FedExCup update: Snedeker looks to lock up East Lake early

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Former FedExCup champion Brandt Snedeker has been a pretty annoyed spectator of late when it comes to the TOUR Championship.

Snedeker has qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs in all 13 seasons of the season long competitions existence but has been unable to get to the final hurdle in recent times.

The nine-time PGA TOUR winner failed to make it to East Lake over the last two seasons, a place he loves having won the TOUR Championship and the FedExCup there in 2012.

But with a scintillating 8-under 63 on Saturday at THE NORTHERN TRUST the 38-year-old has given himself every chance to lock up his return to Atlanta nice and early.

Coming into the Playoffs Snedeker sat 33rd on the points list knowing the top 30 after next week’s BMW Championship get the ticket to the TOUR Championship.

His third round at Liberty National featured two eagles and five birdies and left him at 12 under for the tournament. He sits in a tie for third just two shots back of leader Patrick Reed.

“My rookie year on TOUR when I shot 61 in San Diego, I did it. That would be about the last time,” he smiled while recounting his two eagles.

Should he win on Sunday Snedeker is likely to move as high as second in the standings. Any high finish at Liberty National would ensure his play at Medinah is purely about positioning for Atlanta. Currently he projects to 14th.

“For me who has been outside of East Lake the last few years, my main goal is to get into East Lake to make sure I have a chance and build on that tomorrow,” Snedeker said.

“With the new format (at the TOUR Championship), obviously being as close as you can to the leader going in is going to be a huge deal more so than years past.

“Everybody is trying to make as many points as they can and get as high as they possibly can.”

The FedExCup leader heading to the TOUR Championship will start at 10 under, second place at 8 under, third 7 under, fourth 6 under with fifth at 5 under. Players ranked 6-10 will start at 4 under, 11-15 at 3 under, 16-20 at 2 under, 21-25 at 1 under and 26-30 at even par.

Related: Leaderboard | Watson headlines FedExCup eliminations | New TOUR Championship format aims to creates excitment

ANCER EYES TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP AND PRESIDENTS CUP

Abraham Ancer held two 54-hole leads last season on the PGA TOUR and failed to close them out. One of those was during the Playoffs. On Saturday at THE NORTHERN TRUST the Mexican shot 3-under 69 to move to 13 under. It’s not the lead, but it’s just one shot back in second place alone.

But the 28-year-old harnessed what he learnt from his missed chances and implemented it in the Australian Open late last year. He turned his 54-hole lead there into a five-shot win. The confidence gained has him primed for his first PGA TOUR win.

Sunday represents a huge chance for Ancer, who started the Playoffs ranked 67th in the FedExCup, to lock up his first TOUR Championship berth. He currently projects to 11th place on the points list. It also represents a chance to force his way into the International Team for the Presidents Cup. Ancer is 10th on the list with just this week and next to be one of the top eight automatic qualifiers. A top three finish at Liberty National would ensure his place at Royal Melbourne.

“The only thing I have to worry about is still play some good golf tomorrow and that will take care of itself,” Ancer said.

“I'm trying not to think about that that much. I know it's there and I obviously think about it, but I'm just focusing on trying to do everything I can to just play a good, solid round tomorrow.”

WILLETT EYES HUGE MOVE

Former Masters champion Danny Willett came to THE NORTHERN TRUST with no option but to attack. Sitting 110th in the FedExCup standings the Englishman knew his only chance at survival in the Playoffs was to go low. Through 12 holes on Saturday he was playing decent golf but was not projected towards next week’s BMW Championship.

Then he fired up.

Willett made three birdies and an eagle in a five-hole stretch on the back nine and posted a 5-under 66, catapulting him to 11 under. He sits just three shots off the lead in a tie for fifth chasing a second PGA TOUR win.

After missing seven cuts in his first 12 tournaments this season Willett has been trending back towards success. He was eighth at the RBC Canadian Open, 12th at the U.S. Open and sixth at the Open Championship in recent starts.

He is projected to jump to 56th in his current position, well inside the top 70 for the BMW Championship.

“The main focus tomorrow is to just keep going and keep playing and keep trying to make birdies, and after 18 holes, kind of sign your card and hope that you've done enough,” Willett said.

“After 12 holes, we were just teetering around and not really doing anything and yeah the last kind of six holes, jumped up on us pretty fast. A good position going into tomorrow and hopefully we can just enjoy ourselves and end up with one of them Top-70 spots.”

Willett isn’t the only player who started outside the top 100 looking to make a push to stay alive this season. Harold Varner III joins him in fifth place and projects from 102nd to 50th.

“I don't know what it is about this time of the year, but I play well,” Varner III said.

“I think the options go down. All you can do is play well or you go home. I like home a lot, but not as much as playing golf for a lot of money.”

CHAMP STAVES OFF KNOCKOUT

Cameron Champ has been struggling of late. But the Sanderson Farms Championship winner produced an extremely timely 5-under 66 at Liberty National on Saturday. Now at 6 under and a tie for 24th Champ projects into next week’s BMW Championship. Before the round began, having started at 64th in the FedExCup, he was facing the prospect of missing out on advancing.

It was just his fourth round in the 60s from his last 36 efforts on the PGA TOUR. Making the weekend at THE NORTHERN TRUST was just the fourth time Champ has made the weekend since mid-February. His last top 25 result came at the Sentry Tournament of Champions (T11) on the opening week of January.

BUBBLE MOVEMENT

MOVING IN

MOVING OUT