Dr. Jeff Poplarski Helps USA National Junior

Matt Csillag of Syosset, recently became the USA National Junior  Maccabi Golf Champion. Matt shot scores of 69, 76 and 76 to win the Qualifying Tournament, which was held at PGA National on the Champions Course in West Palm Beach Florida.  The win qualifies Matt to be a part of the United States Maccabi Team that will play in the World Maccabi Games in Israel next summer.  Matt who will be a junior at Syosset High School this Fall, also recently qualified for the Met Am., finishing tied for 5th out of a field of 130 at Inwood CC, with a score of 73.

Dr. Jeff Poplarski Continues to Help Golf Performance

Dr Jeff Poplarski at Southold Recreation Center instructing a 6 week Golf performance program through golf fitness, golf nutrition and golf power and strength assessments.

Dr. Jeff Poplarski at the 2012 U.S. Open Golf Championship directing the Wellness team which consisted of 115 health care providers at Olympic Club In San Francisco.  Dr. Jeff s team offered Chiropractic care, Massage Therapy, Hyperbaric therapy and physical therapy to the players, caddies and volunteers at the U.S. Open.

Dr. Jeff is a certified Titleiest Performance Institute Medical, Fitness and Junior coach

PETER BUSCH WINS MGA SENIOR OPEN AT GARDEN CITY

PETER BUSCH WINS MGA SENIOR OPEN AT GARDEN CITY

Edges out 2004 champion Ed Whitman in playoff; sets record as oldest champion

Peter Busch of Galloping Hill overcame a three-shot deficit in the final round and defeated fellow New Jerseyan Ed Whitman of Knickerbocker on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to claim the 16th MGA Senior Open Championship at Garden City Country Club. It was the first time the MGA Senior Open was decided in a playoff since 2000, when Jim Miller took the title at Fenway Golf Club.

Busch, who parlayed his sharp first-round 68 with a 72 to finish regulation play with an even-par 140 total in today’s more difficult conditions, became the oldest winner of the championship at 59 years, two weeks. He takes home the $5,000 winner’s share of the $30,000 purse.

Whitman began the day with a three-stroke lead over a quartet of fellow competitors, but it didn’t take long for he and Whitman to separate themselves from the pack. The two were paired together in the final group and matched scores from the 14th hole on, including bogeys on the par-three 17th hole that brought them to just one stroke ahead of clubhouse leader Tom Sutter of Dunwoodie.

After matching pars on the par-4 18th, Busch and Whitman proceeded to sudden death on the par-4 first hole. Whitman came up short with his approach and flew his bunker shot over the green, opening the door for Busch to win with a par.

“We really had fun today,” Busch said. “Ed and I have done battle before, and most of the time he comes out on top. But it’s always great playing with everyone from the Met Area. If you could win something like this, it’s fantastic.”

Whitman, the 2004 Senior Open champion who shot a competitive course record 5-under 65 in the first round, couldn’t really get anything going throughout the day, recording five bogeys and no birdies.

As much as Busch was the story for his grind-it-out style, the weather throughout the championship nearly snatched the headlines. Heavy storms postponed play on Monday, and officials weren’t able to resume the Senior Open until Tuesday at 12:30 p.m.  During the final round on Wednesday, a strong north wind protected the course from a single under-par round.

Sutter, who finished alone in third with a total of 1-over 141, had the low round of the day, an even-par 70. Sutter mentioned that before the final round he thought he needed to shoot something in the 60s, and almost did when his birdie attempt on the 18th green came up just short.  

“I played nicely today,” Sutter said. “You know, it’s always a little easier when you’re behind, so I was relaxed coming in and I’ve been playing pretty solid. The course played tough, the wind was blowing in an opposite direction, so that was a change.”

Taking low amateur honors was 2009 MGA Senior Amateur champion Allan Small of Fairmount. Small, who finished with a 2-over 142 total, tied for fourth along with Kevin Syring of Alpine.

Amateur James Graham of Winged Foot, two-time MGA major winner Mike Diffley of Pelham, two-time MGA Senior Amateur winner Ron Vannelli of Metuchen, and Peter Meurer of State Island Practice Facility finished tied for sixth with totals of 143.

There was a four-way tie for 10th place that included John DeForest Sr. of Rondout, six-time MGA champion Jerry Courville Jr. of Shorehaven, Jack Druga of Shinnecock Hills, defending MGA Senior Open champion Mike Burke Jr. of Montammy, and Charles Bolling of Glen Cove.

The low five amateurs (Small, Graham, Vannelli, Ed Gibstein of Engineers, and Michael Birmingham of Nassau Players) all receive invitations to the 2012 MGA Mid-Amateur Championship, to be played on October 2 and 3 at Meadow Brook Club in Jericho N.Y.

The MGA Senior Open will visit Sunningdale Country Club in Scarsdale, N.Y., next year on August 26 and 27. And for the first time, the MGA will conduct a sectional qualifier where players who are not otherwise exempt into the championship will be required to play their way into the field.

For complete coverage of the 16th MGA Senior Open, including full results, photos, video, and course statistics, visit mgagolf.org.

