The Starter, Round 4: The Barclays

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Aug. 28, 2010

The final round of The Barclays is set to begin Sunday. Here's a preview.

Groups We're Watching

Tee time	Players
10:50 a.m. ET, No. 1		Tiger Woods, Michael Sim Holding his position would get Woods into the Deutsche Bank Championship, but a big Sunday would go a long way toward Tiger's plans for an extended Playoffs stay.
1:20 p.m. ET No. 1		Jason Day, Adam Scott Day didn't really do anything to play himself out of the final pairing, but playing in the next-to-last duo could be beneficial.
1:50 p.m. ET, No. 1		Martin Laird, Dustin Johnson Laird's 65 put him atop the leaderboard, but his three-shot lead may not be enough to hold off Johnson, who shot a Saturday 64.

MORE ROUND 4: Tee times | Inside the field | Inside the course | Transcripts

EXPERT PREVIEW: PGA TOUR NETWORK on-site correspondent Brett Wright previews Sunday's action:

Sunday's forecast

Sunny
Temp: 93 high/69 low
Chance of precipitation 0 percent. Winds from WNW around 5 mph.

Look out golf fans, Ridgewood Country Club has dried out and the old girl has her defenses back in place for a fantastic Sunday finish. Although Martin Laird has a commanding three-stroke lead, he will have to stay out of trouble and not surrender too many shots during the final round. There are 18 holes that can grab you for a double bogey or worse.

The forecast for today is 93 degrees with winds from the north at 7 to 10 miles per hour. The greens are firm and much faster than the previous three days. The greens are turning somewhat brown with the sun's help and the light breeze that has blown all week. The rough is still long and moist making accurate escapes nearly impossible. The fairways here are somewhat narrow and have also hardened up causing the ball to roll out bringing the rough into play more off the tee.

No matter who holds up the trophy for The Barclays championship, it is the Ridgewood Country Club that is the winner this week. What a great test of golf without any trickery or pro-proofing! This classic design holds up in any era.

I am still waiting for Tiger Woods to play one of those defining rounds. He will have the chance Sunday to go out early and post a great number for the leaders to see. He just has to put 18 holes together one more time to gain that confidence. It may be too late to win this week, but I feel Woods will close with a good round today.

Adam Scott has been hitting the ball well since the PGA Championship, but he has yet to make a lot of putts even though he is giving himself opportunities. I believe he could be the sleeper lurking within striking distance of the lead. Do not be surprised if the 30-year-old from Adelaide, Australia wins The Barclays.

INSTRUCTOR'S CORNER: Todd Jones, Head Instructor at THE TOUR ACADEMY at TPC Sawgrass, provides a few helpful hits while you watch the final round. For more information about THE TOUR ACADEMY, click here.

The third round was very exciting, as birdies were the rule of thumb for those at the top of the leaderboard. Martin Laird has taken the lead heading into the final round by shooting a bogey-free 65. Dustin Johnson has once again played his way into contention by posting the best round of the day, a 7-under-par 64.

Joining Johnson at 9 under is Jason Day, who followed up his opening 67s with a solid round of 70. It is fair to say that there is power at the top of this leaderboard. Power in this case means distance. Martin Laird (T13), Dustin Johnson (1), and Jason Day (T5) are all within the top 15 in driving distance for the week.

The power game of today's players is only a dream for most that play the game. However, just because you cannot rip it 310 yards off the tee does not mean that you can not be powerful. Look at being powerful as maximizing your distance potential. To do this your driver swing needs to be mechanically sound, which means that you have the proper angle of attack. The ideal world is that the driver is traveling level to the ground or slightly up through impact. To support the proper angle of attack the club head must be returning from the inside.

This can easily be checked in practiced by establishing a simple practice station. Every good practice station starts with alignment. Once you have chosen your target line lay a club on the ground parallel to your line.

Next step is to place an object such as an impact bag or an old couch pillow about 16 inches forward of the ball and about five inches inside the target line. Your goal is to make a golf swing without hitting the bag. If you and when you can do so you have ensured that the club head is returning from the inside supporting a good angle of attack, just like the players contending for the championship Sunday afternoon.

The Film Room

	PGA TOUR Today: August 29, 2010 Martin Laird leads by one stroke after the third round. Casey Black updates all the action heading into final round Sunday at The Barclays. Watch it
	Third Round Highlights Martin Laird shoots a 6-under 65 on Moving Day to take the solo lead into Sunday's final round at The Barclays. Watch it
	Shot of the Day: Justin Rose Rickie Fowler's laser-like approach to the par-5 17th sets up a 5-foot eagle putt, which he drains, increasing his lead in the Kodak Challenge to two strokes. Watch it