Rahm Surges Ahead of Uncertain Weekend at 2021 The Northern Trust

JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY - The FedEx Cup Playoffs are underway! The first two rounds of the 2021 The Northern Trust at Liberty National Golf Club have concluded and Jon Rahm leads the field with a score of 12-under and a single shot lead over Tony Finau. The cut this week has been set at 1-under.

 

Jon Rahm leads the 2021 The Northern Trust heading into an uncertain weekend 

(image: Ross Parker/SNS Group via Getty Images)

 

RAHMBO RETURNS

Rahm's skill and abilities were on full display during his first two rounds. He fired off an impressive 8-under 63 for his opening round, which included four birdies on the front nine and four on the back nine. He followed this up with a 4-under 67 on Friday. 

 

He remains bogey-free for the tournament, a streak that was nearly in jeopardy on the par 4 16th hole on Friday. After landing his approach shot left of the green and chipping on poorly, Rahm was left with a 24-foot putt for par. It was a difficult putt, relatively speaking, that broke twice before reaching the hole. But Rahm, who's putting has been hot all week, sank the putt for a clutch par.

A win for Rahm this week would place him first in the FedEx Cup Rankings and make him a favourite to win the FedEx Cup outright heading into the Tour Championship.

THE TOP 70: HOW ITS LOOKING SO FAR

The Top 70 players in the FedEx Cup Rankings will move onto the second round of the Playoffs next week: The BMW Championship.

As it stands right now, the Top 70 "Bubble" includes Seamus Power (69) who sits at T26 at 5-under, Matthew Wolff (70) who was cut and Talor Gooch (71), who shot a 64 today to place him at T57 at 2-under. It will be interesting to see if Gooch and Power can play well on the weekend to stay/get into the Top 70.

Notable players out of the Top 70 include Matthew Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Ian Poulter, Bubba Waston, Adam Scott, Jason Day and Chesson Hadley, who just got into the tournament this week after a good performance last week at the Wyndham Championship.

Players who made the cut are not out of the woods yet. For those below the cutoff, they'll need good performances as do players who are just above the cutoff. It feels like a tournament within a tournament during these playoff events, because that's exactly what it is. Players do want to win this week, but if they can't, they want to ensure they can progress further along in the playoffs.

The biggest jump in rankings thus far goes to Keith Mitchell, who entered the week ranked 101st. He carded a 68 and 64 to put him at 10-under and tied for 3rd. Even better, he jumped 64 spots and theoretically sits in 34th place at the moment.

INCLEMENT WEATHER POTENTIALLY FOR LIBERTY NATIONAL

Liberty National Golf Club in the past has received criticism for its difficulty. This year, despite some windy weather during the opening round, the course played tough but fair. Low scores were had by many players. The low round of the tournament thus far was a 63, shot both both Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas. The second round also saw a slew of 64s being shot.

The weather however, is expected to turn for the worst. Tropical Storm Henri, currently over the Carolinas, is expected to make landfall late Sunday afternoon as a hurricane, with strong winds expected to reach the Jersey City area by Saturday night. It's not known how the storm will affect the tournament, but it suffices to say that officials are keeping an eye on it, no doubt thinking of player and spectator safety first.

Hurricanes have affected the tournament before. In 2011, Hurricane Irene forced the final round of The Barclays, as it was known then, to be cancelled. The tournament was shortened to 54-holes where Dustin Johnson went on to win.

CARRY ON WAYWARD TEE SHOT

Spectators of the second round were treated to a hilarious incident on the 10th hole. Hideki Matsuyama managed to land his tee shot right of the fairway, but directly inside a spectator's shirt. Luckily, he did not have to play the ball as it lied and took relief. Matsuyama, in an act of kindness, then signed and gifted the ball to the fan; a souvenir he will never forget.

Matsuyama ended up landing his second shot just left of the green and finished the hole with a bogey. He sits at T25 at 5-under and 15th in the rankings.

HOW ARE OUR PICKS DOING SO FAR?

Let's check in to see how our picks are faring so far:

1) Phil Mickelson: CUT

2) Dustin Johnson: CUT

3) Collin Morikawa: CUT

Sometimes we pick well and sometimes we don't! Phil Mickelson had a tough couple of rounds, in particular on the par 3 11th hole, which he double-bogeyed in his opening round, then triple-bogeyed in his second round. His position drops him to 67th in the rankings and is now in danger of not progressing in the playoffs.

 

Dustin Johnson had a bit of bad luck as well. Before his first round, he noticed his driver was cracked. He didn't have a replacement driver so he opted to play with two 3 woods, each with a different loft. This no doubt affected his scoring, reducing his driving distance by a substantial amount.

Many have wondered about Morikawa's play this week. It was recently reported though that Morikawa apparently hurt his back during the Olympics and as a result has been modifying his golf swing to make it less painful on him. As many golfers know, back injuries can plague golfers for their entire careers if not handled properly. Let's hope Morikawa is able to make a speedy but appropriate recovery. 

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And just like that, the first two rounds of the 2021 The Northern Trust have concluded. This weekend is sure to be interesting, given the inclement weather being forecasted and potential for low scores.

Stay tuned to see who has won and who is moving ahead in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

2021 The Northern Trust and FedEx Cup Playoffs Preview

2020 FedEx Cup Champion Dustin Johnson is one of our picks to win The Northern Trust (Image: PGA Tour)
 

 

Its the time of the year that PGA Tour players and their fans have been waiting for, the start of the 2021 FedEx Cup Playoffs, the nearly-month long race to crown the FedEx Cup Champion. 

 

The top 125 players in the FedEx Cup rankings flock this week to Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey for the The Northern Trust. The field is packed with talent, many want to get ahead in the rankings this week and will push hard for a good finish or even a win this week.

 

 

HOW THE FEDEX CUP PLAYOFFS WORK

The Playoffs consist of three events: The Northern Trust, which hosts the Top 125 players in the rankings, the BMW Championship, which hosts the Top 70 and finally the Tour Championship, which hosts the Top 30. The last two events of the playoffs also feature no weekend cut, due to the smaller field size.

 

To win the FedEx Cup, a player must finish 1st in the FedEx Cup rankings, as assessed after the Tour Championship. A $70 million prize fund is then distributed. At stake for winning the FedEx Cup is $15 million of that fund and a five year PGA Tour exemption, as well as joining an elite list of players to have won the FedEx Cup. 