About the MGA: The Metropolitan Golf Association was founded in 1897 and is one of the nation’s oldest and largest amateur golf associations representing more than 500 clubs in the tri-state Metropolitan Area. Through a network of more than 300 volunteers, and a full-time staff operating out of its Golf Central headquarters in Elmsford, N.Y., the Association fulfills its role as a true non-profit service organization. Through a variety of unique, relevant, and innovative services for member clubs and area golfers, the MGA has established itself as a leader among local and national golf organizations.

ezLocator Helps Golfers Play a New Course Every Day

ezLocator Helps Golfers Play a New Course Every Day

-Superintendents Have A New Tool to Please Players-

Superintendents across the country have found an innovative technology-based software program that has made their jobs of setting pins a lot easier.  The ezLocator, developed by Texan Jon Schultz has revolutionized how pin placements are managed, eliminating the shortcomings of restrictive systems as the quadrant or front, back and middle.  After a GPS system locates all the possible placements on each green, the information is entered in a program and with a click of a button the superintendent can get the job done, allowing the members of the club to enjoy tournament quality pin sheets each time they play.

Schultz, a member at the Dallas Athletic Club, developed the system after chats with other members of his weekend golf group at the club bar.  “It seemed they always played the same pin positions and that all the golfers wanted a tournament like experience every time they teed off,” said Schultz.  From his experience as a top amateur player, a caddie, a tournament chairman, he began developing a system that was easy to use by the superintendent and would enhance the member’s experience.  A test program was conducted at the Dallas Athletic Club that evolved into a unique software application that is on the market today.

When a club or golf course decides to utilize ezLocator, a staff member from Playbooks For Golf visits the course and identifies all the possible hole locations on every green.  Using GPS technology, each green is mapped to find all the possible pin locations. The data is then uploaded into the ezLocator website for easy internet access.  Now the green superintendent can select and place the hole in a new area of the green every day.

Kevin Nettles, superintendent at the Dallas Athletic Club is definitely an advocate of the system.  “There’s nothing like it on the market,” Nettles said.  “Players absolutely love the system and it has allowed me to manage the greens from a stress point.  I can isolate certain areas of the greens when necessary and save certain locations for special events.”

EzLocator is now being used at over 25 clubs and courses across the U.S., including the host site of the 2013 U.S. Open, Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, PA – a club so steeped in tradition that it was surprising to some when Matt Shaffer, director of grounds at Merion, decided to include ezLocator in his program.

"Merion's a difficult golf course to take care of," Shaffer said. "This makes it easier.  By looking at our pin sheets and seeing what kind of play we're getting, we can set things up accordingly and avoid making certain mistakes. And it allows us to water better.”

"We bring a lot of things into this, from topography to maintenance to a whole management program," said Schultz, whose concept is being reviewed by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. "When you do it manually, using the quadrant system, you'd see pins in the same place over and over.  And sometimes, they'd be in the wrong place. We just wanted to improve that process.  It pretty much sells itself.”

"When you're starting out with a business, you want to be identified with the best of the best.  If it works at Merion, I can't imagine a better endorsement. We're optimizing pin locations, based on the characteristics of the greens from our database. We weigh all the factors.  It's an age-old problem.”

"I think it's definitely going to give Merion an opportunity to put itself in the best possible position, said Shaffer.  “It'll give the USGA a lot more flexibility.  I think the players may actually see the difference.”

For more information on ezLocator, please visit the company’s website at www.goezlocator.com or call Jon Schultz at 972-231-4040.

TEAM BAKST REPEATS WIN AT THE 62nd MGA FATHER & SON CHAMPIONSHIP AT WOODMERE

The Woodmere Club opened its doors to 84 teams and 168 players for the 62nd MGA Father & Son Championship. The championship featured a gross modified Pinehurst champion, as well as champions in the net and professional divisions.

For the second consecutive year, Ken and William Bakst of Friars Head took home the trophy, bringing in the low gross score of 3-under 67 to win. One shot back at 2-under 68 was the team of Keith and Neal Schuman of Alpine Country Club. Taking 3rd place was Charlie and Cole Meitner of the Tuxedo Club who shot 1-under 69.

In the professional division, Pravin and John Singh of Kutshers Country Club shot 5-under 65 to lead the field. The Singh duo was 5 shots clear of their closest competitors, Peter and Stephan Busch of Galloping Hill Golf Course and MGA e-Club – New Jersey, who shot even-par 70. Stu and Kenneth Kaufman of Westchester Country Club claimed the net division of the Father & Son Championship at 3-under(net), 67.

Hosting the championship for the first time, The Woodmere Club’s par 70 layout at 6,300 yards received many compliments from today’s competitors.

About the MGA: The Metropolitan Golf Association was founded in 1897 and is one of the nation’s oldest and largest amateur golf associations representing more than 500 clubs in the tri-state Metropolitan Area. Through a network of more than 300 volunteers, and a full-time staff operating out of its Golf Central headquarters in Elmsford, N.Y., the Association fulfills its role as a true non-profit service organization. Through a variety of unique, relevant, and innovative services for member clubs and area golfers, the MGA has established itself as a leader among local and national golf organizations

Barclays Final Round Notes

Final-Round Leaderboard
Nick Watney                 65-69-71-69—274 (-10)
Brandt Snedeker           70-69-68-70—277 (-7)
Sergio Garcia                66-68-69-75—278 (-6)
Dustin Johnson             67-71-72-68—278 (-6)

Players on various FedExCup bubbles
30.    Kyle Stanley                           1,177
70.    Brian Davis                            728
100.   Martin Flores                          556

With Nick Watney’s Victory at The Barclays
After entering the day two strokes behind 54-hole leader Sergio Garcia, Nick Watney carded a final-round 2-under 69 to defeat Brandt Snedeker (70) by three strokes. Garcia (75) and Dustin Johnson (68) were four shots back. His fifth PGA TOUR victory comes at the age of 31 years, 4 months and 1 day in his 214^th career start.

PGA TOUR victories (5):
2007 Zurich Classic of New Orleans
2009 Buick Invitational
2011 World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship, AT&T National
2012 The Barclays

Watney collects 2,500 points and moves from No. 49 to No. 1 in the FedExCup standings, with 3,225 points. He leads Brandt Snedeker by 532 points.

