The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
5. Making most of N.Y. minutes
Laird also 5 under in FedEx Cupopening Barclays.
Patrick Reed didn’t break anything Thursday except par. Two days after the Augusta State alum broke the gavel during the ceremonial closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange, the American kept a clean card and shot 5-under 66 to share the lead with Martin Laird at The Barclays, the first tournament on the road to East Lake.
Patrick Reed didn’t break anything Thursday except par.
Two days after Reed broke the gavel during the ceremonial closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange, the American kept a clean card and shot 5-under 66 to share the lead with Martin Laird at The Barclays.
Reed was asked to bang the gavel three times at the stock exchange closing Tuesday. On the third hit, the top of the gavel flew off into the crowd, and Reed later made a joke at his own expense on Twitter.
“They told me to give it 3 good hits, so I did!” he tweeted. He was much better with a golf club in hand at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y., running off three birdies and an eagle on the front nine to close out his 66.
The start of the FedEx Cup playoffs, with a $10 million bonus waiting at the end, was more about a cup that doesn’t pay a dime. A dozen or so Americans are still in the mix to make the Ryder Cup team. Qualifying ends after this week for the top eight, and then Davis Love III has four captain’s picks over the next month.
Reed is winless this year and holding down the No. 8 position in the standings.
“Of course it’s on my mind,” Reed said. “But really at the end of the day, it’s just trying to get better and play this tournament. Because if I play well, that means those other guys are going to have to play even better to try to catch me.”
Reed and Laird, who also played bogey-free, were one shot ahead of three other Ryder Cup hopefuls — Rickie Fowler, Kevin Chappell and J.B. Holmes, whose 67 was the best score among those who played in stronger wind in the afternoon. Defending champion Jason Day, the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, was among those at 68.
Of the 18 players who broke 70, five played late.
Chappell likely would have to win The Barclays to make the team, while Fowler needs at least a two-way tie for fourth to have a chance.
The Barclays is the start of a four-tournament series in which the field size shrinks until 30 qualify for the finale at the Tour Championship.
Jordan Spieth played for the first time since the PGA Championship and didn’t feel much rust as he made three birdies in seven holes. Bethpage is relentless, and so was the wind, and when the Texan struggled to find fairways, he started dropping shots. Spieth wound up with a 71.
“It’s up there in the top few toughest courses I’ve ever played,” Spieth said.
British Open champion Henrik Stenson (right knee) and Brett Stegmaier (wrist) withdrew with injuries, dropping the field to 119 players. Stenson is No. 14 in the FedEx Cup and was always planning to skip one playoff event. Stegmaier is No. 101, so his season is over. European Tour: Tom Lewis flirted with the first 59 in European Tour history until three late bogeys made him settle for a 9-under 62 and a three-way tie with Thomas Pieters and Joakim Lagergren at the Made In Denmark tournament. The 62s equaled the course record.