Smith into PGA Tour playoffs

BRISBANE’S Cameron Smith is ecstatic at securing a Tour Championship debut and will lead the Australian charge at the FedExCup finale courtesy of his hot start to the PGA Tour’s $93 million playoffs.

Smith, above, posted thirdplace results in the opening two events but could not sustain his momentum at the BMW Championship.

American Keegan Bradley finished on top, choking back tears and kissing his wife after his playoff victory over English star Justin Rose ended six years of torment.

The emotion of his winless drought, which stretched to his 2012 WGC-Bridgestone title, boiled to the surface as he defeated Rose in extra holes.

A final round 72 at Aronimink dropped Smith to a twoover total and he finished near the bottom of the leaderboard at the elite 70-man event. But it mattered little as Smith secured 10th position on the FedExCup standings going into the 30-man Tour Championship next week.

After the Atlanta, Georgia, event, the leading points scorer is crowned the FedExCup champion and pockets a $13.9 million bonus.

“It has been a goal of mine all season to make it to the Tour Championships, so I’m pretty proud to pull it off,” Smith said.

“A lot of hard work I’ve done with my coach Grant (Field) is paying off at the right time of the season.”

Fellow Queenslander Jason Day has ranked in the top five on the FedExCup standings for most of the year but a lacklustre play-offs campaign has dropped him to 12th.

The former world No.1 closed with an even-par 70 at the BMW to share 24th place.

“It’s not the way I have normally started the playoffs but I’m still in a good position and, mathematically, everyone at the Tour Championships can win the FedExCup,” Day said.

Marc Leishman is the only other Australian to advance to the Tour Championship although he is 29th on points.

Adam Scott dropped to 51st on the FedExCup standings.