Jason Day put on yet another incredible display of power, accuracy, short game consistency and sweet putting last week at the Barclays to simply pound the rest of the field to a pulp.
Here are a few lessons learned from round one of the FedEx Cup playoffs:
Jason Day: Right now, he’s the man. He’s taken over from Jordan Spieth as the hottest player on the planet. Since he overcame his vertigo problem at the U.S. Open, he’s looked like the best player in the world. He looks very prepared to take over that No. 1 spot that Spieth surrendered to Rory McIlroy by missing the 36-hole cut. It’s very easy to pull for Day, he’s personable, likable and brings incredible talent to the golf course.
Jordan Spieth: Maybe Spieth gets some motivation out of instantly losing the No. 1 ranking, making it one of the shortest stays at the top in a long time. Thursday and Friday left us shaking our heads after watching what was simply the worst golf of the season out of Spieth. Raise your hand if you thought he could play that badly after the summer he’s had.
Is he worn out mentally? Can he bounce back this week at the Deutsche Bank? Was that a fluke we witnessed last week? There are a lot of questions to be answered starting Friday in Boston.
Ryan Palmer: Here’s the feel-good story of the week. Who wasn’t pulling for Palmer to have a great showing? His father was killed less than two weeks ago in a traffic accident and this was Palmer’s first appearance since the funeral. You could see the emotion on his face as he finished his round on Sunday. Great showing by Palmer with a tie for sixth.
Bubba Watson: You have to hand it to Bubba. He was playing on a course that he really didn’t like last year. He missed the cut on that track in 2014 but came back to contend this year and finish solo third. Bubba’s behavior was good, his attitude was good so maybe Bubba has a mindset that he will give his best shot at collecting that $10 million FedEx Cup bonus money.
Rookie Of The Year: There’s a great battle going on for the title in case you haven’t noticed. It’s coming down to Tony Finau and Justin Thomas. It’s neck and neck and that’s the way the two young talents finished last week. Both shot five-under par to tie for 16th. The next three events will give us some idea, let’s see if either can move to the top 30 in Atlanta.
Zac Blair: If you were wondering “Who the heck is Zac Blair” you’re not alone. Here’s another rookie who snuck up on the field and his final round 66 jumped him to 10-under par and he tied for fourth with Zach Johnson. Do we have a third contender for Rookie of the Year? Possibly
Zach Johnson: It appears the British Open champion is right in the thick of it. He’s fifth in the re-set standings and in good position to make a run.
Sangmoon Bae: These playoffs may be the last time we see this kid for a while. He’ll be leaving soon to serve in the South Korean Army. May hold the title of “wealthiest soldier” in that outfit.
Biggest disappointment(s): Of course Jordan Spieth tops this list, shooting seven-over par for 36 holes but you can add some pretty big names to the list: Adam Scott, Charl Schwartzel, Rickie Fowler and Brooks Koepka.
Now the show moves to Boston for a Labor Day extravaganza. Note that the first round will be Friday so that the tournament can end on Labor Day. So perhaps it’s just a coincidence that the favorite going into this week has the last name — Day.
One Comment
Bud
What was the lesson learned ?