Watney moves into the top 10 in FedExCup points for the first time this season. He finished the 2011 FedExCup ranked No. 9 after starting the Playoffs ranked No. 1.

Of Watney’s five victories, three have been in come-from-behind fashion. He entered the final round on Sunday trailing Sergio Garcia by two strokes. He overcame a five-shot deficit at the 2009 Farmers Insurance Open and a two-stroke deficit at the 2011 World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship.

Watney was ranked No. 1 in the FedExCup standings after the PGA TOUR Regular Season last year and finished ninth, his best showing since the FedExCup began in 2007. He posted a T10 finish in The Barclays 2011, his second top 10 at the event. His best Barclays performance was a T6 in 2009.

Watney missed the cut at the 2009 U.S. Open held at Bethpage Black (73-73).

One year removed from winning twice and posting ten top 10s, Watney entered The Barclays with just three top 10s and a season-best solo 8^th at the Wells Fargo Championship.

Wins in his eighth start at The Barclays, with three top-10 finishes (T6 – 2009, T10 – 2011, 1 – 2012). Watney has missed just one cut (2005) at the event.

Additional highlights of Watney’s victory at The Barclays:

• Wins a FedExCup Playoffs event in his 18^th start; previous best was T4 at 2010 TOUR Championship.
• Including Dustin Johnson’s come-from-behind win in last year’s 54-hole Barclays, records the fifth-consecutive comeback victory at the event.
• Opened this week with a 6-under 65, the third-lowest start by a winner this season, trailing only Scott Piercy (62/RBC Canadian Open) and Zach Johnson (64/Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial).
• Records the 24^th come-from-behind win in 37 stroke-play events on the 2012 PGA TOUR.
• Is the 17^th player in his 30s to win this season, recording the 21^st win by that group.
• Becomes the sixth player to win a World Golf Championships event and a FedExCup Playoffs event, joining Vijay Singh, Steve Stricker, Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose and Tiger Woods.
• Win is the 342^nd by a former member of the Web.com Tour.
• 2012 starts-made cuts-top-10s-wins: 22-19-4-1

Nick Watney Birthdate: April 25, 1981 Birthplace: Sacramento, Calif. Resides: Las Vegas, Nev. Family: Wife, Amber Height, Weight: 6-2, 180 College: Fresno State University (2003) Turned Pro: 2003 Joined PGA TOUR: 2005 Web.com Tour Graduate: 2004

Brandt Snedeker, 2^nd
The runner-up finish for Brandt Snedeker is the third of his career, with his last coming at the 2010 Farmers Insurance Open. He owns three PGA TOUR victories. Snedeker moves from No. 19 to No. 2 in the FedExCup.

With his runner-up finish on Sunday, Brandt Snedeker has finished inside the top five in four of his last seven Playoffs events. The others came at the 2011 Deutsch Bank Championship (T3), The Barclays 2011 (T3) and the 2010 Deutsche Bank Championship (T5).

Sergio Garcia, T3
Just one week after winning the Wyndham Championship (his eighth PGA TOUR victory), Sergio Garcia carried a two-stroke lead into the final round of The Barclays but a final-round 4-over 75 left him four strokes behind champion Nick Watney.

Gracia was seeking to become the first player to win back-to-back PGA TOUR events since Tiger Woods in 2009 (Buick Open, World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational).

With the T3 finish, Garcia jumps from No. 33 to No. 10 in the FedExCup standings. He fell as far as No. 108 in the standings this season and entered the Wyndham Championship at No. 102. His career-best position in the standings was No. 2 following a P2 at The Barclays in 2008.

Garcia was seeking to pull within one win of tying Vijay Singh for the most victories at The Barclays: Singh (4); Garcia, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Ernie Els (2).

The Barclays 2012 represents the ninth time Garcia has held the lead/co-lead entering the final round on TOUR.
Year                      Tournament                                                54-hole Pos.                 Finish
2001                     The Barclays                                                1^st/+2                            Won
2004                     HP Byron Nelson Championship                     1^st/+2                            Won
2005                     Wells Fargo Championship                            1^st /+6                           T2
2006                     Farmers Insurance Open                               T1                                T8
2007                     British Open                                                 1^st/+3                            2^nd
2008                     TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola                1^st/+3                            P2
2009                     Wyndham Championship                               T1                                4^th
2012                     Wyndham Championship                               1^st /+1                                                        Won
2012                     The Barclays                                                1^st/+2                            T3

Garcia has six top-5 finishes in 12 starts at The Barclays. Along with his two wins (2001, 2004), he finished T2 in 2008, 3^rd in 2000, T3 in 2012 and T4 in 2003. His six top 5s trail only Vijay Singh and Ernie Els (7) at The Barclays.

The 32-year-old Spaniard is looking to reach the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola for the first time since 2008, when he suffered playoff defeats at two of the four PGA TOUR Playoff events (The Barclays to Vijay Singh and the TOUR Championship to Camilo Villegas).

Garcia’s T3 finish is his third top-10 finish at Bethpage State Park: The Black Course (2012 The Barclays – T3; 2002 U.S. Open – 4^th; 2009 U.S. Open – T10).

Third-Round Leader Stats
In the 45-year history of The Barclays, the third-round leader/co-leader has gone on to win 24 times (most recently Steve Stricker in 2007). Other than Since Stricker’s win in 2007, winners of The Barclays have come back from 54-hole deficits of one in 2008 (Vijay Singh), four in 2009 (Heath Slocum), five in 2010 (Matt Kuchar) and two in 2012 (Watney). In the rain-shortened 2011 event, Dustin Johnson entered the final round one stroke behind Matt Kuchar.

