The Barclays: Third-round notebook

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Aug. 23, 2008
By Laura Hill, PGA TOUR Staff

PARAMUS, N.J. -- Ranked No. 102 in FedExCup points, PGA TOUR rookie Kevin Streelman has carded rounds of 67-70-68=205 (-8) to take the first 54-hole lead of his career (he was tied for the lead after the first round of the 2008 U.S. Open). He's looking for the first win -- and first top-five finish -- since joining the TOUR.

Jason Day
A bogey-free 66 on Saturday has youngster Jason Day tied for sixth entering the final round. (Feldman/Getty Images)
Inside the Numbers
54-Hole Leaderboard
Player Score
1. Kevin Streelman 205 -8
T2. Vijay Singh 206 -7
T2. Mike Weir 206 -7
T2. Paul Casey 206 -7
T2. Sergio Garcia 206 -7
T6. Jason Day 208 -5
T6. Robert Allenby 208 -5
T6. Kevin Sutherland 208 -5
T6. Kenny Perry 208 -5
T6. Angel Cabrera 208 -5

• His three best finishes so far this year came in his last seven starts, including a career-best tie for sixth at last week's Wyndham Championship. He finished tied for 10th at the Travelers Championship (June 22) and tied for 12th at the Buick Open (June 29). At the beginning of June, Streelman was ranked No. 136 in FedExCup points.

• Two players have won their first starts at The Barclays, Jack Renner in 1979 and Vijay Singh in 1993. Players who finished solo second or tied for second in their first Barclays starts include Ernie Els in 1994, Bob Murphy in 1968, Fuzzy Zoeller in 1976, David Gossett in 2002, Pat Perez in 2002 and Padraig Harrington in 2004.

• A win Sunday would make Streelman the second rookie winner of 2008, joining Chez Reavie, who won the RBC Canadian Open last month. Streelman (29 years, 2 months, 11 days old tomorrow) could join 12 other 20-something winners on TOUR this year.

• In the 41-year history of The Barclays, the 54-hole leader/co-leader has gone on to win the tournament an impressive 24 times, including 10 of the last 13 years (does not include 1998, when the event was shortened to 54 holes).

• Of the 36 stroke-play events on the PGA TOUR in 2008, 20 of them have been won by players who held at least a share of the 54-hole lead. In 2007, only 16 tournaments were won during the entire season by the 54-hole leader/co-leader.

• Ranked No. 12 in FedExCup points, Sergio Garcia shot rounds of 70-67-69 to finish three rounds at 206 (-7) and one shot off the lead. The Barclays champion in 2001 and 2004, Garcia is looking to join Vijay Singh as the only three-time winners of the event. He has never won a PGA TOUR event more than once.

• In eight starts at The Barclays, Garcia has an impressive four top-5 finishes, but he has not finished better than tied for 22nd in the last three years.

• Garcia won the 2001 Barclays after leading by two strokes heading into the final round. In 2004, he was four shots down to Loren Roberts, but shot a 67 on Sunday to force a playoff with Padraig Harrinton and Rory Sabbatini. He won with a birdie on the third playoff hole.

• A victory Sunday would be the eighth of Garcia's career and his second of the season (THE PLAYERS Championship). This would mark his first multiple-win season since 2004 when he won the EDS Bryon Nelson Championship and The Barclays.

• Five of Garcia's seven victories are come-from behind wins. They include the 2008 PLAYERS Championship (three strokes back), the 2005 Booz Allen Classic (two shots back), the 2004 Barclays (four shots back), the 2002 Mercedes Championships (four strokes back) and the 2001 MasterCard Colonial (five strokes back).

• Ranked No. 7 in FedExCup points, Vijay Singh got into contention with a 66 (-5) on Saturday and is one shot off the lead at 206 (-7). He is the only three-time winner in The Barclays history, and two of those wins came when he was trailing heading into the final round.

• In 2006, he entered the final round one stroke back and won by two shots over Adam Scott; in 1995 he entered the final round with a one-shot lead and won a five-hole playoff against Doug Martin; and in 1993 he entered the final round five shots back and won a three-hole playoff against Mark Wiebe

• Twelve of Singh's 32 career PGA TOUR victories have come when he was trailing heading into the final round, most recently at the 2007 Arnold Palmer Invitational, when he was three shots back after 54 holes.

• Ranked No. 43 in FedExCup points, Mike Weir is just one shot off the lead after rounds of 72-67-67=206 (-7). The last time he was within one stroke of the leader after 54 holes was the 2007 Fry's Electronics Open, when he went on to win.

• • Weir has three top-10 finishes for the 2008 season -- two within his last six starts. He finished fourth at the Mercedes-Benz Championship after holding the 36- and 54-hole leads; tied for second at the Memorial Tournament; and tied for fifth at the RBC Canadian Open.

• If Weir manages to win on Sunday he will become the winningest Canadian in PGA TOUR history. Currently Weir is tied with George Knudson, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, with eight PGA TOUR titles. Knudson won eight times between 1961 and 1972.

• Considering his history, Weir is in prime position to win The Barclays. Seven of his eight career victories have come when he was trailing heading into the final round.

• Ranked No. 90 in FedExCup points, England's Paul Casey, 66-71-68=206 (-7), is looking for his first PGA TOUR win, although he is an eight-time winner internationally. Casey has been one-shot off the lead only once before in his PGA TOUR career -- at the 2006 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. He shot 71 (+1) on Sunday and finished tied for fourth, his career-best finish on TOUR.

• With three straight rounds of par or better, Casey now has eight consecutive rounds of par or better dating back to the final round of the PGA Championship, when he shot 69. Casey shot four rounds of par or better at last week's Wyndham Championship. It is the longest streak of his PGA TOUR career. His previous best was seven rounds in 2002, starting at the final round of the Buick Invitational, all four rounds of the Touchstone Energy Tucson Classic and the opening two rounds of the Honda Classic.

Angel Cabrera and Jason Day are currently the only players outside the top 120 in the FedExCup standings who are in the top 10 through three rounds.

• There were four bogey-free rounds on Saturday: Jason Day (66, -5, tied for sixth); Kevin Sutherland (69, -2, tied for sixth); Scott Verplank (67, -5, tied for 23rd); Matthew Goggin (69, -2, tied for 23rd).

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