Round 3: The Barclays

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The first groups are ready to tee off in the third round of The Barclays. Here's how it sets up:

Groups We're Watching

Tee time Players   1:00 p.m. ET, Hole No. 1 Webb Simpson, Paul Goydos, Steve Marino The top three on the leaderboard have performed brilliantly in the messy weather so far. Will they continue? 12:27 p.m. ET, Hole No. 1 Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, Matt Kuchar Garcia built a cushion with his first-round 65 but gave it back with a 76 in Round 2. What will Round 3 bring for him? 11:32 a.m. ET, Hole No. 1 Tiger Woods, Zach Johnson, Luke Donald While all three players start the day at even-par, Tiger might see to it that they don't finish together.

EXPERT PREVIEW: PGA TOUR on-site correspondent Brett Wright previews Saturday's round:

Saturday's forecast

Scattered Showers Temp: 78 high/68 low Cloudy with showers likely. Winds from the northeast at 5 to 10 mph.

Bob Dylan wrote many years ago, "The times they are a changing." That would be a solid theme song for The Barclays this week on the coast of the Hudson River in New Jersey. Sunny weather in the practice rounds was followed by cold, wind and rain in Round 2. The chase for the FedExCup has become a survival camp. Nothing can be taken for granted this week. The caddies had to work one of those tough days of keeping the towels dry and keeping fresh gloves at the ready. Rain gear and umbrellas were the norm for the spectators.

Ernie Els is striking the ball great. Els had so many birdie putts in the second round from well-struck irons but was unable to convert them. He drove the green at the par-4 14th and did make the eagle putt to move to 2 under for the championship, where he would finish. I am looking for the Big Easy to start making putts on the weekend because he is so close. Els is in the top 10 and is only six shots off the lead with 36 holes to play.

The forecast for Saturday is scattered showers and wind all day long. If this is the case, look for scores to be high due to the windy conditions. If they simply get rain and no wind, look for some of the longer players to make a move because they can carry the ball farther. The greens are still rolling quickly, but they will be tougher to figure out as they become more saturated, as the ball tends to break less with water in the canopy of the green.

Stat of the day

Paul Goydos, co-leader after Round 1, followed his 65 (-7) with an even-par 71 on Friday and stands just two shots back of Webb Simpson's lead. Tied for second heading into the weekend, Goydos is in the best 36-hole position since he led after Round 2 of the Valero Texas Open (he tied for third).

The Film Room

Round 2 Highlights: 2009 Barclays Webb Simpson leads by 2 strokes after 36 holes at The Barclays, but several players are right on his heels going into the weekend. Watch it Shot of the Day: August 28, 2009 from Liberty National Phil Mickelson makes birdie from over 60 feet away during Round 2 of The Barclays. Watch it Simpson leads at 8 under through two rounds at The Barclays Webb Simpson fired a 3-under 68 in the second round of The Barclays to lay claim to the lead, and he spoke with the media afterwards about how his first season on TOUR has developed. Watch it

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