The third-round leader/co-leader has gone on to win 13 of 37 stroke-play events in 2012, most recently Sergio Garcia last week at the Wyndham Championship.

Additional Player Notes
Tiger Woods' 76 in the final round of The Barclays ties for his second-highest score when entering the final round T10 or better (he was T10 after 54 holes this week).  In 2007 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard, Woods was T10 after 54 holes and shot 76 to finish T22.  At the 1998 Arnold Palmer Invitational, Woods was T2 after 54 holes and shot 77 to finish T13.

Woods, the TOUR’s only three-time winner this season, has now posted an over-par final round six times in 12 tries this season. He finished T38 this week in his seventh start at The Barclays (best finish was T2 in 2009).

Since missing the cut in his first start at The Barclays in 2008, Dustin Johnson has finished T15 in 2009, T9 in 2010, 1^st in 2011 and T3 in 2012.

Participating in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the first time, Lee Westwood finished T5 at The Barclays to move from No. 51 to No. 27 in the FedExCup standings.

Here’s a look at Tim Clark’s last four starts on the PGA TOUR: RBC Canadian Open (T15), PGA Championship (T11), Wyndham Championship (2^nd) and The Barclays (T10).

William McGirt seems to be back on track. After finishing T5 at the True South Classic and T2 at the RBC Canadian Open, he then missed the cut at the PGA Championship and the Wyndham Championship. Despite a 3-over 74 during the second round this week, he rallied to finish T10. He is now No. 46 in the FedExCup.

Graham DeLaet played his final four holes in 4-under (eagle-par-birdie-birdie) en route to a 6-under 65 to advance to the Deutsche Bank Championship. Starting the week No. 106, his finish propelled him to No. 44.

Kevin Stadler finished T10 in his bid to become the ninth player to make The Barclays their maiden victory on the PGA TOUR and first since Jonathan Kaye in 2003. Prior to this week, Stadler advanced to the Deutsche Bank Championship on one previous occasion in 2009, when he finished No. 95 in the FedExCup standings. He will enter TPC Boston ranked No. 43 in the standings.

Barclays Third-Round Notes – Saturday, August 25

Third-Round Notes – Saturday, August 25, 2012

 

Weather: Partly cloudy  with a high of 80. Winds from the E-SE at 8-15 mph.

 

Third-Round Leaderboard

Sergio Garcia                66-68-69—203 (-10)

Nick Watney                  65-69-71—205 (-8)

Kevin Stadler                72-69-65—206 (-7)

Brandt Snedeker           70-69-68—207 (-6)

Bob Estes                    69-66-72—207 (-6)

 

PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup

The Barclays serves as the kickoff to the FedExCup Playoffs.

·       The top-125 players on the final Regular Season FedExCup points list (following the Wyndham Championship) qualified for The Barclays.

·       The top-100 players on the FedExCup points list following The Barclays qualify for the Deutsche Bank Championship.

·       The top-70 players on the FedExCup points list after the Deutsche Bank Championship advance to the BMW Championship, contested at Crooked Stick GC in Indianapolis, Ind., for the first time.

·       Each playoff event offers 2,500 FedExCup points to the winner.

·       The top-30 players following the BMW Championship will qualify for the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola. Prior to the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, a points reset will take place, giving all players in the field a mathematical opportunity to win the FedExCup title. The top-five players control their own destiny and would claim the FedExCup with a victory at East Lake.

·       Any player in the field at The Barclays can mathematically move inside the top five in the points standings with a runner-up finish or victory.

·       In 2011, seven players began the FedExCup Playoffs ranked outside of the top 30 and played their way into the field at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola. 

 

Sergio Garcia – No. 33 in FedExCup – 66-68-69—203 (-10) – 1^st

In search of his third-career victory at The Barclays, Sergio Garcia carded a 2-under 69 Saturday and carries a two-shot lead into the final round. Garcia converted a two-stroke 54-hole lead into victory at The Barclays 2001 and overcame a four-shot deficit to win The Barclays 2004. Last week Garcia converted a one-stroke 54-hole lead into victory at the Wyndham Championship, his eighth PGA TOUR title.

 

The Barclays 2012 represents the ninth time Garcia has held the lead/co-lead entering the final round on TOUR.

Year                      Tournament                                                 54-hole Pos.                 Finish

2001                      The Barclays                                                 1^st/+2                            Won

2004                      HP Byron Nelson Championship                    1^st/+2                            Won

2005                      Wells Fargo Championship                            1^st /+6                           T2

2006                      Farmers Insurance Open                                T1                                 T8

2007                      British Open                                                 1^st/+3                            2^nd

2008                      TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola               1^st/+3                            P2

2009                      Wyndham Championship                               T1                                 4^th

2012                      Wyndham Championship                               1^st /+1                            Won

 

Garcia’s 2-under 69 in the third round is his 23^rd round in the 60s (out of 43 rounds and 11 starts) at The Barclays.

 

After making just two bogeys through the first 36 holes, both at the par-3 No. 3, Garcia made three bogeys in the third round. In addition to his third-consecutive bogey at No. 3, Garcia also made bogeys at Nos. 6 and 10.

 

Garcia captured his eighth PGA TOUR victory last week at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, NC.   The last player to win back-to-back PGA TOUR events was Tiger Woods in 2009 (Buick Open, World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational).