 

A second place finish will net you $5 million, a third place finish $4 million and so on. The top 150 players receive a portion of the fund, with players ranked 126th to 150 receiving $70,000. 

 

What is interesting note however is that players outside the top 10 do not actually receive the money as cash, as they would any other tournament. Instead, their payout is put into a retirement account and only accessible at age 45 or older.

HISTORY OF THE NORTHERN TRUST

The Northern Trust was first contested back in 1967, when it was known as the Westchester Classic and a regular season event. Since then, the tournament has undergone several name changes, most notably being called The Barclays since the inception of the FedEx Cup Playoffs until 2017, when it switched to its current name.

A number of courses are used in rotation for The Northern Trust, all which are located in the New England area. These include TPC Boston, Ridgewood, Bethpage Black, Glen Oaks and Westchester Country Club.

 

Due to the exclusivity of getting in, the tournament has had several high profile winners over the years, including Vijay Singh (4 times), Dustin Johnson (3 times), Patrick Reed (2 times), Bryson DeChambeau and Jason Day.

The Northern Trust should not be confused with the former Northern Trust Open, which is now known as the Genesis Invitational.

LIBERTY NATIONAL GOLF CLUB

Liberty National is a relatively new course, having been completed in 2006. Designed by Robert Cupp and Tom Kite, the build cost over $250 million, making it one of the most expensive courses in history. It also features a modern-style clubhouse designed by Lindsay Newman Architecture & Design, and many other country club accommodations.

The course has hosted The Northern Trust three times prior to this year, in 2009, 2013 and 2019. However, it underwent extensive renovations after the 2009 event to decrease its difficulty, as a result of negative feedback from players. The changes included re-countouring many of the greens and moving tee boxes, to provide flexibility to the course. For the 2021 tournament, it will play as a par 71, measuring 7,410 yards.

The course is also known for its spectacular views of both the Manhatten skyline and the Statue of Liberty, which sites just over a mile away from its shores.

OUR PICKS THIS WEEK

Making picks for the FedEx Cup playoff events is always a tough thing to do. The quality of the field is so high and players always seem to be at the top of their game these weeks. But putting that aside, here's who we think will win The Northern Trust this year:

1) Phil Mickelson

2) Dustin Johnson

3) Collin Morikawa

Mickelson is a playing member of Liberty National and knows the course well; a sure advantage over many in the field this week. Johnson played at the Wyndham Championship last week and finished T10, hopefully he can transfer that momentum into this week. He's also the defending FedEx Cup Champion. And finally, Morikawa has had a spectacular season so far, capped by his Open Championship win and T4 at the Olympics, but a win this week will make him the favourite to win the FedEx Cup. 

***

Play kicks off early Thursday morning. Who do you think will win this week, let us know in the comments below.

Also stay tuned Friday evening for our Weekend Update post to see what the storylines are heading into the weekend.

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews

Spieth Leads, McIlroy in Pursuit at the 2016 Masters

The weekday rounds of the 2016 Masters have now concluded and a familiar face is atop the leaderboard. Reigning Masters Champion Jordan Spieth currently leads the field with a score of 4-under and a single shot lead over Rory McIlroy. The cut has also been set at 6-over.

Today's second round marks the 6th consecutive round that the Jordan Spieth has held the lead at the Masters, a record he now shares with golfing legend Arnold Palmer. Right from the open, Spieth impressed, shooting a 6-under 66 in the opening round. At one point today, he held a five shot lead, but ended up shooting a 2-over 74.

Most players rounds followed a similar suit to Spieth's. The scoring average for the opening round was much lower than today's average. Only four players in the field managed a sub-par round, Rory McIlroy included in this, shooting a 1-under. Amateur Bryson DeChambeau was on track to shoot a 3-under round, but found trouble off the tee and triple-bogeyed the 18th hole. However there were some players who found trouble during their opening round too, such as Rickie Fowler who shot an 80, and Ernie Els, who also shot an 80.

Today's round was also special for golfing legend Tom Watson, who played his last professional Masters round today. Watson was making good progress to make the cut, but after a series of bad putts found himself below it. If he made the cut, he would have been the oldest player in Masters history to do so.

Finally, here's how are picks are doing. Jason Day currently sits at T15 after shooting a 72/73. In today's round he was 2-under going into the back nine, but bogeyed several holes on the back nine. Just under Day at T33 is Henrik Stenson, who shot a 72/75. Like Day, Stenson found trouble on the back nine today. Lastly, Phil Mickelson failed to make the cut, just barely, in a shock to many, shooting 72/79. The 2010 Masters Champion shot even par on his first day, but found trouble on the closing holes of both nines today, with many of his shorter shots finding water hazards.

Saturday is moving day and it's sure to be exciting, headlined by the fact that Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy will be in the final grouping. That's sure to bring excitement to any golfer and it's going to be great to watch these two battle it out.

Stay tuned Sunday evening for our results post to see who's won. Also check out our Twitter page for day to day coverage of the Masters.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

 Can Jordan Spieth pull off another Masters win this year?

2016 Masters Preview and Picks

Wow, it's been some time since our last post. After our longer than normal winter break we're back, this week with perhaps the most famous tournament in all of golf. We're of course talking about The Masters, live from Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. This week, the best of the best in men's professional golf will congregate to Augusta in hopes of winning the coveted green jacket and their place in history.

The Masters was first contested in 1934, this year marking the 82th edition of the tournament, and is best known as the most traditional major on tour. In fact, tradition is a major theme at the tournament. As mentioned before, a green jacket is awarded to the winner of the tournament. The winner can keep this jacket for one year, after which it must be returned to Augusta National, where it is stored. The Champions Dinner, held the Tuesday evening prior to the start of the tournament, is an exclusive dinner only past champions and members of the club can attend. One of the most recent traditions has been the opening tee shots, which are performed by golfing legends. Last year, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus teed it up to commence the tournament. A par 3 competition is also held on the par 3 course at Augusta, which usually gives out a number of hole-in-ones each year.

There's golfing merit to back up all the traditions and prestige of the tournament. The Masters is perhaps the most recognizable and prestigeous tournament played in golf. Winning the Masters can launch an ordinary golfer's career to the next level, regardless of the WGC points and prize money it hands out (about 1.8 million this year for the winner). Speaking of golfers, who will be getting an invite this year? Past major champions and top 12 finishers in the previous edition of the tournament, the last five major champions, including runner-ups, certain PGA Tour winners of last season, the top 50 on the World Golf Rankings, etc. There are also a number of amateurs playing in the tournaments, as a result of certain amateur wins.

