong tie for 12th at The Barclays, Flesch managed to catapult 11 spots and plays this week just outside Boston sitting on the number -- 70th in the FedExCup standings -- for a spot in the BMW Championship field in Chicago.

Of course, golfers hate to think ahead and often admit they only think about one shot at a time. But that could be difficult for Flesch. He's a guy who always plays a bunch and has a hard time trying to digest the thought of a forced vacation.

"I said the week of Reno that I really wanted to play the Chicago event," he said. "It's always been on my schedule, I've played it every year, and I'd hate to miss it if I didn't get into the Playoffs scheme of it. As far as worrying about the points this week, obviously I'm the bubble guy."

In four starts at TPC Boston, Flesch's best finish was a tie for seventh in 2003 when he strung together four rounds of 69, so at least he has the peace of mind knowing he's played well here before. The carrot dangling in front of his face is the opportunity to lock up a spot in Chicago, another place where he's played well in the past: nine starts and two tops-10s, including a tie for seventh in 2001.

Steve Flesch is on the bubble in 70th place in the FedExCup standings. (Getty Images)

"I just have to keep playing good golf," he said. "I have never really thought about any of the points, or whatever, but I know that I'm going to have to beat enough guys to where nobody passes me. I'm just going to go play -- it's still a stroke-play event -- and do the best I can, and hopefully, I'll be inside that 70 come Monday."

Whether he makes it to the Windy City or not, one fact that remains is Flesch is playing his best golf of the season right now. He came to Beantown on the strength of five-straight cuts made, something he hasn't managed to do this season. Furthermore, Flesch has five top-25 finishes on the season, four of which have come in his last five starts. Plus, that win in Reno granted him entry to the 2008 season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship in Maui and the Masters.

"The win felt very good. Sometimes, you don't know when it's going to come around for you," Flesch said. "Sometimes, the harder you press, the worse it gets. You never really know where the light at the end of the tunnel is. I wasn't quite to that point because I knew I was still playing well, but at the same time, you start doubting yourself and wondering, 'Hey, am I ever going to win again?' Turning 40, you never quite know when it's going to be up. I was thrilled to death. I'm going to get to go to Hawaii again and got that nice two-year exemption, so it's all working out."