 

Garcia, currently No. 33 in the FedExCup standings, fell as far as No. 103 in the standings this season and entered the Wyndham Championship at No. 102. With a victory at The Barclays, Garcia would move to No. 1 in the FedExCup standings for the first time in his career. His previous best position in the FedExCup standings was No. 2 following a P2 at The Barclays in 2008.

 

Garcia is one of the most successful players at The Barclays, with two career victories that have helped put him at No. 2 in career money earned at the event.

 

The 32-year-old, eight-time PGA TOUR winner is looking to reach the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola for the first time since 2008, when he suffered playoff defeats at two of the four PGA TOUR Playoff events (The Barclays to Vijay Singh and the TOUR Championship to Camilo Villegas).

 

Nick Watney – No. 49 in FedExCup – 65-69-71—205 (-8) – 2^nd

Nick Watney enters the final round two-shots behind Sergio Garcia at 8-under. Watney has come from behind in two of his four PGA TOUR victories. Watney overcame a 5-shot deficit at the 2009 Farmers Insurance Open and a two-shot deficit at the 2011 World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship.

 

Watney was ranked No. 1 in the FedExCup standings after the PGA TOUR Regular Season last year and finished 9^th, his best showing since the FedExCup began in 2007. He posted a T10 finish in The Barclays 2011, his second top 10 at the event. His best Barclays performance was a T6 in 2009.

 

Watney missed the cut at the 2009 U.S. Open held at Bethpage Black (73-73).

 

One year removed from winning twice and posting ten top 10s, entering The Barclays Watney had recorded only three top 10s with his best result a solo 8^th at the Wells Fargo Championship.

 

In seven starts at The Barclays Watney has missed just one cut (2005) and posted two top 10s (T6 – 2009 and T10 – 2011).

 

Third-Round Leader Stats

In the 45-year history of The Barclays, the third-round leader/co-leader has gone on to win 24 times (most recently Steve Stricker in 2007).

 

Since Stricker’s victory in 2007, winners of The Barclays have come back from 54-hole deficits of one in 2008 (Vijay Singh), four in 2009 (Heath Slocum), five in 2010 (Matt Kuchar). In the rain-shortened 2011 event, Dustin Johnson entered the final round one stroke behind Matt Kuchar.

 

The third-round leader/co-leader has gone on to win 13 of 36 stroke-play events in 2012, most recently Sergio Garcia last week at the Wyndham Championship.

 

Additional Player Notes

Brandt Snedeker (6-under, T4) is looking to join Joins Tiger Woods (3), Hunter Mahan, Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson as multiple winners in 2012.  To do so, he'll need to erase a four-shot deficit, but that's nothing new to Snedeker.  He won earlier this year at the Farmers Insurance Open, coming from seven strokes back to claim his third career title.  His second TOUR win came at the 2011 Heritage, where he was six shots back entering the final round.  His first win at the 2007 Wyndham Championship came when he was five shots back entering the final round.

 

Bob Estes remained in contention with a 1-over 72 Saturday and enters the final round four shots behind Sergio Garcia at 6-under. Should he go on to victory Sunday, Estes would become the third player over the age of 46 to win The Barclays. Julius Boros captured The Barclays in 1968 at the age of 48 years, 5 months and 15 days while J.C. Snead won in 1987 at the age of 46 years, 8 months. Estes will be 46 years, 6 months and 24 days old Sunday. The oldest winner on the PGA TOUR in 2012 is Steve Stricker (44 years, 10 months, 17 days) at the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

 

Kevin Stadler moved into contention with a bogey-free 6-under 65 in the third round and is alone in 3^rd at 7-under. Should he go on to win, Stadler would become the ninth player to make The Barclays their maiden victory on the PGA TOUR and first since Jonathan Kaye in 2003. In five previous starts at The Barclays, Stadler’s best finish came in 2011 when he finished T64. Stadler has only advanced to the Deutsche Bank Championship on one previous occasion in 2009 when he finished No. 95 in the FedExCup standings. He is currently projected to move to No. 16 (Entered Playoffs No. 70).

 

In 2011 William McGirt entered the FedExCup Playoffs No. 125 in the point standings, but was able to advance to the Deutsche Bank Championship after improving to No. 96 on the strength of a T25 at The Barclays. In 2012, McGirt entered the week No. 74 in the FedExCup standings and is currently T10 at 4-under.

 

Competing in the FedExCup Playoffs for the first time, Lee Westwood carded a 3-under 68 in third round and is T10 at 4-under. Westwood is making his first start at The Barclays since 2006 (MC) and just his third overall (1998 – T47). He is projected to move to No. 38 in the FedExCup standings after entering the week No. 51.

 

Gary Christian began the final round 5-under and playing in the fifth to last group off with Tiger Woods, but carded two bogeys and a double in his first five holes en route to a 6-over 42 on the outward nine. He finished the day with a 77 and is T43. Christian entered the week No. 124 and is currently projected at No. 101.

 

Tim Clark made eight birdies Saturday en route to a 4-under 67 and improved 42 positions from T52 to T10.

 

Four-time winner of The Barclays Vijay Singh can move out of a tie with Jack Nicklaus for most top 10s in tournament history this week with 10. Singh, who won The Barclays in 1993, 1995, 2006 and 2008 is currently T22 after a third round 76.

 

Barclays Second-Round Notes – Friday, August 24

Second-Round Notes – Friday, August 24, 2012
Weather: Mostly sunny with a high of 85. Winds from the south at 6-12 mph.
Second-Round Leaderboard
Nick Watney 65-69—134 (-8) Sergio Garcia 66-68—134 (-8) Vijay Singh 68-67—135 (-7) Bob Estes 69-66—135 (-7)
36-hole Cut
The 36-hole cut was made at 1-over 143, with 75 professionals advancing to the weekend.
PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup
The Barclays serves as the kickoff to the FedExCup Playoffs.