Like the tournament it hosts, Augusta National Golf Club is without a doubt one of the most iconic courses in golf. From it's deep green grass to pearl white bunkers, golfers and non-golfers alike can attest to it's beauty. It ranks difficult amongst players too, who will battle against massive elevation changes, sloping fairways, large drop-offs, and lightning fast greens. The course will measure 7,435 yards this year, including a 240-yard par 3 (4th hole "Flowering Crab Apple"). A player who can negotiate around these challenges will succeed here.

Finally, here's who I think has a chance of winning this week:

1) Jason Day: Simple reasons, he's on fire on the course at the moment and playing probably the best golf of his career. He's also the top ranked golfer in the world now and carries great momentum via back to back wins of the WGC Match Play and Arnold Palmer Invitational. If anyone knows how to handle adversity, it's this man.

2) Henrik Stensen: To say Stensen's career has taken off from just several years ago is an understatement. I remember a time when you'd look at the bottom of a leaderboard and most of the time see his name there. He's changed now and always seems to be lurking near the top of a leaderboard each week (he finished 2nd last week at the Houston Open and T3 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational), sort've like Luke Donald a few years ago.

3) Phil Mickelson: Phil and Augusta seem to go hand and hand. He's won here before and always seems to play well around the time of the tournament. He's been having a good season so far, with several T15's or higher. Don't be surprised to find his name near the top of the leaderboard.

The Opening Round kicks off tomorrow morning. Be sure to check out our Weekend Update post Friday evening to see how everyone's playing.

Also, leave a comment and let us know who your picks are,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

All eyes will be on our top pick Jason Day this week

Four Lead Going Into Final Round of 2015 US Open

In recent years, there has never been this much drama or amount of storylines going into a final round of a US Open. As it stands now, four players share the lead: Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, and Brandon Grace. Four players, with a leading score of 4-under and a three shot lead, yet each has a unique story behind them.

Johnson played a solid round of golf and shot a even par 70, which could have easily been higher or lower depending on the hole. He was accurate all day, hitting all fairways, and recovered well when he found trouble. Day, who made headlines on Friday after collapsing at the end of his round, stunned and earned the respect of many during yesterday's round, who have deemed his actions as "superhuman". All day he was visibly cautious around the course and said after that he was about to call it quits three times during his round, again due to vertigo, the worst on the 13th. Despite this, he birdied three of the four final holes to shoot a 68, which was only one of six sub-70 rounds yesterday; a remarkable feat considering his state and that fact that Chambers Bay requires one's full attention pretty much all the time. Many are pulling for him to win and what a story that would be.

Spieth had a solo lead by three shots at one point during his front nine, but had a relatively quiet back nine. He missed a few costly putts to give some shots back and ended off with a 71, despite excellent putting on the front nine. Grace, of South Africa, also played excellent golf and hit a very good number of approach shots during yesterday's round. If it wasn't for Chambers Bay's tough greens, he could have been leading by several shots as well.

Rory McIlroy's round was one full of frustration, especially on the back nine. The World Number one couldn't hole a putt despite numerous excellent approaches. He ended up shooting an even 70 (which wasn't that bad) and stands at 4-over par.

Louis Oosthuizen shot the low round on Saturday, a 4-under 66. Again if it wasn't for the tough greens, be could have been even lower. Remember that this is the man who has been deemed to have one of the "most perfect" swings in golf and is already a major champion (2010 British Open at St. Andrews). There's something about his game that just seems relaxed and effortless. Be sure to keep an eye on him today as he sits at 1-under T5.

Saturday yielded the toughest conditions for Chambers Bay, as indicated by the higher leading score compared to Friday. As we said only a few players managed sub par rounds and conditions worsened as the round progress. This was partially due to the course itself drying up as the day went on, making everything harder and firmer. A low 70's round was a good score and any overall round at par or better means you're still in contention. With all this unpredictability, who knows how Chambers Bay will play today?

Finally, here's how are picks stand:

1) Phil Mickelson: T66 at 10-over
2) Justin Rose: T25 at 4-over 

Phil had a disastrous round that started off bad and stayed that way. He carded a total of nine bogeys and two birdies and he was seen hitting from all sorts of rough and fescue yesterday. Once again, it looks like Lefty's dream of the career grand slam is looking slim. Rose on the other hand played a decent round and neither increased or deceased his chances at winning. His score relative to this position on the leaderboard, shows just how tough it's been to go low this week.

Well it all comes down to the final round today. Who can step up and attack Chambers Bay? Who can defend from it as well when need be? We'll find out shortly and stay tuned for our post tomorrow morning about who won it.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

 Johnson, Spieth, Day, Grace; all looking for glory today
(Toronto Golf Reviews)

Spieth and Reed Lead at Chambers Bay

With just two rounds to go, things have started to get a bit more interesting at the 115th US Open. Chambers Bay responded to those early scores in Thursday's round and gave the golfers more difficult conditions for Friday. As it stands now, the leading score still remains at 5-under, but it is now held by 2015 Masters Champion Jordan Spieth and the notorious Patrick Reed, closely followed by opening round co-leader Dustin Johnson and Branden Grace at 4-under. The cut has also been set at 5-over.

Spieth held his ground during his round and struggled with his driver; he's hit only 9 of 28 fairways thus far at Chambers Bay. Reed on the other hand has been driving the ball excellently, and said in an interview that he feels that he could hit the ball as hard as he wants and it'll find the fairway. This confidence is great and a must-have when playing Chambers Bay and it's what makes Reed such a fierce competitor.


TGR favourite Graeme McDowell wasn't really in the running this week, but did show us why he is a world class player on the par 3 207 yards 3rd hole. GMac landed his tee shot short and watched it roll up the right side of the green, nearly falling in the bunker, before rolling down the hill towards the pin stopping about a few inches from the hole for an easy birdie.

