FedEx Cup 2014: Burning Questions Ahead of Final Tournament
The FedEx Cup 2014 marathon is nearing its finish. Following Billy Horschel's victory at the BMW Championship, the final 30-man field is set to tee it up at East Lake for the Tour Championship.
"The FedExCup points will now be reset to give everybody in the 29-man field an opportunity to win the FedExCup. But just the top five are guaranteed the opportunity to win the FedExCup by winning the TOUR Championship. Everybody else must have varying degrees of help to claim golf's biggest prize.
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With the reset button pushed, we can turn our attention to a few burning questions ahead of the final playoff event. Injuries, oddities and strong play have defined the playoffs thus far.
It's fitting, then, that those three items feature prominently in our burning questions.
Does Sergio Garcia Have a Shot?
1 of 6After the events in the video above and the resultant triple-bogey eight, Sergio Garcia saw his hopes of winning the BMW Championship sunk.
In his post-round press conference, Garcia sounded a familiar note when asked about his play at the 17th:
"It's what happens when you're not just mentally sharp. If I was mentally sharp, if I was rested, and really, the way I was at the beginning and middle of the year, I would have talked myself into going for the green. But, for some reason I was trying to, but I couldn't. Then just a mistake after another mistake. But, it's what it is. It's going to happen more times, I'm sure.
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The mental fragility and the excuse-making Garcia displayed Sunday at the BMW Championship have unfortunately defined his play in significant tournaments.
Given the meltdown and the comments above, it's tough to think Garcia has what it takes to win the Tour Championship this year, although he finished tied for ninth at the tournament in his previous attempt.
Will Jason Day Be Physically Able to Play in Atlanta?
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The injury-filled saga that has been Jason Day's 2013-2014 season continued at the BMW Championship. Day pulled out of the tournament after his ninth hole during the second round.
Randall Mell of GolfChannel.com quoted a statement by Day following the withdrawal: “I am extremely disappointed to have to pull out of the event. I will be getting treatment on my back over the next few days and hopefully be ready for the Tour Championship.”
Mell noted that Day had been in significant pain during his second round and had injured his back some time Thursday.
All of this taken together, it doesn't seem like Day will be in any condition to contend for the Tour Championship if he's able to tee it up.
Will the Tour Championship Winner Win the FedEx Cup?
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Five players have the opportunity to capture the FedEx Cup by winning the Tour Championship regardless of what anyone else in the field does. Anyone ranked higher than fifth in the standings will need to win the tournament and get some help from those in the top five to lift the cup.
In the competition's seven-year history, the winner of the Tour Championship has won the FedEx Cup by virtue of his victory in the final playoff event. Not since 2009, when Tiger Woods won the FedEx Cup, has the Tour Championship winner not won the cup. (Phil Mickelson won the Tour Championship that year).
If Chris Kirk, Billy Horschel, Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson or Hunter Mahan wins the Tour Championship, he is assured the cup.
If another player wins, only the advanced mathematics of the FedEx Cup formula can say for sure.
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How Will Rory McIlroy Bounce Back from Four-Puttfest?
4 of 6Rory McIlroy is presently fourth in the FedEx Cup standings. Thus, he is one of five players with the chance to win the FedEx Cup with a win at the Tour Championship regardless of what anyone else in the field does.
McIlroy finished tied for eighth at Cherry Hills. He even closed with a solid final-round 66. Those numbers, however, don't tell the whole story of the Ulsterman's performance in Colorado.
Any discussion of McIlroy's week must involve these items: 12th hole, four putts, two times. McIlroy, who is 45th on tour in strokes gained putting, made a mess of the 12th hole from short range.
Hopefully, the incidents won't leave psychic wounds. McIlroy will need to be much better on East Lake's notoriously tricky putting surfaces.
Who's Going to Mail It in?
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All 30 players are guaranteed a payday at the Tour Championship. All 30 are guaranteed a FedEx Cup bonus as well. Most of the golfers in the field have played four tournaments in as many weeks during the hectic final third of the golf calendar.
Given all of the above, it's not surprising that some in the Tour Championship field might not exactly grind it out on every shot.
Last year, for example, Boo Weekley opened with 70 but fired rounds of 75, 73 and 74 to finish the tournament 25 strokes behind winner Henrik Stenson. In 2012, Louis Oosthuizen followed a Saturday 69 with a Sunday 77, and Lee Westwood finished 25 strokes behind winner Brandt Snedeker.
While the players above didn't necessarily quit on the course, it's possible they gave less than their very best efforts. Surely, a few players will do the same this year.
Who will they be?
Can Billy Horschel Make It Two in a Row?
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Billy Horschel is the hottest golfer on the PGA Tour right now. He tied for second at the Deutsche Bank Championship and won the BMW Championship. Were it not for an unwelcome appearance of El Chunkaroonie on the 72nd hole, Horschel could very well have entered the Tour Championship as a back-to-back winner.
Horschel also has a solid track record at East Lake, as he tied for seventh at the tournament last year.
Thus, on paper, Horschel is a solid pick to win the Tour Championship. However, winning two weeks in a row on the PGA Tour is extremely rare.
Can the energetic Horschel come down from his emotional high and collect himself for a run at victory for the third week in a row?
We'll have to see.
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