DeChambeau eyes FedEx Cup threepeat after Ryder boost
PHILADELPHIA: Bryson DeChambeau will be chasing an unprecedented hat-trick of FedEx Cup titles on Thursday when he tees off at the BMW Championship boosted by his selection to the USA Ryder Cup team.
DeChambeau’s selection on Tuesday as one of US captain Jim Furyk’s wildcard picks was a mere formality for the Floridabased golfer after he stormed to victory in the opening two legs of the FedEx Cup.
The 24-year- old, who captured impressive back-to-back wins at the Northern Trust and the Dell Technologies Championships, could become the first man in history to win three FedEx Cup events in a row with victory this weekend.
Five other players - Tiger Woods (2007), Vijay Singh (2008), Camilo Villegas ( 2008), Rory McIlroy ( 2012) and Billy Horschel ( 2014) - have won back-to-back play- off titles.
And while DeChambeau admits to being a “little tired”, he is eager to take on Aronimink Golf Club course that played host to the 1962 PGA Championship and morerecently the PGA Tour’s 2010 and 2011 AT & T National.
“The first thing is that I’m a little tired, not going to lie,” said DeChambeau.
“Winning two in a row is a lot more than I thought it would be mentally and physically. There’s a lot more obligations that come around with that but it’s really an honour and I want to keep doing it.
“Again, this is a new territory for me and I’m learning how to navigate the waters. But, yeah, it’s definitely something that I want to keep going.”
Regardless of his effort this week DeChambeau will head to the PGA Tour season-ending Tour Championship later this month as the leading FedEx Cup No. 1.
“It’s great being No. 1 in the FedExCup Play- Offs and it’s is something that I’ve dreamed of, especially going into East Lake, that’s a humongous advantage and something that’s quite a tremendous honour, as well,” he said.
“I thought about taking a week off. I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t do that to the BMW and I couldn’t do that all the fans and the sponsors that have helped put this event on. It would be easy for me to say, “Hey, I’m just going to skip this week because I’m tired.”
“But no, I want to win three in a row and get some world ranking points as well.”
DeChambeau will face stiff opposition however, with 2016 Olympic gold medal winner Justin Rose currently third on the FedEx Cup points table.
And Rose is no stranger to victory on the Aronimink course having won the 2010 AT&T National.
Rose also captured the 2013 US Open at the nearby Merion Golf Club, just seven miles from Aronimink
“The golf course doesn’t know it this week, you can never kind of count on past victories or past performances but absolutely, I think there’s always a bit of a feelgood factor when you come back to an area, you enjoy it, invokes good memories but obviously as of tomorrow it’s all about doing a job,” said Rose. — AFP