Apart from the golf, one of the biggest headlines yesterday was Jason Day's (physical) collapse on the 18 hole (which was a par 4). Day was walking on the sloped 18th fairway when he suddenly fell to the ground in a state of dizziness. Vertigo was to blame and it has been an issue for Day for the past few months now. After staying down for a few minutes, Day got back up, walked with some assistance to the greenside bunker where his ball lay, and went on to hit the best bunker shot I've seen, given the circumstances of his. To give you an idea of the state he was in, there was a loose stone behind his ball in the bunker and Day needed the rules official to remove it for him, as his hands were too shakey. He missed the par putt and finished off his round with a bogey, whereafter he was immediately taken to his onsite trailer. Despite this, Day sits at 2-under and is by all means still in contention scoring-wise. We hope Jason will be able to recover so he can continue playing, but his health is of course the most important.

Yet again Tiger Woods had a new milestone, this time it was his highest score in the US Open to date, a 16-over. His game was all over the place yet again and he was subsequently cut from the tournament. Also, amateur Brian Campbell is also in the mix at 1-under T12. He's currently the low amateur in the field and was close to leading at one point during his opening round.

Finally, here's how are picks are doing:

1) Phil Mickelson: T35 at 3-over
2) Rickie Fowler: CUT
3) Justin Rose: T28 at 2-over

Phil battled through his second round and it's resulted in him still being in the mix of things. So did Justin Rose. Fowler on the other hand was cut due to his surprising play, which was still a shock to us all.

Today is "Moving Day" and with the uncertainty that Chambers Bay brings every round, there's bound to be some movement on the leaderboard. Stay tuned for our recap post tomorrow morning,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Jordan Spieth aims to go 2/2 in majors this year

Johnson and Stenson Lead After Opening Round of 2015 US Open

The opening round of the 114th US Open at Chambers Bay was filled with a variety of excellent golf, along with a variety of scores, as the day progressed. As of this morning, Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson, who both had earlier tee times yesterday, are the current co-leaders at 5-under with a one shot lead over Patrick Reed. They were just one of 25 players to break ever par yesterday.

Johnson showed us yesterday how, despite being a links course, length pays off. He made a total of seven birdies and a single bogey for a score of 64. In his post round interview, he commented on how his game was solid during his round, especially with the driver, and praised the way Chambers Bay was set up. His score yesterday tied his lowest score in a major. Stenson was a little more aggressive with his round, managing seven birdies and two bogeys. Both are playing solid golf at the moment.

With the absence of wind and rain, you may think that Chambers Bay would play slightly easier (in fact, the morning rounds played slightly better than the afternoon rounds). However, it's sloping fairways, high risk/reward holes, and especially its tricky greens, did not make that the case. Around the greens, we saw a variety of shots from players trying to get close to the flag, everything from de-lofted hybrids to flop shots, some paying off more than others. The greens, which appeared patchy and discolored, did receive some criticism from players such as Rory McIlroy, Colin Montgomerie, and more vocally Sergio Garcia. But as Phil Mickelson said, the course as a whole was a good challenge. You definitely had to think hard about the risks and rewards of every shot you hit. That being said though, it was "easy" relative to other US Open venues. Yesterday's rounds were the lowest since the 2003 US Open at Olympia Fields

Things just seem to be getting worse and worse for Tiger Woods, who's been having a few "firsts" recently; and not the good ones. The three-time US Open champion carded a 10-over 80, which was his worst score in a US Open round to date. Woods managed only one birdie and most of his scores were bogeys with a triple on #14. From an outsider perspective, he seems to lack confidence, summed up by his topped 2nd shot on #18, which ended up in a deep fairway bunker known as "Chambers Basement". He also hit only six fairways and nine greens.

In other news, Gary Woodland appeared to be suffering from severe dehydration and needed to go to the hospital yesterday, where it was determined he had a virus. He sits at 4-over T98 and hopes to play in today's round.

To round off the post, here's how are picks are doing:

1) Phil Mickelson: T14 at 1-under
2) Rickie Fowler: 155 at 11-over
3) Justin Rose: T52 at 2-over

Phil was part of that lower morning wave of players and was leading the tournament at one point before making a couple of bogeys here and there. In his interview, Phil said Chambers Bay played difficult, but what he expected and that the biggest challenge (for him at least) was the differences in putting green speeds from hole to hole. A good round today could mean great things for Mickelson going into the weekend. On the other hand, they say you can't win a major on a Thursday, but you can definitely lose it, and that looks like the case for Rickie Fowler. He's currently in second last place and struggled yesterday especially on the back nine where he was 8-over. This was a very unexpected round for Rickie, who usually plays solid links golf. To finish off, Justin Rose had a good round which just so happened to contain a few more bogeys than birdies. He was in good spirits though and is definitely still in the mix.

Chambers Bay looks like it'll play a bit different today. It's forecasted to be overcast and slightly windy today; the amount of wind today could wreak havoc on scores. Stay tuned for our recap of today's action, tomorrow morning.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Dustin Johnson leads along with Henrik Stenson at the 114th US Open

2015 US Open Preview

It may seem like the golfing season has just begun, but it's already the week of this year's second major, the 115th US Open, one of golf's oldest and most coveted tournaments. Throughout it's illustrious history, the US Open has been a US-dominated event and rightly so. It's the tournament that's at the top of the list for every American golfer to win. However in recent years, there's been a surge of non-US winners with only three out of the last eleven champions being from the US. The tournament also brings a family setting to it as it takes place the week of Father's Day.

The scene for this year's US Open is Chambers Bay, on Puget Sound in the state of Washington. Just as TPC Sawgrass was built to host The Players, Chambers Bay was built in 2007 to host the US Open and has already hosted the 2010 US Amateur. The course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. to be a modern British-links course. Set on the majestic Washington coastline, the site of Chambers Bay was once home to a mine and the course itself makes use of the elevation changes and land features created by the mine. The results of this are sloping fairways with abrupt, mountain-like mounds of earth and gorse separating each hole. This along with the numerous bunkers (the deepest at 10 feet) and lengthy holes ensures that good scores will not be handed out, but earned.

This is the first time the US Open will be played in the Pacific Northwest. For it, Chambers Bay will play as a par 70 with a length varying from 7,607 yards to 7,874 yards. An interesting feature this year is that Holes #1 and #18 alternate parrage; if one plays as a par 5, the other plays as a par 4 and vise versa. Their lengths will also change as a result of this. The greens also don't have any fringes; all that exists is a seamless blend between fairway and green, which has already received some complaints. In fact, to distinguish fairway from green, a line of white dots will be marked around the green; one side fairway, the other green.

