Spieth Shows Human Frailty

Getty Images

Jordan Spieth has missed the cut at The Barclays and is set to lose his status as world number one to Rory McIlroy.

Spieth, who shot his worst score (74) for three months at Plainfield Country Club on Thursday, could only do marginally better with a second round 73 after hitting five bogies, a double bogey and four birdies.

His surprise struggles mean that McIlroy, currently recovering from an ankle injury, will return to the top of the tree despite not lifting a club this weekend as a precaution.

There were no such problems for Bubba Watson, who now has a one-shot lead over the rest of the field after sharing a four-way tie at the top of the leaderboard following day one.

The American hit a sublime five-under 65 in the first round and backed it up with a solid 68 on Friday to nudge in front on seven under overall.

Colombia's Camilo Villegas and Americans Spencer Levin and Tony Finau had a share of the lead going into day two, but they all struggled to maintain that pace.

Finau is the highest-placed out of that trio, but a bogey on the 16th scuppered his hopes of staying toe-to-toe with Watson and he sits one shot back in a four-strong cluster on six under.

There he is joined by Sweden's Henrik Stenson, who shot five birdies on the first 12 holes to push up the leaderboard, Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner.

Villegas is just behind on five under - where he is joined by Jason Bohn after the American hit six birdies in a blemish-free round to card the lowest score of the day (64).

Levin, meanwhile, is one of seven men on four under after hitting one-over par on Friday.

Spieth admitted he would need some time to work out where his week had gone wrong.

"Yeah, tough week," he said on the PGA Tour website. "I'm definitely searching for answers. I don't know exactly what I'm going to do from here as far as how I get prepared for next week but I have some time to figure it out. We don't start till Friday."

Despite the disappointment, Spieth, who remains top of the FedExCup rankings, swiftly turned his attention to the Deutsche Bank Championship as he downplayed the importance of the ranking.

"I've reached that peak already and I know it's going to be close enough to where if I just get the job done next week, I'll be back in that ranking," he said. "But again, that ranking, it's great once you reach it but it's not something that I'm going to live or die on each week. It doesn't really make much of a difference. If you go on a three- or four-year cycle, Rory is No. 1 in the world. If you go just base off of this year, I am. They just use two years.

"In my mind, it's just about trying to win the FedExCup at this point."

Related articles

• Watson takes one-shot 36-hole lead at The Barclays
• Watson takes one-shot 36-hole lead at The Barclays
• The Barclays 2015: Tee times, pairings for Saturday's third round at Plainfield
• Spieth to lose number one ranking to McIlroy after missed cut
• Fantasy Golf Picks: The Barclays Sleepers & Strategy

GMAC Banks on Final Day

Getty Images

Graeme McDowell is likely to need an impressive final round to secure his Ryder Cup place with a week to spare after a third round 71 at The Barclays.

The Northern Irishman, who holed the winning putt in the 2010 contest against America, fired a level par effort to remain four under at Ridgewood Country Club, but slipped out of the top 20.

With the qualification race for Gleneagles ending next week, McDowell currently holds the final automatic spot via the world list, but could be overtaken by Stephen Gallacher if the Scot finishes strongly in the Czech Republic on Sunday.

Jason Day and Jim Furyk are tied for the lead heading into the final day, while an inconsistent third-round performance left World Number One Rory McIlroy five strokes off the pace.

Australian Day followed up his stunning Friday score of 64 with a three under par 68 and, coupled with Furyk's blemish-free 69, the pair reached the clubhouse on nine under for the tournament.

Following his Open Championship, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and US PGA Championship victories, McIlroy had fixed a poor opening round with a sparkling 65 on Friday but could only sign for a one under 70 on Saturday.

GMAC mixed three birdies with two bogeys yet sits among illustrious company including overnight leader and defending champion Adam Scott, Bubba Watson and McDowell in a share of 23rd place heading into the deciding round in Paramus, New Jersey.

McIlroy Rors Back in Jersey

Getty Images

Rory McIlroy fought back from a rusty start with a second-round 65 to ease into contention in the first of the four PGA Tour play-off events.

The world number one surged to three under to trail Adam Scott and Cameron Tringale by five shots in New Jersey.

McIlroy, who opened with a 74 in The Barclays event in the aftermath of his US PGA win, hit six birdies to reignite his bid for a fourth straight win.

European Ryder Cup hopefuls Ian Poulter and Luke Donald both missed the cut.