• The top-125 players on the final Regular Season FedExCup points list (following the Wyndham
  Championship) qualified for The Barclays.
  
• The top-100 players on the FedExCup points list following The Barclays qualify for the Deutsche Bank
  Championship.
  
• The top-70 players on the FedExCup points list after the Deutsche Bank Championship advance to the
  BMW Championship, contested at Crooked Stick GC in Indianapolis, Ind., for the first time.
  
• Each playoff event offers 2,500 FedExCup points to the winner.
  
• The top-30 players following the BMW Championship will qualify for the TOUR Championship by Coca-
  Cola. Prior to the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, a points reset will take place, giving all players in the field a mathematical opportunity to win the FedExCup title. The top-five players control their own destiny and would claim the FedExCup with a victory at East Lake.
  
• Any player in the field at The Barclays can mathematically move inside the top five in the points standings with a runner-up finish or victory.
  
• In 2011, seven players began the FedExCup Playoffs ranked outside of the top 30 and played their way into the field at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola.
  Nick Watney – No. 49 in FedExCup – 65-69—134 (-8) – T1
  Nick Watney followed up an opening-round 6-under 65 with a 2-under 69 to move into a share of the lead with Sergio Garcia after the second round of The Barclays. His round included a rollercoaster finish on the last seven holes, going bogey-birdie-birdie-birdie-bogey-par-bogey.
  Watney’s round included an eagle on the par-4 fifth hole, the 11th of his career in PGA TOUR Playoffs events (only Hunter Mahan, with 12, has more).
  This marks the fifth time in Watney’s PGA TOUR career he has held the second-round lead/co-lead: 2012 Wells Fargo Championship (finished eighth), 2009 Transitions Championship (T12), 2009 Waste Management Phoenix Open (T12) and the 2006 Wyndham Championship (T6).
  Watney was ranked No. 1 in the FedExCup standings after the PGA TOUR Regular season last year and finished 9th, his best showing since the FedExCup began in 2007. He posted a T10 finish in The Barclays 2011, his second top 10 at the event. His best Barclays performance was a T6 in 2009.
  Watney missed the cut at the 2009 U.S. Open held at Bethpage Black (73-73).
  Sergio Garcia – No. 33 in FedExCup – 66-68—134 (-8) – T1
  Sergio Garcia, a two-time winner of The Barclays (2001, 2004), posted his 22nd round in the 60s (out of 42 rounds and 11 starts) in round two and shares the lead with Nick Watney after two rounds.
  

Garcia has just two bogeys through the first two rounds, both coming at the par-3 third hole.

Like Watney, this marks the fifth time Garcia has held/shared the second-round lead on TOUR: 2011 HP Byron Nelson Championship (T20), 2007 British Open (2), 2005 Wells Fargo Championship (T2) and The Barclays 2001 (won).
A below-average season by Garcia’s standards has turned around with his victory last week at the Wyndham Championship. The win was just his second top-10 finish of 2012, after a T4 to start his PGA TOUR season at the Northern Trust Open. The last player to win back-to-back PGA TOUR events was Tiger Woods in 2009 (Buick Open, World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational).
Garcia, currently No. 33 in the FedExCup standings, fell as far as No. 103 in the standings this season and entered the Wyndham Championship at No. 102.
Garcia is one of the most successful players at The Barclays, with two career victories that have helped put him at No. 2 in career money earned at the event. Entering this week, Garcia ranked seventh in career stroke average at 69.33 in 40 rounds at The Barclays.
The 32-year-old, eight-time PGA TOUR winner is looking to reach the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola for the first time since 2008, when he suffered playoff defeats at two of the four PGA TOUR Playoff events (The Barclays to Vijay Singh and the TOUR Championship to Camilo Villegas).
Garcia finished fourth and T10 at the U.S. Open at Bethpage in 2002 and 2009, respectively. 

Second-Round Leader Stats
In the 45-year history of The Barclays, the second-round leader/co-leader has gone on to win 12 times (most recently Vijay Singh in 2006).
The second-round leader/co-leader has gone on to win just seven of 36 stroke-play events in 2012, most recently Scott Piercy at the RBC Canadian Open. 

Additional Player Notes
Tiger Woods sits T7 as he seeks to win The Barclays for the first time in his seventh start at the event. His best finish at The Barclays is T2 in 2009.
Making his 20th career start at The Barclays, Vijay Singh (68-67) opens with two rounds in the 60s for just the second time (2011/65-64). With four wins, Singh (currently T3) leads a group of five players with multiple wins at The Barclays: Singh (4); and Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia (2).
With rounds of 69-66, Bob Estes (T3) opens with two rounds in the 60s for the first time in 13 career starts at The Barclays. The four-time PGA TOUR winner is making his 609th official TOUR start this week.
First-round leader Padraig Harrington, winner of The Barclays in 2005, carded a 4-over 75 during the second round, falling to T16. On Thursday, Harrington carded a 6-under 29 on Bethpage’s final nine holes (matching his career-low nine hole score on TOUR). On Friday, he posted a 5-over 40 on that same side en route to a 75.
Luke Donald (T52) three-putted the second hole on Friday, snapping a streak of 310 holes in the Playoffs without a three-putt. The streak dated to the third round of the 2010 TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola (21 holes/2010, 270 holes/2011, 19 holes/2012). 