Majors, especially the British and US Open, always have a unique playing field. You pretty much have every level of competitive golf amongst it. Aside from your regular Tour players and world-class elite golfers, you also have amateurs and qualified players. Qualified players are professionals and/or amateurs who have gone through a qualifying process via a series of rounds. All that's required of these players is to be a PGA professional or have a minimum handicap of 1.4 for amateurs. This is one of the reason's why I love country Opens, if you can play well you have a chance to play in it. Given this depth of field though, I found making my picks this week easier this week, since I see some clear favourites in the field. My picks for the US Open are:

1) Phil Mickelson: We could write an entire post on why Phil is always a favourite in the US Open. To start, he's finished runner up at the US Open six times and it's the only major preventing him from achieving the Grand Slam. He's also shown us that he's a really great links golfer, winning both the Scottish Open and Open Championship. And to top it off, he's in great form coming into the week, having finished T3 at last week's FedEx St Jude Classic and T2 at the Masters this year. With the way Chambers Bay is set up, the title just might be his this week.

2) Rickie Fowler: Rickie is also a great links golfer and understands what's required to do well on a links course. He seems to love the majors too as he hasn't finished under T20 in one since the 2013 Open Championship and finished T5 or higher in all majors last year. He's had several good finishes this year including the win at The Players. Hopefully Rickie can ride that wave of momentum this week.

3) Justin Rose: I'd go and say that Rose is probably playing the best and most consistent golf in the world right now. He's finished T2 or higher in his last three of five starts including a win at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He's played a few practice rounds at Chambers Bay too; one in which his playing partner was the course architect. This, along with the fact that he's won the tournament before in 2012, makes him our final pick this week.

Play starts tomorrow at 10AM Eastern time and is bound to be full of exciting golf. Since this is a major, we'll be having daily coverage of it with posts recapping the day's action. The posts will usually be posted the morning after the round, due to the time zone difference at Chambers Bay. Be sure to check them out!


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

The majestic Chambers Bay set on the coast of Washington

2015 FedEx St. Jude Classic Picks

Our PGA Tour coverage takes us to TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee for the annual FedEx St. Jude Classic. This is a special tournament for a few reasons. First and most importantly, the tournament's main charity provides support for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which benefits children all over the world. Secondly, this tournament comes one week before golf's second major, the US Open. Due to this, many players (some who might not normally play this tournament) in the field will be honing their skills for the upcoming major. The tournament also carries a purse of $6 million.

The tournament has been hosted by TPC Southwind since 1989, moving for Colonial Country Club. The course is over 7,200 yards long and was designed by Ron Prichard. However, it was recently renovated in 2004 and in 2011 was ranked the 9th most difficult course played on tour that year. A notable hole is #14, a 239 yard par 3 (that qualifies as a par 4 on some courses around Toronto!).

As I said before we have an interesting field this week. We have everyone from high ranked elite players to PGA Tour rookies this week, each having different goals in mind, although they all share a common goal of winning. Given that, here's our picks for the week:

1) Phil Mickelson
2) Dustin Johnson
3) Brenden De Jonge

Phil's game always seems to improve in the few weeks around a major. He's determined as ever to win the US Open and maybe that determination will result in a win this week. Dustin Johnson is a safe bet and playing great golf at the moment. Finally, I've said before that De Jonge is probably the best player on the PGA Tour who hasn't won yet. I think this week might be his. We'll also keep an eye on Graeme McDowell, who's a favourite around here.

Play kicks off early tomorrow morning and be sure to check out our Weekend Update post this Friday!


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Can Brenden De Jonge win for the first time this week?

Rory McIlroy Dominates at Quail Hollow

Viewers and players alike were treated to a real spectacle this weekend at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club, in the form of one of our picks this week: Rory McIlroy. The World Number One showed us this weekend why he holds that title, winning the tournament by a Tiger-esque 7 strokes, finishing at 21-under, which is also a new final score record (previously held by Anthony Kim's 16-under in 2008). He finish ahead of Webb Simpson and PGA Tour Rookie Patrick Rodgers. This is Rory's second win this year and second time winning this tournament (his last win was in 2010 and was his first PGA win). This is also his 11th PGA Tour win and it further cements his place atop the World Gold Rankings.

The action started on Saturday when the Northern-Ireland native shot a course record 61, on a day where a score in the low 70's to high 60's was great. The round consisted of 11 birdies and the remarkable part was that nine of his eleven birdie putts were within 10 feet, on a course that's home to some of the longer holes on Tour. He followed this up with a 69 on Sunday.

As well as leading the tournament, Rory also led the field in driving distance and strokes gained tee to green, with an average drive of just over 321 yards. This was a key advantage to Rory, who could (and did) easily take advantage of the long par 4's and 5's. For example, the 16th at Quail Hollow is a 514-yard par 4, and played as the toughest hole on Sunday. In his final round, Rory hit a monster 364-yard drive to about 150 yards, then hit a gap wedge to three feet. While accurate approach shots like this are common on Tour, it's pretty rare to see them from these distances. Another record McIlroy broke this week was most birdies made in the tournament (27 this week).

Phil Mickelson, one of our other picks this week, also had an excellent T4 finish at (12-under). With this finish, Lefty continues his streak of amazing finishes at this tournament (despite not liking the course). Our last pick, Bill Haas finished the tournament at 1-over T68

On another note, that's another pick win for us and our second in just a month. This week, our coverage heads across the pond to Surrey, England at the Wentworth Club for the BMW PGA Championship, the crown jewel of the European Tour. Stay tuned for our picks for the tournament on Wednesday.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Rory McIlroy Wins The 2015 Quail Hollow Championship in Style

2015 Wells Fargo Championship - Weekend Update

The second round of the 2015 Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Golf Club has just concluded and the leaders going into the weekend are North Carolina native Webb Simpson and Robert Streb at 10-under and with a two shot lead. Simpson took hold of his share of the lead through consistency, shooting a pair of 67's whereas Streb shot a 65/69, which was the lowest round on Thursday. The cut was also set at even par this week.

Quail Hollow is playing fair so far. The average round seemed to be just above or below 70 and the club house lead so far is still Streb's 65. Any round in the high 60's was very good and probably put you in a good position going into the weekend.

Our picks this week are doing well as now. Rory McIlroy is tied for 5th at 7-under, as is Phil Mickelson. Bill Has is 2-under and tied for 42nd. Rory said in a post-round interview that he was in solid form and his score shows it. He shot a bogey-free 67 today. I find it interesting that Phil claims Quail Hollow is a poorly designed course, but he always plays well here despite this. He shot a 66 today and is a sure favourite for many going into the weekend.

