GOLF TOUR NEWS:IF YOU keep on knocking on the door, somewhere and sometime they've got to let you in. In the case of Matt Kuchar, the answer to his constant calling came in the Barclays Championship at Paramus in New Jersey on Sunday where – after a season of close calls – the amiable American finally found a way to inveigle a victory and did so with a shot which was worth the long wait.
Kuchar very nearly didn’t get the chance to secure the win. Scotland’s Martin Laird – who’d started the round five shots clear of Kuchar – had the title in his grasp, only to three-putt the 18th green in regulation for a finishing bogey. It left him tied with Kuchar on 272, 12-under-par.
In the play-off, though, Kuchar closed in style as he hit a 192-yard seven-iron approach from thick rough which scooted up the fairway onto the green and then used the fringe of the putting surface to curl down within 18 inches of the cup. It set Kuchar up for a winning birdie, which also moved him to the top of the US Tour’s FedEx Cup standings and up to a career-high 10th in the official world rankings.
Kuchar’s win was his third consecutive top-10 finish – following on from the US PGA and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational – and gave him his 10th top-10 of the season, the most by any player on the US Tour.
In moving to number one on the FedEx Cup standings, Kuchar has attained favouritism heading into the final stretch up to the Tour Championship on his home course at East Lake but admitted the win – an overdue one given the form he has been in this season – was the icing on the cake.
“I would have shut down the year had I not won and been pretty pleased with my year. To win, it’s an incredible year.
“There’s nothing like the feeling of winning a PGA Tour golf tournament. You feel like you are the best player in the world for this week, it’s an amazing feeling and one I’m awfully proud of,” said Kuchar.
Laird, for his part, has moved to a career-high 61st in the world rankings and came within touching distance of a second career win. The 27-year-old Glaswegian – who stayed on in the States after securing a marketing degree on a golfing scholarship to Colorado – required a two-putt par on the 72nd hole to claim the title. But, having taken only 22 putts on the previous 17 greens, Laird three-putted to open the door to Kuchar.
Of his thoughts on seeing Kuchar’s approach to the first play-off hole, Laird remarked: “You know, you gotta smile. You can’t do anything about that. He hit a great shot.”
Laird, who moved up from 95th in the FedEx Cup standings before the Barclays to third after his runner-up finish, is guaranteed a start in the three remaining tournaments in pursuit of the $10 million bonus to whoever tops the standings after the Tour Championship.
“I thought I’d probably be a little more gutted than I am. I’m going to take a lot out of this week. The way I’m playing, I don’t see why I can’t be in contention the next few weeks,” said Laird, who plays in this week’s Deutsche Bank tournament in Boston and next week’s BMW Championship at Cog Hill in Chicago. After the BMW, only the top-30 players on the FedEx Cup standing advance to the no-cut Tour Championship.
Meanwhile, Bernhard Langer continued his remarkable season on the Champions Tour by taking his fifth title of the season with victory in the Boeing Classic by three strokes from Nick Price.
“I think right now I’m playing almost as good as I’ve ever played. I think my golf swing improved. The technique is better. My caddie said he hadn’t seen me drive the ball as well as the last few weeks, ever,” said Langer, who tops the Champions Tour money list.
THE BARCLAYS CHAMPIONSHIP
At Ridgewood Country Club, Paramus, Bergen County, New Jersey
Leading final scores(USA unless stated, par 71): 272– Matt Kuchar 68 69 69 66 (Matt Kuchar won at first play-off hole), Martin Laird (Sco) 69 67 65 71; 274– Steve Stricker 70 70 68 66, Kevin Streelman 72 63 71 68; 275– Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 68 74 69 64, Vaughn Taylor 65 70 71 69, Ryan Palmer 66 74 66 69, Jason Day (Aus) 67 67 70 71; 276– Dustin Johnson 71 69 64 72, Adam Scott (Aus) 66 71 68 71, Heath Slocum 67 71 70 68; 277– Tiger Woods 65 73 72 67, Ben Crane 67 70 73 67, Paul Casey (Eng) 69 69 70 69; 278– Justin Rose (Eng) 72 69 65 72, John Senden (Aus) 67 69 70 72, Ian Poulter (Eng) 70 72 66 70, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 68 71 69 70, Luke Donald (Eng) 70 72 68 68, Stewart Cink 67 69 73 69. Irish: 283– Padraig Harrington 69 68 71 75; 285– Rory McIlroy 68 74 71 72.