The pair are outside the top-nine automatic qualifying spots and are likely to have to rely on a captain's wildcard to make the side for September's clash against the USA at Gleneagles.

Eight-time Cup veteran Lee Westwood is another in danger of missing out but rounds of 70 and 73 meant he made the weekend at one over.

Also one over was five-time major champion Phil Mickelson, the US PGA runner-up, whose 72 included a shot hit out of a hospitality dining area.

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, who occupies the final Ryder Cup qualifying spot, shot 68 to end four under alongside England's Justin Rose with countryman Paul Casey five under.

McIlroy, 25, took some time out to enjoy the fruits of his fourth major win earlier this month but said a range session after Thursday's opening round ironed out his swing.

"The work I did on the range really helped, got back in the rhythm and the flow of things," said McIlroy, who also won the Open in July followed by the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. "I knew my game was there. I just needed to think more about the chances I was giving myself."

American trio Kevin Chappell, Brendon Todd and Jim Furyk were tied third on seven under at Paramus with FedEx Cup champion Henrik Stenson, Ernie Els, Scotland's Russell Knox, Bo Van Pelt, Jason Day and Kevin Na one stroke further adrift.

European Ryder Cup qualifying ends after next week's Italian Open before captain Paul McGinley names three wildcards on 2 September.

Automatic selection for the USA is settled with captain Tom Watson making his three wildcard picks on 3 September.

The Ryder Cup takes place at Gleneagles, Scotland, from 26-28 September.

Related articles

• Westwood and McIlroy in US PGA hunt
• Ryder Cup 2014: Golf fans to get interactive chips
• Rory McIlroy fights back to win thrilling 2014 US PGA Championship
• Rory McIlroy beats Jimmy Fallon in chipping game on The Tonight Show... and Tiger Woods was caddie!
• Tiger Woods heads list of big names struggling for Ryder Cup form
• Scott, Tringale tied for the lead at Barclays

Rory Not Banking on Barclays

Getty Images

Rory McIlroy’s bid for a fourth tournament win in a row got off to a rather rocky start as he carded an opening round of 74 at The Barclays in New Jersey.

The world number one came into the first leg of the four-tournament FedEx Cup playoffs looking to extend his amazing run that has seen him triumph at the Open, the US PGA Championship and also the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

However the Northern Irishman has some work to do if he is to continue his hot streak after having to sign for a three-over score on Thursday at the Ridgewood Country Club.

McIlroy went out in 40 shots, despite coming close to recording a birdie at the 10th – his first hole of the day, as he registered a double-bogey on the 12th and followed that with bogeys on the 13th and 18th. As he reached the turn, he found himself last of all players on the course at the time.

A birdie at the fifth offered hope but the 25-year-old gave that shot back on the eighth, missing a four-foot attempt for par. He did at least finish with a flourish, carding a three at the par-four ninth.

Still, McIlroy finds himself well adrift of early pacesetters Cameron Tringale, Hunter Mahan and Charles Howell II, the trio of Americans all managing rounds of 66 to sit on five under.

Home favourites Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson are on three under, one ahead of Australian Adam Scott.

Related articles

• The Finish Line Is in Sight on the PGA Tour
• McIlroy battles to hold day 3 lead
• Westwood and McIlroy in US PGA hunt
• The finish line is in sight on the PGA Tour
• McIlroy wins WGC Bridgestone to regain top ranking
• PGA Championship 2014: Day 3 Leaderboard Scores, Analysis, Highlights and More

Lefty Reckons Rory's Favourite

Getty Images

Rory McIlroy will be difficult to beat heading into the FedExCup play-offs in New Jersey claims Phil Mickelson.

The PGA Tour begins its four-tournament race to the finish-line with The Barclays at Ridgewood Country Club tomorrow, and all eyes will be on world number one McIlroy as he goes for a fourth win in a row after victories at the British Open Championship, the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the US PGA Championship.

The Northern Irishman leads the FedEx Cup rankings and has two play-off victories to his name from 2012 but has yet to claim the big prize and the $10million cheque that comes with it.

The top 125 players in the standings have qualified for The Barclays, with the field being trimmed to 100 for the Deutsche Bank Championship, 70 for the BMW Championship and then 30 for the Tour Championship.

Mickelson has qualified for every Tour Championship since the FedEx Cup began in 2007, a feat matched only by Steve Stricker, who will not play until December due to hip and back injuries, and Hunter Mahan.