Colt Knost also made headlines today by making a hole in one on the par 3 227-yard 17th hole. The hole-in-one, aside from being a great feat on it's own, resulted in Colt going from just missing the cut to just making the cut. He sits at T55 at 1-under.

Join us Sunday evening for our Results post to see who won,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

US Open Champion Webb Simpson Co-Leads Going Into The Weekend

2015 Wells Fargo Championship Picks

The Tour moves north this week to Charlotte, North Carlolina for the Wells Fargo Championship (formerly the Quail Hollow Championship) at the Quail Hollow Club. This is a very new tournament, with respect to other events on the PGA Tour, having first been contested in the 2003 season. This year marks a special year for the tournament, as it's purse broke the $7 million mark this year, with the winner taking home just under $1.3 million.

The Quail Hollow Club has a rich history, being founded by George Cobb (creator of the par 3 course at Augusta) in 1959 and undergoing renovations over the years by the likes of Arnold Palmer and Tom Fazio. The club is set to host the PGA Championship in 2017 and the President's Cup in 2021. The course however came under scrutiny in 2010 by Phil Mickelson, who criticized the greens, saying that they were some of the worst on Tour.

A number of players have also won for the first time at Quail Hollow, including Anthony Kim, World Number One Rory McIlroy, current Players Champion Rickie Fowler, and Derek Ernst.

Once again, the field this week is packed tight with top ranked and skilled players, all looking to win this tournament. In fact, 8 of the top 20 ranked players on the World Golf Rankings will be teeing it up this week. Our picks this week are:

1) Phil Mickelson
2) Rory McIlroy
3) Bill Haas

Phil may not seem like the first choice for some due to his comments, but it's worth noting that he only finished under T15 twice since 2004. Rory McIlroy is a former winner here and his game is on point at the moment; he's always a good pick any week too. Bill Haas, who had an excellent final round last week at TPC Sawgrass, might still have some of that momentum coming into this week.

Play kicks off early tomorrow morning and it sure to feature some great golf. Stay tuned for our weekend update post on Friday to see who's leading going into the weekend.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

A younger, curly haired Rory McIlroy won the Quail Hollow Championship in 2010

2015 Shell Houston Open Weekend Update

With today's round now complete, we're halfway through the 2015 Shell Houston Open. Our weekday leader is Andrew Putnam at 12-under with a one shot lead over Austin Cook (who qualified for the tournament on Monday) and 2011 winner Phil Mickelson. The cut has also been set this week at 4-under.

Putnam fired off a stellar round of 65 today, which consisted of 7 birdies including four in a row on the front nine. Ironically, the PGA Tour rookie made his tour debut last year at the Shell Houston Open. I wonder if Putnam ever thought last year, he'd be leading going into the weekend in just a year's time? Andrew's older brother, Michael, is also a PGA Tour player and is also in the field this week; he's tied for 12th at 8-under.

The Golf Club of Houston was playing very well on Thursday and Friday. Low scores were shot all around and the low round so far was a 63, shot by Scott Piercy. Piercy carded a 5-hole birdie streak as well as a 32-foot birdie putt on the last hole, all which contributed to that low score. Unfortunately, he followed that score with a 74 today. Thursday's round also saw several players holing out from the fairway for eagles, some on par 4's and some on par 5's.

In a headline that's a little closer to home, Canadian Graham DeLaet is currently tied for 4th place at 10-under. Graham shot a pair of 67's, including 6 birdies and a bogey on today's round. At the moment, Graham is Canada's highest ranked golfer on the World Golf Rankings at 69th as well as one of the best Canadian golfers at the moment. The Saskatchewan native has yet to win on tour, but that could change this week.

And here's how our picks are doing so far:

1) Victor Dubuisson: T6 at 9-under (-9)
2) Martin Kaymer: CUT
3) Patrick Reed: T41 at 5-under (-5)

Excellent play from Dubuisson, who has the best chances of winning out of my picks. Patrick Reed could still be in the mix of things, depending on how he plays as well at the other players. Better luck next week for Kaymer also.

Lastly, in other news, it's been confirmed that Tiger Woods will be playing in The Masters this year. Now whether he's looking to compete or just play for the sake of things is another question. 

Stay tuned for our Results post Sunday night to see who's won the Shell Houston Open,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Andrew Putnam, a former Web.com player, will have a huge field chasing him this weekend 

(Stan Badz/PGA TOUR)

Jimmy Walker Wins the 2015 Valero Texas Open

In such a contrast to the tournaments we've seen over the past several weeks, Jimmy Walker dominated much of the weekend to secure a win at this years Valero Texas Open. He finished at 11-under par and with a four shot lead over Jordan Spieth. This is Jimmy's second win this year and and it keeps him comfortably atop the FedEx Cup Points list. It's also his 5th win in just two years on the PGA Tour.

The Texas native held a large lead going into the final round and it grew as the round progressed. At one point, he was ahead by more than five shots over Spieth, who was always trailing him in second. By the end, Speith, who was playing a good final round as well, managed to take Walker's lead down to four. For most of the weekend, the attention was on Walker and Spieth, given the large separation between them and the rest of the field. For example, Billy Horshell finished solo third at 4-under and the players at T4 finished at 3-under. Walker's putter also did him well this week, especially today, having earned him a few crucial pars and birdies (looks like that putter change paid off). And being a Texas native, he was able to play in front of much of his family and friends this week, which makes the win just a bit more special.

Despite his second place finish, Spieth (a Texas native as well) again showed the golfing world that he is still on fire with respect to his golf game. He's no doubt a favourite going into next week's Shell Houston Open and the Masters, where he nearly won it last year after a battle against Bubba Watson.

TPC San Antonio again played tough on the weekend, Saturday more than Sunday. A round in the low 70's was considered good for both days at the course that's considered one of the toughest courses to break par at on tour (excluding major venues). Sunday's round saw a few more scores in the high 60's as well.

As we mentioned on our Weekend Update post, lefty golfer Phil Mickelson was also in the mix. He unfortunately finished at T30 after weekend rounds that were full of ups and downs, ranging from a near albatross on Saturday, to shooting 42 on the front nine on Sunday. Better luck next week for him.

