The Barclays: Friday Is One Big Day for William McGirt

EDISON, NJ - Several weeks ago the last thing on William McGirt’s mind would have been a possible $1.44 million payday.

The 32-year-old North Carolina native was probably wondering how in the world he was going to keep his tour card for the 2012 season, let alone contending for the biggest payday of his career.

Heading into last week’s Wyndham Championship, McGirt had earned just $329,480 and was ranked 127th in the FedEx Cup point standings, 155th on the money list and 425th in the official World Golf Rankings.

McGirt opened with rounds of 69 and 64 at last week’s Wyndham Championship and appeared to have locked up a coveted spot in the 2011 FedEx Cup Playoffs. 

However, a 74 and 70 on the weekend forced McGirt to wait around for most of last Sunday afternoon to see if any other player in the field would overtake him and send him either home or to the Nationwide Tour for the next five weeks.

As Sunday wore on at the Wyndham Championship, it became clear the Justin Leonard was the man McGirt needed to keep his eye on.

When Leonard’s par putt on the 72nd hole missed by a mere foot, McGirt could finally begin breathing again and start focusing on his trip north to New Jersey for the Barclays.

Now just five days later, McGirt finds himself in the mix at The Barclays and looking to earn himself a decent piece of the $35 million FedEx Cup bonus pool.

After firing a 64 in the opening round, McGirt is currently tied for fifth and just four strokes off defending Champion Matt Kuchar’s lead.

“All in all, everything is going pretty well," McGirt said yesterday afternoon at The Barclays.

“I was driving it pretty well, hit my irons pretty well and making some putts. So, pretty good combo.”

Being that Hurricane Irene is meant to begin battering the New Jersey coastline tomorrow evening and McGirt needs to move into the top 100 in the FedEx Cup point standings in order to continue on to next week’s Deutsche Bank Championship, Friday could very well be the biggest day in McGirt’s season, if not his career.

Another good round on Friday will not only ensure a big payday for McGirt in what is likely to be a shortened tournament, but it will also keep him in the running for a larger piece of the $35 million FedEx Cup bonus pool next week.

The top 125 on the tour’s money list automatically earn PGA Tour cards for the following season. McGirt is at $207,904 behind Bob Estes, who currently holds the 125th place on the PGA Tour’s money list.

So, the larger piece of the FedEx Cup pot McGirt can earn now, the better chance he will have to be a fully exempt member of the PGA Tour in 2012.

With all of the talk about the tens of millions of dollars guys like Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood, Rory McIlory, etc. earn each year, McGirt is yet another reminder of how the other half lives out on tour, and Friday is indeed a huge day for William McGirt.