He is in solid position to win for the first time on the PGA Tour in a year, and to play his way onto the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
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Patrick Reed smiles as he holds the The Barclays trophy after winning The Barclays golf tournament in Farmingdale, N.Y., Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016.
The even-par round put him one stroke behind Fowler, so he has a great shot at the trophy. “Felt like I got absolutely nothing out of my round”. Lower finishes for either would complicate the math, more so for Fowler than Reed.
“Hopefully I’ll be in it to celebrate late tomorrow”, Fowler said.
“If I win, I won’t have to worry about any of that”, Fowler said.
Right when it looked as though Zach Johnson had played his way off the USA team, Fowler squandered a chance to earn the eighth and final automatic spot when he shot 39 on the back nine at The Barclays, capped off by two bogeys and a double bogey over his last four holes.
McIlroy, who began the day on two-under, dropped a shot on the 490-yard par-four second hole, and added a second bogey at the eighth after finding the bunker from his tee shot. The California native played consistent, steady golf, circling two birdies on the front nine and one on the back for a bogey-free round of 68. He missed another fairway and took bogey.
Fowler has three career PGA Tour victories, all of which have come after trailing through 36 holes. “But I did, and you know just wasn’t quite as tight as I was the first two days with my driving”.
“It’s what I needed”, Scott said. He’ll tee off today in the final pairing with Rickie Fowler as both men try to seal their place on the team, and solidify their chances at the $10 million FedEx Cup prize as well. Had he finished no worse than solo third-place, he would have claimed the eighth and final automatic berth on the USA team. Qualifying ends after this week for the top eight, and then Davis Love III has four captain’s picks over the next month.
Reed finished at 9-under 275.
He also vaulted to the top of the FedExCup points list after the first of the four playoff events.
Defending champion and top-ranked Jason Day (70) of Australia, Justin Thomas (66), Kevin Streelman (67) and Gary Woodland (68) are four shots behind in a tie for sixth.
Fowler, who has not won a PGA Tour event since the Deutsche Bank Championship a year ago, posted a 39 on the back nine.
Former world number one Adam Scott is a shot further back after surging through the field with a superb 65, with Scotland’s Martin Laird and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo on six under.
What it means: This is Reed’s fifth PGA Tour win and his first since the Tournament of Champions in January of previous year, almost 21 months ago. “I mean, I had two bogeys the last three holes, but I still shot 5 under, so it’s still good”.
Even so, Reed could sense another tournament slipped away. Reed increased the lead to two with a birdie on 12.
Reed, who is No. 8 in the Ryder Cup standings, settled into his round and wound up with a 71, putting him in the final group with Fowler. Kang moved from 122 in the standings at the start of the week to 88, advancing to TPC Boston.
With his victory, which moves Reed to No. 9 in the world ranking, Reed goes to No. 1 in the FedEx Cup.
The Milwaukee Bucks snapped a three game losing streak, riding a balanced scoring attack to a 92-74 win over the Denver Nuggets Monday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
Five other players – pole-sitter Brandt Snedeker, two-time major victor Zach Johnson, big-hitting J.B. Holmes, two-time Masters victor Bubba Watson and Olympic bronze medalist Matt Kuchar – also are competing Sunday for those final three spots.
Reed, meanwhile, battled a wayward driver on the front nine, but did enough to stay well in contention.
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Rickie Fowler is playing so well that he can’t stop looking behind instead of considering the opportunity that lies ahead at The Barclays.