Finally, here's how our picks finished:

1) Jim Furyk: T58 at 10-over (+10)
2) Jordan Spieth: 2nd at 7-under (-7)

Not the best finish for Furyk, but excellent results from Spieth as we mentioned. Next week, the PGA Tour heads to Houston for the Shell Houston Open. Be sure to check out our picks for that tournaments later on this week,




-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Jimmy Walker wins for the second time this year at the Valero Texas Open  

(Darren Abate / The Associated Press)

2015 Valero Texas Open - Weekend Update

We're halfway through this year's edition of the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio. The leader going into the weekend is Texas native Jimmy Walker, at 6-under, with a one shot lead over Aaron Baddeley and Charlie Hoffman. The cut has also been set at 6-over par, which is very high, compared to other events.

Jimmy's putter was hot throughout his second round today and in front of a home crowd. In total, he shot a 67 on the day, which consisted of 6 birdies and a single bogey. He's recently been through a putter change earlier this year, in which he returned to an older model of putter that he had success with in the past. It's doing him well this week, as he's also leading the event in strokes gained via putting (-6.536). And let's not forget that Jimmy is also the current FedEx Cup Points leader and a winner this year already (Sony Open), probably due to that putter change too. 

Monday's rounds saw TPC San Antonio playing very tough, due to 30+ mph winds. This resulted in a scoring average of 76.69, which is probably why the cut this week was so high this week. The high round of the day was an 89, shot by amateur Sam Burns. There were better conditions today and many players took advantage of this.

Also in the mix (and in the headlines) is tour veteran Phil Mickelson, who's at 2-under (T6). During his opening round, one of Phil's clubs broke as he hit a bunker shot. As he swung, the clubhead snapped right where it connects to the shaft, sending the head flying out of the bunker, as well as the ball. Earlier today, Lefty chipped in for a birdie, which aided in a score of 72 today. As you probably know, Phil always seems to play better in the weeks prior to a major, especially the Masters. He's won the Shell Houston Open (before the Masters) and the Scottish Open (before the British Open). We haven't seen too much of Phil this year, but maybe that might change this week?

In other news, TGR favourite Graeme McDowell has withdraw from the tournament, due to an injury he sustained during a practice round earlier this week. This is the first year that GMac is playing the Valero Texas Open and he stated afterwards that, due to the upcoming Masters, he didn't want to risk playing with the injury. He also planned on playing the Shell Houston Open next week, but that's now injury pending. Let's hope GMac can get better as soon as possible.

Lastly,  here's how our picks are doing :

1) Jim Furyk: T66 at 6-over (+6)
2) Jordan Spieth: T4 at 4-under (-4)
3) Sean O'Hair: CUT

It's almost a weekly this to see Speith near the top of the leaderboard; he really is on fire at the moment. Furyk and O'Hair struggled this week and weren't able to capitalize on the favourable conditions today.

With Moving Day tomorrow and the final round on Sunday, there's still lots of golf to be played. But be sure to check out our results post Sunday evening to see who's won.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

 Jimmy Walker's already won this year but can he win again this week? 

(Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

2015 Farmers Insurance Open - Weekend Update

After a few fog delays and delayed tee times, the first two rounds of the 2015 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course are now finished. The leader going into the weekend is Harris English at 10-under, who fired off a 68 66 and a final round which included six birdies.

He leads ahead of Nick Watney, who shot a 7-under on the day. Watney has had a relatively quiet past few years, his last win coming at the Barclays in 2012. In 2014 he had only two top-ten finishes and 10 missed cuts out of 26 events played. He's currently ranked 134th on the World Golf Rankings, having been ranked 35th just one year ago. A good finish for him this week could put him back on track for the start of this season.

As we said before, Dustin Johnson is back on tour, but apparently was a bit rusty, having shot a 70 74. During his first round though, he did hole out for eagle on the 4th hole at Torrey Pines South Course. Hopefully he'll get back on track soon.

However, the biggest story of the week was Tiger Woods. Tiger withdrew during the 1st round after just 12 holes, due to a lingering back injury. In an interview afterwards, he told the media that all the fog delays tightened up his back, which he had surgery to fix just last year. Woods' injuries have been the source of many of his golfing woes over the past year. At this point, it's uncertain what his golfing future holds.

Finally, here are how our picks are doing so far:

1) Rickie Fowler: T33 at 3-under (-3)
2) Luke Donald: CUT
3) Justin Rose: CUT

Fowler had an up and down second round after going bogey, birdie, double bogey to finish with a 72, but is still in the running. Donald and Rose on the other hand didn't fare as well. Our other notables, Mike Weir and Phil Mickelson, were also cut.

It's also worth pointing out that just over 15 players are within 4 shots of the lead, so it's still anyone's tournament for the winning. So stay tuned for our Results post Sunday evening.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Can Harris English hold onto his two shot lead through the weekend?

2015 Farmers Insurance Open Picks

Well, we're back for 2015!

We return this week to posting here at TGR after taking some time off for holidays and to rethink a few aspects of our site, like our posting. In short, we wanted to make our site more user-friendly and more informative, especially with our weekly Tour news. Hopefully we've done that! Now onto the posting.

We return this week for the Farmers Insurance Open, which I think is one of the more popular tournaments at this early point in the season (AKA the "West Coast Swing"). The tournament is held in San Diego, California and played at Torrey Pines Golf Course. Similar to tournaments such as the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the European Tour, the Farmers Insurance Open is actually played on two courses at Torrey Pines, the South and North course, over Thursday and Friday, then the weekend rounds are played on the South course only. Torrey Pines is actually a public course and is situated on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, making it one of the most scenic courses that the PGA Tour stops at during the season.

An interesting fact about this tournament is that it's been a US-dominated event ever since it's inception as the San Diego Open in 1952. Since then, only 2 non-Americans have won the event, Gary Player in '63 and Jose Maria Olazabel in '02. If you're counting, that's only 2 in 62 years.

As we return this week, so does Dustin Johnson, coming back on tour as a new person and new father. Johnson infamously took a leave of absence near the end of last July to deal with personal matters and just became a father less than a month ago. Johnson said he might be a bit rusty, but not to worry as he breaks off rust easily. I'm hoping he'll be in contention for a few tournaments in a few months or maybe weeks.

Finally, here are our picks for the tournament. At this point in the season, I chose my picks based on a lucky feel and not really on how good each player has played so far this year:

1) Rickie Fowler
2) Luke Donald
3) Justin Rose

Some notables in the field include Tiger Woods, fresh off shooting one of the worst rounds in his pro career last week, Mike Weir, our favourite Canadian golfer, and Phil Mickelson, because he's Phil...

