Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Wednesday 23 august 2017

FedEx Cup playoffs

Continued from Page 17 Grand Slam.
The Jack Nicklaus Award is
His two-shot victory in the determined by votes from
PGA Championship fea- the players, and majors typ-
tured a rally that began ically go a long way when
with a 35-foot birdie putt, they submit their choices.
a twist of fortune when Sergio Garcia had one of
his ball hung on the edge the most popular victo-
of the cup for the longest ries this year at the Mas-
time before dropping and ters, though that remains
a 7-iron over the water to his only PGA Tour victory.
a peninsula green that will Ditto for U.S. Open cham-
be the signature moment pion Brooks Koepka, even
of his young career. though his name was never
But that doesn’t compare too far from the top of the
with what happened a leaderboard at all four ma-
month ago. jors.
Jordan Spieth was on the Over the last decade,
verge of losing another big Nicklaus Award winners
lead in a major when he who didn’t win a major
had the savvy to ask the did something exceptional This July 22, 2017, file photo shows Jordan Spieth of the United States playing out of a bunker on
the 17th hole during the third round of the British Open Golf Championship, at Royal Birkdale,
most important question that year. Southport, England.
of the year: “Is the driving Adam Scott won the Mas- Associated Press
range out of bounds?” ters and a FedEx Cup play- the Tour Championship for He has one more PGA Tour world ranking, Dustin John-
The answer was no, and off event in 2013, but even his third victory and cap- title than Spieth this year. son and Hideki Matsuyama.
Spieth began his rally at he didn’t think that could tured the FedEx Cup. Spieth would regain the Johnson was the most
the British Open with a blind stack up to Tiger Woods Players won’t lack for good edge if he were to add a dominant player in golf
shot over the dunes, a deli- winning five times. choices this year. fourth victory based on the with three straight victories
cate pitch, a clutch putt Luke Donald in 2011 be- Odds are, how the candi- quality of his wins. — at the time, they were
and a bogey. came the first player to win dates perform in the play- As for those scores? against the three strongest
What followed was a the money title on both offs will decide who gets Thomas shot a 59 at the fields of the year — until he
stretch of golf that even sides of the Atlantic, along the Nicklaus bronze. Sony Open — with Spieth decided to rent a two-story
Nicklaus applauded — with having the lowest scor- What sets apart the in his group, no less — and house at the Masters.
birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie ing average on tour. 24-year-old Thomas going while it no longer is a re- A spill down the stairs that
— for a three-shot vic- And in 2010, another year into the PGA Tour’s version cord score, it’s still a magic caused him to wrench his
tory at Royal Birkdale and in which no one stood out of a postseason are three number. back cost him practice
the third leg of the career in the majors, Jim Furyk won scores and four trophies. More relevant than his 59, time and momentum.
however, was that Thomas If he were to win two play-
capped off that week at off events and the FedEx
Waialae with rounds of 64- Cup, the question be-
65-65 to set the tour’s 72- comes whether two World
hole scoring record at 253. Golf Championships, two
He also became only the playoff events and a Fe-
fourth player to shoot 63 in dEx Cup title would trump
a U.S. Open, and this one a major.
Located in the Riu Antilles Resort (Formerly the Westin Resort) got even more attention The same logic might ap-
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He has three victories (two
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1-2.....2-5......5-5 1-3.....2-5......5-5 he holed a bunker shot to a long way in making this is
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Thomas has missed six cuts
this year, including a major,
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unless he was winning. Spi-
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