Among players in the top 10 on the leaderboard, John Huh (T7) and Gary Christian (T7) are making their first appearance at The Barclays. Two players have won in their first appearance at this event – Jack Renner (1979) and Vijay Singh (1993). Eight players have made The Barclays their first PGA TOUR win: Andy North (1977); Jack Renner (1979); Wayne Grady (1989); Vijay Singh (1993); JP Hayes (1998); Dennis Paulson (2000); Chris Smith (2002); and Jonathan Kaye (2003). 

Defending FedExCup champion Bill Haas missed the cut after rounds of 71-75. He entered the week ranked No. 21 in the FedExCup standings and is currently projected at No. 32.
There were two aces on Friday: Chris Kirk on No. 17 with a 5-iron from 190 yards and Roberto Castro on No. 14 with an 8-iron from 154 yards. 

Jason Bohn withdrew prior to the start of the second round with a back injury. Matt Every withdrew during the second round with a neck injury. 

FedExCup Implications
Players ranked between No. 101-125 will need a good finish at The Barclays to move into the top 100 in the standings and move on to the Deutsche Bank Championship. Here’s how they stand through two rounds: 

Rank / Player

101. 101  Jonas Blixt
     
102. 102  T ommy Gainey
     
103. 103  Bob Estes
     
104. 104  Kevin Chappell
     
105. 105  Davis Love III
     
106. 106  Graham DeLaet
     
107. 107  Jeff Maggert
     
108. 108  David Hearn
     
109. 109  Kevin Streelman
     
110. 110  Brian Gay
     
111. 111  Gary Christian
     
112. 112  Robert Allenby
     
113. 113  Jason Day
     
114. 114  Trevor Immelman
     
115. 115  James Driscoll
     
116. 116  Rod Pampling
     
117. 117  Henrik Stenson
     
118. 118  Troy Kelly
     
119. 119  Billy Mayfair
     
120. 120  Colt Knost
     
121. 121  Harrison Frazar
     
122. 122  Jerry Kelly
     
123. 123  Boo Weekley
     
124. 124  Heath Slocum
     
125. 125  Jason Bohn
     

FedExCup status
Currently projected No. 82 Currently projected No. 83 Currently projected No. 25 Eliminated from the Playoffs Eliminated from the Playoffs Currently projected No. 105 Currently projected No. 111 Currently projected No. 112 Currently projected No. 99 Currently projected No. 115 Currently projected No. 54 Eliminated from the Playoffs Currently projected No. 93 Currently projected No. 101 Currently projected No. 116 Currently projected No. 118 Currently projected No. 74 Currently projected No. 95 Currently projected No. 119 Eliminated from the Playoffs Eliminated from the Playoffs Eliminated from the Playoffs Eliminated from the Playoffs Eliminated from the Playoffs Eliminated from the Playoffs 

In the history of the FedExCup, here’s a look at how many players have advanced to the Deutsche Bank Championship when starting from outside the cut line (top 120 in 2007-08; top 100 from 2009-present):
2011 8 players 2010 6 players 2009 4 players 2008 15 players 2007 2 players.

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Marine Park to be Featured on the Golf Channel This Coming Monday

Tune in to The Golf Channel THIS MONDAY, AUGUST 27TH, at 8:30pm, Eastern Standard Time. During their GolfNow New York episode, the Golf Channel, and host Lauren Thompson, visited Marine Park Golf Course. Lauren and one of our pros, Hunter Watkins, played a couple of holes and discussed NYC golf as well as the improvements to our beautiful course here in Brooklyn. We're proud to call this course our home and are thrilled that millions of others will be able to catch a glimpse of it on national television.

Barclays First-Round Notes

First-Round Notes – Thursday, August 23, 2012

PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup
The Barclays serves as the kickoff to the FedExCup Playoffs.

• The top-125 players on the final Regular Season FedExCup points list (following the Wyndham
  Championship) qualified for The Barclays.
  
• The top-100 players on the FedExCup points list following The Barclays qualify for the Deutsche Bank
  Championship.
  
• The top-70 players on the FedExCup points list after the Deutsche Bank Championship advance to the
  BMW Championship, contested at Crooked Stick GC in Indianapolis, Ind., for the first time.
  
• Each playoff event offers 2,500 FedExCup points to the winner.
  
• The top-30 players following the BMW Championship will qualify for the TOUR Championship by Coca-
  Cola. Prior to the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, a points reset will take place, giving all players in the field a mathematical opportunity to win the FedExCup title. The top-five players control their own destiny and would claim the FedExCup with a victory at East Lake.
  
• Any player in the field at The Barclays can mathematically move inside the top five in the points standings with a runner-up finish or victory.
  
• In 2011, seven players began the FedExCup Playoffs ranked outside of the top 30 and played their way into the field at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola.
  Padraig Harrington – No. 62 in FedExCup – 64 (-7)
  Padraig Harrington, winner of The Barclays in 2005, carded six birdies to shoot 29 on the back nine en route to a 64 (-7). Harrington’s 64 is his lowest round since a career-best 61 (31-30) at the Transitions Championship in March (finished T20). The 29 matches Harrington’s career low for nine holes on the PGA TOUR. He shot a back-nine 29 at the 2007 TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola in the first round (finished T11).
  Harrington’s 64 ties the lowest round in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event at Bethpage State Park: The Black Course, posted by Lucas Glover (R2) and Mike Weir (R1) at the 2009 U.S. Open, when the course was played as a par 70.
  Harrington finished T8 (70-68-73-75) and missed the cut (76-76) at the two U.S. Opens held at Bethpage, in 2002 and 2009, respectively.
  Harrington has held or shared an 18-hole lead in a PGA TOUR event six previous times, most recently after his opening-round 61 at the 2012 Transitions Championship. He has not converted any of those 18-hole leads into victory. In fact, Harrington has only led in one round en route to his five PGA TOUR victories – at The Barclays 2005, when he shared the 54-hole lead with Jim Furyk. At that event, Harrington made a 65-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to edge Furyk by one shot.
  A win this week would make Harrington the sixth player to win The Barclays more than once: Vijay Singh (4); and Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia (2).
  In the 45-year history of The Barclays, the first-round leader/co-leader has gone on to win nine times.
  

