Elliott had a comfortable lead before a tire problem on Michael Annett’s auto brought out the yellow flag. “But it’s going to make you be on that bubble, as you saw”, Reed said.
Advertisement
Larson secured a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup with two races left in the regular season.
“I just got to take care of business tomorrow”, said Fowler.
Elliott led by 2.86 seconds with 28 laps to go Sunday, and it looked as if Larson’s chance to catch him had been derailed when he lost ground passing a lapped vehicle. The caution gave him another shot, though, and he took advantage.
He also vaulted to the top of the FedExCup points list after the first of the four playoff events.
Reed not only ensured himself a berth in the American Ryder Cup team, his fifth career PGA Tour victory also rocketed him from seventh to first in the FedEx standings that heavily weigh in favour of playoff performances.
Coming down the stretch Sunday, with the full-throated crowds at Bethpage rooting on a duel between the orange-clad Fowler and Reed decked out in red and black, Reed leaned heavily on Karain to help him stay committed to the plan.
DEFENDING champion and World Number One Jason Day could only manage a final round 2-under 69 and never genuinely threatened eventual victor Patrick Reed in the final round of The Barclays at Bethpage State Park. And he secured a spot on the US team at Hazeltine that will try to win back the Ryder Cup.
According to the PGA Tour website Fowler has also earned almost $2.5 million dollars this year.
Yes, there was a golf tournament to be won Sunday at Bethpage Black.
NEW YORK-Rickie Fowler fired a bogey-free 68, closing with a five-foot birdie putt Saturday for a one shot lead after the third round of The Barclays, the first of four PGA Tour playoff events.
From second place with three holes left to a three-way tie for seventh, Fowler watched a Ryder Cup qualifying spot slip right through his hands and into those of two-time major victor Zach Johnson, who already had flown home to Georgia resigned to falling into the captain’s pick discussion by the time Fowler came staggering up the 18th fairway.
Rickie Fowler had been one shot ahead of the final round, but couldn’t maintain his lead, finishing equal seventh. “Wasn’t too anxious about that [the Ryder Cup]”. He missed another fairway and took bogey.
“Any time you can come from behind on Sunday to win a golf tournament, means you must be doing something right”, Reed said.
The top eight on the points list will automatically make the American team to face holders Europe in five weeks. Patrick Reed won The Barclays to earn a spot, joining Brandt Snedeker and Zach Johnson.
Fowler will now wait and hope for a call from Love, who will make three wild-card selections on September 12 after the BMW Championship and one more on September 25, directly after the final round of the Tour Championship.
Defending champion Jason Day struggled all week with his accuracy and had to settle for a 69, tying for fourth with Gary Woodland (69) and Adam Scott (71).
Reed, 26, hadn’t won since a playoff victory over PGA champion Jimmy Walker at the 2015 Tour of Champions. Love said his statistics company predicted that would be the case this year, even though Fowler was poised to qualify until dropping three shots on the last four holes.
Advertisement
He made the turn tied for the lead with Patrick Reed at 10 under, but he was four over on the back nine.
