FedEx Cup 2015: Top Players in Need of Strong Finish at the Barclays
While The Barclays is an important tournament in its own right, the larger goal for top golfers is to stay alive for the big prize of a FedEx Cup title. For many competitors, this will not be an easy task.
Only the top 100 players in the standings after Sunday's round will qualify for the Deutsche Bank Championship, which means a number of high-profile players will be left at home. This makes each stroke on every hole extremely important for those currently on the bubble.
With big names like Padraig Harrington, Adam Scott and Charl Schwartzel unable to help themselves after missing the cut, other top players have a chance to help themselves with strong final rounds.
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Note: Current rankings and projected standings courtesy of PGATour.com.
Camilo Villegas
Although he started the tournament ranked 123rd in the FedEx Cup standings, an opening round of 65 put Camilo Villegas in great shape to advance to the next stage. However, the issue now is whether he can simply hold on.
The Colombian fell back to the pack with a par 70 on Friday and then was struggling with four bogeys on Saturday before an excellent finish to his third round. He birdied 17 and then closed with an impressive eagle on 18.
These two holes helped him get back to five-under for the tournament and a tie for 14th place. While this should be enough to remain in the top 100, he might not stay there if he keeps falling back. Villegas will likely need another round in the 60s to ensure his spot in next week's event.
Luke Donald
He started the week in a similar place to Villegas (No. 119), but Luke Donald's three rounds have been very different. After a 73 in Round 1, he has posted scores of 68 and 65 to get back on the right track and up to a tie for 20th entering Sunday.
Despite the pressure to stay afloat in the FedEx standings, the former No. 1 player in the world remains relaxed. According to Ryan Reiterman of Golf Channel, Donald explained prior the tournament:
"It's just another opportunity for me to improve my position in the FedEx Cup. My game has certainly been trending in the right direction. I feel like I'm starting to see a lot more consistency in my golf and in my scores. [...]
Some guys’ cards are on the line. That's a lot of pressure to play under. I'm exempt through next year, so there's no worry about even if I don't have a good tournament...it's not the end of the world.
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Not having to fight for your career is a good thing, and it should help Donald remain competitive going forward this season.
Stewart Cink
It took a late rally for Stewart Cink to just make the cut at The Barclays. After being three strokes over par with four holes remaining, the 2009 British Open champion came through with three birdies in a row to end the day at even.
The cut for the tournament ended up being plus-two.
Cink used this second chance to put up great numbers in his third round and move up to a tie for 26th place. As a result, he has jumped from 116 in the standings to a projected 87th place, which would be good enough to qualify for next week. As long as he keeps up his recent momentum, he should stay alive.
Lee Westwood
The first three days at The Barclays saw Lee Westwood fall from No. 110 in the standings to a projected mark of 116. Consecutive rounds of 73 have dropped him all the way into a tie for 70th place at four strokes over par. Only Russell Henley (plus-eight) has a worse score going into Sunday.
However, the good news is Westwood made the cut and can realistically only move up from here. If he can put together a quality round of about 66 to get back close to even, the English star has a chance to advance to the Deutsche Bank Championship.
Considering how well Westwood performs in bigger events (12 top-10 finishes in majors over the last eight years), you never want to rule him out from making a run.
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