The Californian, who also has two play-off wins under his belt, is currently 45th in the rankings but that can change very quickly with a win and, following a second-placed finish behind McIlroy at Valhalla, Mickelson is brimming with confidence.

“The PGA was a big week for me because it was the first time this year my game was back. It gave me an excitement and energy heading into the FedExCup and Barclays here that my game is back and I’m ready to compete and get back into contention.

“It was so fun being up there again, and the nerves and the excitement of it all, it got me excited.”

However, he also knows that to get to the top of the leaderboard he must overcome McIlroy, whose form in the last few weeks he admits has been “incredible”.

“His level of play this last month has been exceptional,” he said “Now, from what I’ve seen over the years with Tiger (Woods), from 2000, if you want to compare it to that, well, he’s got a ways to go.

“But to win the British and the PGA and throw a World Golf Championships in the middle under anybody’s circumstances, that is just a remarkable month of golf and some of the best that I’ve seen.

“You can probably go back and compare it to some of the Tiger stuff. He’s done that over decades. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Rory did it too. You just never know. He’s that good. He can do it.”

While McIlroy may be the player in form at the minute, the man second in the standings, Jimmy Walker, is without a victory in six months after a blistering start to the season.

Walker had won the Frys. com Open, the Sony Open and the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am by February, and six further top-10s saw him hold the top spot for most of the season.

The 35-year-old finished seventh at Valhalla, his third top-10 finish in a major this year, and he is confident the next win is not far away.

I feel like I’ve played well,“ said Walker. “Yeah, obviously I would have liked to have won again, but before this year it had taken 180 times before I had one and you win three.

“But I’ve continued to play well. I’ve got a ton of top-10s. I’ve played good in the big tournaments and I’m looking to win again.

“It’s close. It’s right there. It’s just a matter of putting four weeks together but I’ve been there.”

Related articles

• Rory McIlroy Wins 2014 PGA Championship by One Stroke over Phil Mickelson
• Kuchar healthy again after bizarre back injury
• Tiger, Rory to appear together on 'Fallon'
• Classic Tents Provided Over 200 Tents and Flooring as Official Tent Supplier for 2014 PGA Championship
• McIlroy leads into US PGA final round
• McIlroy leads PGA by a stroke; it seems like more

McIlroy looks For More Majors

Getty Images

Rory McIlroy is on a roll and he has no intention of stopping as he admits he wants to win a fifth major "as soon as possible".

McIlroy tees up again in the The Barclays tournament at The Ridgewood Country Club on Thursday and the Irishman, high in confidence, admits he has learned so much from Tiger Woods over the years.

“Once you get on a roll and you start to get confidence, I think that’s all it really was,” said McIlroy.

“I’ve played well all year, I really have. It seemed like the start of the year it was just a bad nine-hole stretch that would prevent me from winning. I finished eighth at the Masters and it felt like it could’ve been so much better.

“It’s been a good year overall since the start of the year but it just seems like this summer I got on a roll and got confident. I just tried to keep it going. I’ve done that for the past few weeks and there’s still some big tournaments coming up and I want to keep it going. I won three tournaments in a row and I’ll try to make it four this week.”

Jack Nichlaus recently said that McIlroy is an “unbelievable talent” and could go on to win 15-20 majors. High praise indeed and McIlroy is taking it all in his stride.

“It’s inevitable that there’s going to be these comparisons. It’s hard to avoid and I’ve seen what Jack Nicklaus has said,” McIlroy said.

“It’s a compliment. It’s very flattering that Jack thinks so highly of my golf game but saying that, I’ve got four majors right now and I want to try to get my fifth as soon as possible.

“And then when I do that I’ll try to get my sixth. I don’t have any sort of number in my head because it places unfair expectations on you. I just don't want to do that to myself. Four is a great number where I’m at in my career at 25 years of age.

“If I can get to five soon then that’s great and if it takes me a little while then so be it. I’m really happy with where I’m at and it’s flattering all these compliments but at the same time I have to play some good golf just to get that fifth.”

Both ambassadors for Nike, McIlroy and Woods have become good friends and this year’s double major winner was full of praise for the man he is chasing down. 

“I never go and seek out advice from him (Woods),” McIlroy said.

“But just observing him and seeing how he's handled (things), especially the success that he's had and being able to keep it going.

