Day, Scott off the pace

WORLD No. 1 Jason Day and former Masters champion Adam Scott have fallen two shots short as Patrick Reed claimed the opening US PGA Tour Playoff event at Bethpage Black.

Day shot a two-under-69 and Scott could only manage an even par round of 71 as the pair finished at seven under in a tie for fourth at The Barclays.

Reed, who started the final round one behind Rickie Fowler, shot a round of 70 to finish at nine-under, one clear of Sean O’Hair (66) and Emiliano Grillo (69).

Reed claimed his fifth US Tour win and first since January 2015.

Day was left to lament another week of wayward driving off the tee, finishing last in accuracy of the 79 players who made the cut. “I don’t think there was a tee shot that I felt comfortable over,” Day said.

“Every time I was standing over the ball, I couldn’t feel like it was going to be a good shot. I was fighting a left shot and I was fighting a right shot.

“Even though I did hit a lot of greens today, I didn’t hit them close enough.”

Day did provide one highlight in the final round, making a curling 71-foot birdie putt on the 15th to give himself a chance at a late run. But a three-putt for bogey from a similar distance on the next hole ended his hopes.

Scott started poorly with back-to-back bogeys but found three birdies in his next seven holes to get back into contention. But two bogeys early on the back nine had him swimming upstream.

John Senden ensured he will survive at least one more week in the playoffs with a final round three-under-68 moving him back to even par and a tie for 31st.

The playoffs are now down to 100 players heading to the Deutsche Bank Championship next week with Day, Scott and Senden to be joined by Marc Leishman and Aaron Baddeley at TPC Boston.