Mr. August: Rich Beem has rallied during playoff time in each of the last two seasons.
Aug. 19, 2009
Just one week remains until the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup begins. For players seeking a Playoff spot, the goal is simple -- claim a spot in the top 125 in FedExCup points.
As we go into this week's event -- the Wyndham Championship -- here is a quick look at the players on the bubble just above and below that magic 125 cut line.
| Bubble Watch |
| Just on the inside |
| 120 |
Joe Ogilvie |
Ogilvie is annually ranked among his peers as one of the smartest players on TOUR, so he knows his position is pretty good entering the playoffs. Ogilvie is playing with David Toms and Brandt Snedeker the first two rounds, which should only help. |
| 121 |
Michael Allen |
His tie for 19th at the PGA Championship was one of the great untold stories of the tournament. At the age of 50 -- on a course that measured well north of 7,500 yards -- he managed to finish in the top 20 and move from 140th to 121st in points. He's said recently how badly he wants a playoff spot. He's almost there. |
| 122 |
Rich Beem |
He only tied for 43rd in the PGA Championship, but the 25 points he received was a lifeline to his playoff hopes. Beem tends to play his best when his back is against the wall, and he loves the layout at Sedgefield. He finished solo third there last year after shooting 63-63 on the weekend. |
| 123 |
Tom Watson |
All of Watson's points came from his solo second at the British Open. He's playing this week in the JELD-WEN Tradition -- a major championship on the Champions Tour. He's not planning to participate in the Playoffs. |
| 124 |
Charles Warren |
Warren, a South Carolina native, considers this tournament one of his hometown events, and he was decent at Sedgefield last year (T36). Another made cut this week should put him in the playoffs. Warren is also trying to regain the PGA TOUR card he lost after the 2008 season, and missing the playoffs will make that much more difficult. |
| 125 |
Andres Romero |
The Argentine isn't playing this week and will almost certainly drop out of the top 125. The long-hitting Romero has never been accurate off the tee, but his problem is worse this year (199th in Driving Accuracy). |
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|
| Just on the outside |
| 126 |
David Mathis |
It will be interesting to see how this PGA TOUR rookie -- and North Carolina native -- responds this week on a course that doesn't require the long bomb. This course will require a lot of birdies to make the cut, and Mathis' lowest score this year has been 65 (twice). |
| 127 |
Ryan Palmer |
Palmer was one of the few players on the bubble with the luxury of playing in the PGA Championship, but he missed the cut and dropped two spots to 127th. Palmer withdrew from the Wyndham Championship early Wednesday to await the birth of his second child. |
| 128 |
Todd Hamilton |
Hamilton has made only eight cuts in 23 starts this year, and he missed the cut at Sedgefield in 2008. Like Mathis, he hasn't gone low a lot this year, so the pressure is on. |
| 129 |
Chris Riley |
This former Ryder Cupper was idle last week but enters the Wyndham Championship on a mini-roll. He's put together three top-20 finishes in a row, and he's shown the ability to go low plenty this year (25 rounds in the 60s). He missed the cut at Sedgefield last year, but only by a shot. |
| 130 |
Cliff Kresge |
Kresge didn't play in the Wyndham Championship last year because he already had a playoff spot lined up. This year, he's in the field, and his strong iron play will give him more than an outside chance to move up. Kresge isn't a big hitter, but he makes a lot of birdies because he's one of the best putters on TOUR from the 10-foot range. |
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