“The dominance that he's had and the work that he’s put in. I find that really impressive because I've only had a little taste of it over the past few weeks and he's done that so much throughout his career.

“That's what I find so impressive about him. If I was to seek out any advice it would be how to keep that going.

Related articles

• Rory McIlroy Wins 2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Takes Over No. 1 Ranking
• Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy to appear on Jimmy Fallon's 'Tonight Show' on Monday
• Rory McIlroy Wary of All the Hype Entering PGA
• Rory McIlroy wary of all the hype entering PGA
• Golden boy McIlroy 'owns his era'
• Tiger, Rory to appear together on 'Fallon'

McIlroy Cards Liberty 65

Getty Images

Rory McIlroy finished up his delayed round at Liberty National early with a birdie at the 18th for a second round of 65 at The Barclays.

On six under par, the Northern Irishman is well in contention ahead of the remaining two rounds in New Jersey.

Poor light forced a premature end to yesterday’s play with McIlroy, having already carded seven birdies and two bogeys through 17 holes, comfortably in the mix after building solidly on an opening round of 71.

After taking a three at the par-four 18th this morning, he will resume this afternoon well positioned to attack the lead held byMatt Kuchar.

The American also had to finish his second round this morning and carded consecutive birdies at 16 and 17 before a dropped shot at the last saw him sign for a 65 also. On 11 under, he holds a two-shot lead over Webb Simpson and Gary Woodland, who were tied for the clubhouse lead at nine under last night.

“I’ve been playing some good golf,” Kuchar on the PGA website last night.

Woodland birdied on four of the last five holes propelling him to a 64 and a share of the lead alongside Simpson, who carded a 66 and acknowledged he needed to enjoy his lead while it lasted.

“A lot of guys are playing good golf and my guess is at the end of two rounds I won’t be leading because there are a lot of birdie holes,” he said.

Rickie Fowler and Keegan Bradley were two shots further back after rounds of 64 and 63 respectively.

Tiger Woods cancelled out three early birdies with three bogeys yesterday to sit on five under par.

Graeme McDowell missed the cut after rounds of 71 and 72 - finishing one shot off the mark.

Related articles

• McIlroy Bounces Back at Barclays
• Kuchar in lead and trying to keep it at Barclays
• Kuchar in lead and trying to keep it at Barclays
• Kuchar in lead and trying to keep it at Barclays
• Kuchar makes good use of a short day at Barclays
• Kuchar leads by 1 at Barclays

McIlroy Bounces Back at Barclays

Getty Images

Rory McIlroy's opening round of level par 71 at the FedEx Cup play-offs was every bit as explosive, unpredictable and sometimes spectacular as the electrical storms which twice interrupted play at The Barclays in Jersey City.

Showing the same fighting spirit which propelled him into the top-10 at the recent US PGA, McIlroy bounced straight back from ugly double-bogey sixes with a birdie and then an astonishing eagle at Liberty National.

Graeme McDowell joined the Holywood star on the same score, after a less erratic round. The two compatriots sat seven shots behind the early club house lead of Kevin Stadler, who was one ahead of Ryan Palmer and Henrik Stenson. Though wayward from tee to green, Tiger Woods scrambled brilliantly for a bogey-free 67.

All season, McIlroy has been blighted by grievous errors on the golf course, but the difference at Oak Hill, and again yesterday, was his blunt refusal to let them get him down. However, yet a third double-bogey when he hit his tee shot out of bounds at the ninth, his final hole, cast a dark pall over his day's work.

One under after holing from five feet for birdie at the par-five 13th, McIlroy made a hash of 15, where he pulled his tee shot left into the waste area, found the front left bunker in two and then hit his next through the green on the way to an ugly six.

Still, he rebounded with a sweet birdie six at 16.

McIlroy responded to his double-bogey at five, where he hit his approach into water tight to the left of the green, by holing from 29 feet for a fabulous eagle at the long sixth.

Those storms led to two long stoppages as the early starters, including McIlroy, Woods and McDowell played their first round.

Related articles

• Rory McIlroy's 2013 PGA Championship hopes come undone early with water ball
• McIlroy's three double-bogeys mar opening round at Barclays
• Rory McIlroy feeling good after PGA Championship
• Stadler finishes long day in the lead at Barclays
• Wasn't a Bad Round - Rory McIlroy
• McIlroy's Muirfield Nightmare Continues