After narrowly missing a chance to force a playoff last week at The Barclays, Steve Stricker wasn’t about to blow it again.  His back to back birdies on the final two holes gave him a one stroke victory over Scott Verplank and Jason Dufner, and vaulted him past Tiger Woods into the FedEx Cup lead by 909 points.  Stricker drained a 15-foot birdie on No. 17, then followed that with a sweet chip on No. 18 that left him a simple tap-in for birdie, and the victory. With the win, his third of the season, Stricker finds himself parked at …read more

If you’ve got the time tomorrow, might I suggest you sit down and watch the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship, because it’s going to be a good one, even without Tiger Woods in the hunt.  Three players ended up tied for the lead after Sunday’s round, thanks to Steve Stricker’s eagle on the 18th for a 6-under 65.  He is tied with Sean O’Hair and Retief Goosen at 13-under for the tournament.  Knocking on their backdoor at 12-under is Padraig Harrington, a local favorite with Boston’s large Irish population, Scott Verplank and Kevin Na.
It’s hard to say who …read more

It’s been said that great golfers feed off each other, elevating their play to match their playing partners.  Never was that saying more evident than the third round at the Deutsche Bank Championship, where the trio of Jim Furyk, Sean O’Hair and Retief Goosen accounted for 17 birdies and one eagle.  When it was all said and done, Furyk and O’Hair found themselves perched atop the leaderboard at 12-under for the tournament.  Goosen is within striking distance, only two strokes back at 10-under.
A gaggle of players sit three strokes back of the leaders at 9-under, including John Senden, Justin Leonard, …read more

Being the world’s No.1 player has its advantages.  Apparently one of those advantages is being able to call out your opponents publicly.  Which is precisely what Tiger Woods did at a press conference yesterday, on the eve of the Deutsche Bank Championship.  The target of his criticism?  Ernie Els, the sweet swinging South African and three-time major winner.
In 2005. Els had major surgery on his left knee, and since then has seen his ranking drop from the top five to No. 20, while only claiming three tour victories since the surgery, the last one in March 2008.  Woods, on the …read more