Nick Watney – No. 49 in FedExCup – 65 (-6)
Nick Watney’s opening-round 65 is his second-lowest round of the year, behind a 64 during round two of the Wells Fargo Championship (finished 8th).
Watney was ranked No. 1 in the FedExCup standings after the PGA TOUR Regular season last year and finished 9th, his best showing since the FedExCup began in 2007. He posted a T10 finish in The Barclays 2011, his second top 10 at the event. His best Barclays performance was a T6 in 2009.
Watney missed the cut at the 2009 U.S. Open held at Bethpage Black (73-73).
Brian Harman – No. 97 in FedExCup – 65 (-6)
In his FedExCup Playoffs debut, rookie Brian Harman posted seven birdies against one bogey in round one and is one shot off Harrington’s lead. Harman is one of 11 rookies to make the FedExCup Playoffs.
Harman has eight top-25 finishes. Earning his first PGA TOUR top 10 would move Harman into the top 40 in FedExCup points and would go a long way toward getting him to the FedExCup finale in Atlanta. Based on the last three years, it’s projected that Harman needs to finish 68th this week in order to move into the top 100 in FedExCup points and advance to next week’s Playoffs event in Boston.
Since the FedExCup began in 2007, the best finish by a rookie in the final standings is 20th – by Brandt Snedeker in 2007 and by Marc Leishman in 2009. The only other rookies to advance to the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola are Keegan Bradley (2011, 20th) and Andres Romero (2008, 28th).
Harman’s best finish thus far this season is a T19 at the RBC Canadian Open, where he carded a career-low 63 in the second round. 

Two players have won in their first appearance in The Barclays – Jack Renner (1979) and Vijay Singh (1993). Eight players have made The Barclays their first PGA TOUR win: Andy North (1977); Jack Renner (1979); Wayne Grady (1989); Vijay Singh (1993); JP Hayes (1998); Dennis Paulson (2000); Chris Smith (2002); and Jonathan Kaye (2003). 

Pat Perez – No. 72 in FedExCup – 66 (-5)
Pat Perez opened with a 5-under 66 in his 10th appearance in 2002 his best finish. In his six starts since The Barclays became the first event of the FedExCup Playoffs, his only made cut led to a T60 finish in 2010.
Perez, No. 72 on the FedExCup points list, entered the week with a 73.4 scoring average in opening rounds at The Barclays, dating to the first season of the Playoffs in 2007. During that span, his only other score in the 60s in 11 rounds was a first-round 67 in 2010.
Last year, Perez withdrew from The Barclays following an opening-round 79.
In 11 full seasons on the PGA TOUR, Perez is still seeking his first trip to the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola.

Sergio Garcia – No. 33 in FedExCup – 66 (-5) st Sergio Garcia, a two-time winner of The Barclays (2001, 2004), posted his 21 rounds and 11 starts) in round one and is two shots off of Harrington’s lead.

round in the 60s (out of 41

start at The Barclays, with a T2 finish in his inaugural

A below-average season by Garcia’s standards has turned around with his victory last week at the Wyndham Championship. The win was just his second top-10 finish of 2012, after a T4 to start his PGA TOUR season at the Northern Trust Open. The last player to win back-to-back PGA TOUR events was Tiger Woods in 2009 (Buick Open, World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational).
Garcia fell as far as No. 103 in the FedExCup standings and entered the Wyndham Championship at No. 102.
Garcia is one of the most successful players at The Barclays, with two career victories that have helped put him at No. 2 in career money earned at the event. Entering this week, Garcia ranked seventh in career stroke average at 69.33 in 40 rounds at The Barclays.
The 32-year-old, eight-time PGA TOUR winner is looking to reach the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola for the first time since 2008, when he suffered playoff defeats at two of the four PGA TOUR Playoff events (The Barclays to Vijay Singh and the TOUR Championship to Camilo Villegas).
Garcia finished fourth (68-74-67-74) and T10 (70-70-72-70) at the U.S. Open at Bethpage in 2002 and 2009, respectively. 

Misc. Notes
There were 34 rounds in the 60s during round 1 of The Barclays. In the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage, there were 26 for the entire four days of competition (60 in the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage over four days).
Bill Haas opened the defense of his FedExCup title with an even-par (71).

K.J. Choi, a runner-up to Steve Stricker at The Barclays 2007, the first FedExCup Playoffs event, got off to a strong start with a 67 (-4) in round one at Bethpage. Choi has seven top-10 finishes in the FedExCup Playoffs, trailing only Steve Stricker and Camilo Villegas, who are tied for most with 10 each, and Jim Furyk (8). Phil Mickelson also has seven. 

Steve Stricker extended his lead in the category of “Rounds in the 60s – FedExCup Playoffs,” carding a 69 (-2) in the opening round. He now has 47 rounds in the 60s, followed by Jim Furyk (37), Phil Mickelson (36 – includes his 68 in round one) and Hunter Mahan (35). 

Luke Donald opened The Barclays 2012 with a 3-under 68. A year ago, Donald set a single-season Playoffs record, playing all 270 holes without a three-putt. He began this week where he left off last year, playing all 18 holes on Thursday without a three-putt. Donald led the TOUR in 2011 in three-putt avoidance. This year he ranks ninth.