Patrick Reed, who is now ranked 14th in the world, has four PGA tour victories to his name. He rallied from an early two-shot deficit to win the FedEx Cup playoff opener and assure himself a clear shot at the $10 million bonus.
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Rickie Fowler, with a surprising meltdown, walked away empty from Bethpage Black.
Reed began the final day in second place one stroke behind Fowler.
Kyle Larson raced to his first Sprint Cup victory, taking the lead on a restart with nine laps remaining and holding off Chase Elliott at Michigan International Speedway in a duel between two of NASCAR’s up-and-coming standouts.
Reed’s victory secured him a place on the United States team for the Ryder Cup next month, but Fowler failed to join him after dropping three shots in the closing four holes. He missed another fairway and took bogey.
Still, the mustachioed and colorfully-attired American tumbled all the way into a three-way tie for seventh place at 6-under par by bogeying four of his final eight holes – including a double on 16 – after posting only one bogey through the first three-and-a-half rounds. A birdie on the 18th would have still been good enough to get in, but a bogey gave the spot to Zach Johnson. “I felt like I did a lot of things well, although it was not the scores I wanted on the last few holes, but it was nice to win”.
The FedEx Cup playoffs feature a progressive cut through three events to determine the final 30 players to qualify for the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta in late September, with the victor of that tournament taking home $10 million.
He will then make his fourth and final pick at the end of the Tour Championship.
Day, who also recorded the shot of the day when he drained a 71-foot bomb on the 15th, ended the event level with fellow Australian Adam Scott (71) and Gary Woodland (69) at seven under in a share of fourth.
MORE GOLF: Ariya Jutanugarn ran away with the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open in chilly Priddis, Alberta, for her LPGA Tour-leading fifth victory of the year – all in the last 10 events.
The 2015 Barclays victor dropped to second in the standings (3,195).
“When Langer converted a birdie putt from within three feet to beat Kevin Sutherland and Woody Austin in a playoff Sunday, the gallery reacted as if Langer had learned to play golf on the same Seattle metro courses where [Fred] Couples polished his game”, Tacoma News-Tribune columnist John McGrath writes, noting that in 2010 Langer defeated Couples in the U.S. Senior Open at nearby Sahalee, won the Boeing three weeks later, and now this.
Rickie Fowler:: Will he get in? Mike Grob (Razorbacks) was a shot behind that at 4 under and won $17,940.
BASEBALL: Ryan Harlost led Endwell, New York, to the Little League World Series title, striking out eight and limiting South Korea to five hits in six innings in a 2-1 victory.
It was Reed’s 10th top-10 finish in his last 25 events. He has three European Tour victories.
Four-time Barclays victor Vijay Singh of Fiji (71) finished even-par for the tournament in a tie for 53rd.
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Thomas Pieters of Belgium won the Made in Denmark tournament by a stoke in Farso to improve his chances of earning a captain’s pick for the European Ryder Cup team.