Like we always have, we'll be posting a Weekend Update post Friday evening after the weekday rounds, as well as a Results post Sunday evening. Be sure to check those.

And if there isn't any snow on the courses near you, happy golfing,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

The 4th Hole of the South Course at Torrey Pines Golf Club

2014 BMW Championship Picks - Results

The final round of the 2014 BMW Championship has just concluded at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver, Colorado. The winner this year is Billy Horschel who, despite shooting a 69 on his final round, ended up winning the tournament by two shots over Bubba Watson (who finished solo second). This is just Billy's second win on the PGA Tour and perhaps his biggest and most important, with his other win being the 2013 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. With this win, Horschel moves from 20th to 2nd on the FedEx Cup Rankings, a position which puts him in a very good spot for next week's Tour Championship.

Horschel has been playing well in the past two weeks, having finished T2 at last week's Deutsche Bank Championship; he certainly is deserving of this win.

Another big story this week was Rory McIlroy. Rory, who was playing well all week, shocked everyone by making a four-putt on the par 3 12th hole on Saturday. Unfortunately for him and even more surprising to golf fans was the fact that he fout-putted the same hole again just hours ago. I guess this proves that he is human after all.

In other news, two members of Tom Watson's US Ryder Cup team have withdrawn from the tournament due to poor performance; Phil Mickelson and Captian's pick Keegan Bradley. This is the first time Phil will miss the Tour Championship in quite awhile, but he says he withdrew so he could have more time to focus on the Ryder Cup. This caps off a poor year for Mickelson all together.

Finally, here is how our picks finished the tournament:

1) Justin Rose: 35th at even par (E)
2) Webb Simpson: T53 at 5-over (+5)
3) Rickie Fowler: T4 at 9-under (-9)

1) Graeme McDowell: T36 at 1-over (+1)

Again, Rickie Fowler has played well when it matters. 

Stay tuned for our coverage of the final FedEx Cup Playoff event the Tour Championship next week,

-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

2014 US Ryder Cup Team Confirmed

Just a few minutes ago, 2014 US Ryder Cup Captain Tom Watson confirmed his twelve man squad for the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, Scotland, which is being played from September 26th to 28th.

Here is the full squad on the US side:

2014 US Ryder Cup Team
Captain:
Tom Watson

Vice-Captains:
Raymond Floyd, Steve Stricker, Andy North

Team (qualified):
Rickie Fowler
Jim Furyk
Zach Johnson
Matt Kutchar
Phil Mickelson
Patrick Reed
Jordan Speith
Jimmie Walker
Bubba Watson

Captain Picks:
Keegan Bradley
Hunter Mahan
Webb Simpson


The US side also has a great team and will definitely not let the Europeans win without a fight. Let's start with Rickie Fowler, who is making his second appearance (2010 - captain's pick). As we've said many times on this site, Rickie is almost as hot as McIlroy at the moment, or it certainly shows that way. He's an asset to the team for sure. Jim Furyk brings experience to the team, making his ninth appearance this year, as does Phil Mickelson, who is making his eleventh appearance, and Matt Kuchar, making his second appearance. The US team this year also has a few rookies who have played their way onto the team this year in spectacular fashion; Patrick Reed, Jordan Speith, and Jimmie Walker (Speith is the second youngest team member in American history). Zach Johnson and Bubba Watson round out the nine who qualified, and are also assets to the team as well.

As for the picks, Keegan Bradley's game is consistent and very good at the moment, as he makes his second appearance. Hunter Mahan, is the most experienced of the picks and has experienced the highs and lows of the Ryder Cup, having lost the winning point to Graeme McDowell back in the 2010 Ryder Cup. Despite this, his match play record is outstanding and he'll be a valuable player to the team if he can put his bad memories behind him. Webb Simpson rounds out the picks as another consistent player and one with a very good record in his last inaugural Ryder Cup (2012).

It may be played only once every two years, but the Ryder Cup is without a doubt one of the most anticipated events in golf. As always it is sure to make for some great entertainment and feature a type of golf that we might not see on the regular tours.

We know the full teams now, but it's still hard for me to make a pick on who will win the 2014 Ryder Cup. As of now, I'm giving the edge to Europe, but just barely. It's hard to beat the spirit they bring to each Ryder Cup (as Poulter would probably agree). Don't count the US out though, they'll be looking for redemption after the 2012 Ryder Cup AKA the "Miracle at Medinah".

What do you think of the picks? Who do you think will win come the end of September? Leave a comment and let us know,

-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

2014 Deutsche Bank Championship Picks - Results

The final round of the 2014 Deutsche Bank Championship at the Tournament Players Club of Boston in Norton, Massachusetts has just finished and the winner this year is Chris Kirk, who won the tournament by two shots over Geoff Ogilvy, Russel Henley, and Billy Horschel. His final two rounds consisted of a 64 and a 66, which were good enough to make him win the tournament at 15-under (-15). This is Kirk's third PGA tour win and his first since 2013 (The McGladrey Classic).

With this playoff win, Kirk now leads the FedEx Cup Rankings (ousting Hunter Mahan from the top spot), having started ranked 17th earlier this week. Geoff Ogilvy and Billy Horschel have also played themselves into the BMW Championship next week, which features the top-70 in the FedEx Cup rankings as of the end of this tournament. Ogilvy moved from 100th (just making it into this week's event) to 24th, and Horschel from 82nd to 20th.

I think the FedEx Cup playoffs is a true test of a golfers skill and ability to work under pressure and its cases like those of Geoff Ogilvy and Billy Horschel that prove it. Both of these players had to have a good week in order to make it to the next level of the playoffs and the way they played this week showed that they were able to handle this pressure. These situations also and excitement and sometimes nervousness to spectators of the sport, given the fact that just a few extra shots here and there could determine so much. The stakes are very high during the playoffs.

Finally here is how our picks finished this week:

1) Rickie Fowler: T23 at 7-under (-7)
2) Keegen Bradley: T16 at 8-under (-8)
3) Phil Mickelson: T45 at 2-under (-2)

Good play from all the picks this week. All of them will also be playing in next weeks BMW Championship too,

Stay tuned for our coverage of the BMW Championship later on this week,

-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Chris Kirk Wins the 2014 Deutsche Bank Championship (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)