The FedEx Cup playoffs are off to another dramatic start. For the second straight season, an extra hole was required for the first postseason event. In his three-hole battle between Sepp Straka and Will Zaratris, it was Zaratriz who emerged victorious after what can only be described as a bizarre playoff.
After exchanging par at the 18th to start an extra hole, the two returned to the tee. Zaratris was missing her shot right on the tee and could easily have gone out of bounds. Meanwhile, Straka noticed the hazard and narrowly avoided the water covering the left side of the fairway in the process. Both will eventually make unconventional pars, but that’s where things go from normal.
Zaratris tee shot found (and remain incomprehensible) A rock on the par-3 11th hole hazard set Straka poised to win his second PGA Tour title of the season. But in a stunning moment he also found the penalty area. Straka was unable to find the green on his third and a compound error kept Zaratris’ first win firmly in his hands.
Zaratris’ first step into the PGA Tour’s winner’s circle is almost poetic. He was not a full-time member of his incumbent PGA Tour, although he is Rookie of the Year, and Wake his Forest product was left out of his playoffs last season in his FedEx Cup. Since then, he’s had heartbreak after heartbreak, losing to Justin Thomas in the playoffs at the PGA Championship, and he missed one at the US Open.
Inevitably, after hitting the tee shot on the final hole of the playoff, I felt this would happen again, but the golf gods had a way of intervening. Much like Tony Finau and Xander Schauffele, the more positions you take on Sundays, the less likely the breaks (or bounces, should I say) go as planned.
This is especially true for Zaratris. Because it’s not a matter of “if” when he wins on his PGA Tour, it’s a matter of “when.” His moment finally arrived at TPC Southwind. By winning his championship title with St. Jude, he leapt to the top of the FedEx Cup rankings. Now, he has the potential to follow in Patrick’s Cantley footsteps and sprint his line to the East his Lake finish to lift FedEx his cup crown. Grade: A+
Here is the rest of the leaderboard breakdown for the 2022 St. Jude Championship:
2. Sepp Straka (-15): Coming into a week of six consecutive uncuts, if you told Straka he had a 9-iron and a chance to win the tournament, he would have accepted it immediately. He showed tremendous determination in the stretch, hitting clutch shot after clutch shot to match Zaratris, who was in the group ahead of him. Ultimately, it wasn’t meant to be, but his play shows the depth of his current ungodliness on the PGA Tour. It also indicates that a player’s fortunes can change during certain weeks. Grade: A+
T3. Lucas Glover: He was 121st at the start of the St. Jude Championship, but would leave Memphis just outside the top 50 in the FedEx Cup standings. The former US Open champion, who hasn’t made the top 20 since the Texas Open in April, played his season best at the most crucial time. A bogey on the 72nd hole might make dinner a little sour, but in the grand scheme of the postseason, it was quite the clutch performance.
“Good,” said Glover. “I had a similar situation a few years ago and had a good week and a half and ended up in Atlanta. It was in the back of my head thinking I just needed to get the next in the week of, and everyone has a shot.” Grade: A+
T5. Tony Finau (-11): Finau has put in a lot of effort to become the first man to successfully defend his title in the FedEx Cup Playoffs. His four-time PGA TOUR champion is on the verge of a third straight and should be on the shortlist for potential trophy-lifters on his lake in the East. Like last month, Finau’s game is strong across the bag and could top his postseason run. Class A
T5. Adam Scott (-11): He entered Week 77 in the FedEx Cup standings and played well within the Top 70 cutoff points with Top 5 results. The Australian didn’t play much throughout his regular season in 2021-22, but his game plans proved to be fruitful. Presidents in September has enough for the tank as he aims to move up within the top 30 at his BMW Championship next week before serving as a veteran for his team International in his Cup. should remain.
“I played really poorly yesterday, but I managed to get a decent score. Today I want to turn it around and play solid and give myself a chance to win,” Scott said. “I’m happy with that. I can play four rounds next week. And my golf is going pretty well and I’m not getting anything. Even if I didn’t win this event, I feel like myself.” We’ve got something out of it this week, so hopefully that will give us some confidence going into next week and we’ll manage to have a big week and get to Eastlake. ” Class A
T5. Jon Rahm (-11): The former world No. 1 has had a quiet season with just one win, but he may be on to something. Rahm, who finished 4-under 66 at the St. Jude Championship, has another top-10 finish in the FedEx Cup Playoffs and could be in the spotlight for the BMW Championship. He is a regular steady self from tees to greens around TPC Southwinds and Wilmington his country The lack of course knowledge of his club players helps his efforts on the greens compared to competition There is a possibility. Grade: B+
T13. Cameron Smith (-9): He was an overnight betting favorite, but before he hit the golf ball, Smith saw his name drop from 11-under to 9-under. Half an hour before his tee time on Sunday, his two-stroke penalty for an improper drop in the third round and Champion Golfer of the Year immediately put him behind eight balls. I was. He made a birdie on the opening hole and did his best to shrug it off but eventually stalled. It would have been a big day for Smith. A win would move him to No. 1 in the world and No. 1 FedEx, making him a prime contender for the Player of the Year designation. Instead, he’ll have to wait until next week for another chance to accomplish such a feat. Grade: B.
T13. Justin Thomas (-9): The 2020 winner at TPC Southwinds never threatened the leaders as a poor third round was his doom. After opening with 67 rounds in a row, Thomas signed for 71 in one over on Saturday. Despite the disappointment, the former FedEx Cup his champion should incorporate a lot of positive elements into his final two weeks of the season. Earning a top 20 finish, Thomas ranked 4th in strokes from tee to green thanks to an exquisite effort both off the tee and around the green. If he puts in a typical effort in the irons next week, he should have a real chance of winning his BMW Championship for the second time. Grade: B-
