Round 4: Wyndham Championship
August 21 2011
4:37 pm
Leonard bogeys last, falls to 126
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Justin Leonard’s chances of competing in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup have likely ended with a bogey at the 18th hole.
Leonard drove it into the left rough and had to chip out. He hit his third shot to 12 feet but his par putt didn’t sniff the hole. That lifted William McGirt back to No. 125 and gave Padraig Harrington some breathing room at 124th.
Leonard is now ranked No. 126 and appears to be headed for a five-week break with the family.
4:30 pm
Gainey falls further down board
An out-out-bounds tee shot on the long par-4 11th resulted in a double bogey for Tommy Gainey, likely ending his bid to become the latest first-time winner on the PGA TOUR.
Driving accuracy has been his Achilles Heel all week. He’s only hit half his fairways, putting him near last in the field.
Still, all is not lost. He’s assured a prime seed in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, which he missed as a rookie in 2008.
4:26 pm
Mallinger bogey changes bubble
GREENSBORO, N.C. — John Mallinger has just bogeyed the 11th hole, playing a bit of Army golf from the rough.
With that, he dropped into a five-way tie for second — and out of the top 125. That boosted Padraig Harrington back to No. 124 and William McGirt back to the bubble spot. Justin Leonard, who is playing the 18th hole, is less than a point behind.
Minutes later, though, McGirt and Leonard had changed spots – likely due to Tommy Gainey’s double bogey at the 11th hole.
4:10 pm
McGirt plays waiting game
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM
GREENSBORO, N.C. — First, William McGirt planned to hit the showers.
Once he had a feel for whether he had a chance of remaining inside the top 125 in the FedExCup standings, McGirt was going to hit the road — literally, as well as figuratively. He was either headed home to Boiling Springs, S.C., or off to Plainfield, N.J., to make his debut in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.
"One way or the other, driving somewhere," McGirt said.
The PGA TOUR rookie was the bubble boy when he finished off a round of 70 on Sunday. For the next two hours, McGirt dropped in and out of the top 125 – primarily locked in a tight battle with Justin Leonard, who was just teeing off when he finished.
"I wish it was in my hands and not in somebody else’s hands," McGirt said. "I know there’s three guys out there that can pass me. I wish it was left up to me. I just didn’t drive it very well today and every putt I hit burned the edge. … Just sit around and wait all day and see, I guess."
McGirt said he knew he was projected at No. 125 as he played his final three holes. He had two birdie putts inside 16 feet and another chance from 36 on the final hole but couldn’t convert.
"The shots I hit, the last three holes … I was very pleased with," McGirt said. “My caddy asked me on 16 green walking to 17 tee he said, ‘Do you want to know where we stand?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘Right now we’re projected at 125.’ So, you know, right now I just wish it was in my hands and not somebody else’s."
3:57 pm
Gainey drops another shot
Tough opening nine for Tommy Gainey as he tries to win for the first time on the PGA TOUR. The South Carolinian — already well inside the top 50 in the FedExCup race — bogeyed the ninth to fall four shots back of Webb Simpson, who birdied the same hole to get to 16 under.
Sundays have bothered Gainey all year. He’s 94th in Final Round Scoring Average. His best Sunday score was a 68 at the Viking Classic, where he tied for seventh.
3:39 pm
Villegas continues to gain ground
GREENSBORO, N.C. — With every birdie he makes on Sunday, Camilo Villegas is gaining momentum for the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.
Villegas came into the week with the target on his back, ranked No. 125 in the FedExCup. He treaded water with a first-round 70 but is now 11 under with three holes remaining — and he’s gained 10 spots in the standings, in the process.
Interestingly, the man ranked No. 116 right now is Ernie Els, who was one spot below Villegas at the start of the week. The South African, who started the round five strokes off the lead, is 1 over for the day through 10 holes and currently tied for 23rd.
2:50 pm
Harrington will watch and wait
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Padraig Harrington has an accountancy degree so he knows numbers, and the Irishman will certainly be staring at some on Sunday afternoon.
He is currently projected as the FedExCup bubble boy with several players on the golf course who could impact his standing. Prime among those is John Mallinger, who is currently tied for second – but needs solo second or a win to move into the top 125.
Justin Leonard, who started the week ranked No. 147, is currently projected at No. 126. He’s just made the turn at 9 under for the tournament. Mallinger, on the other hand, has played four holes.
"I never like to do things easy," Harrington said with a wry smile after he finished off a round of 68 that left him in at 6 under for the week. "I don’t know why. I got myself in a great position. I hit it down the flag all day I had some good chances coming home. …
"The only saving grace I can take from the day is it’s obviously windier today and it’s Sunday pin placements. I’m hoping that that storm doesn’t come in and it stays the same conditions for the rest of the day because … the scoring is a little tougher out there and hopefully I hang on in there."
Harrington, who decided to play in the Wyndham Championship on Friday after he finished his second round at the PGA Championship, was pleased with his performance overall – despite missing two putts inside 6 feet on the back nine, one for birdie and the other for par. He ranked 130th when he came to Greensboro, just four spots off the bubble.
“I played well enough,” Harrington said. “Hopefully I played well enough. Why do I do it to myself? It was bad enough last night looking at the predictions, they just change so much. … There’s a lot of movement out there, and we won’t actually know until the last putt is holed. It’s unfortunate.
“… There’s so many things that are still well out of my control completely because I’m finished. Still we’ll look at it. I’ll watch it all day and analyze it to the Nth degree but I suppose I can’t do anything about it.”
Asked about his plans for the next month, Harrington didn’t waiver, though.
“I’m thinking of playing the Barclays at the moment,” he said. “I’m trying to be positive about that. And That’s where my head lands. I kind f feel if I get it it could be a great opportunity for me. If I have four good weeks I could win the FedExCup and have a great year and that’s what the Playoffs is about.
“It gives everybody who gets into them an opportunity and I’m just hoping I get that opportunity.”
AUDIO: Harrington talks to the PGA TOUR Network about his efforts to make the Playoffs
2:50 pm
Els still has work to do
A slow start in the final round of the Wyndham Championship has Ernie Els projected at 117th … and falling.
Els has two bogeys on the front nine, sliding him back to 118th in the projected FedExCup. He will need to hold his position (meaning, likely shoot around 72) to make the field at The Barclays next week.
Since birdieing the fifth hole on Saturday, Els has just one birdie in his last 18 holes.
2:25 pm
Mallinger moves within bubble
A birdie-birdie start has John Mallinger at 14 under and in solo second — and he will likely need to hold his position if he wants to make the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.
Mallinger, who has made just five cuts in 13 starts this year, can get 300 points with a solo second.
Mallinger made the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup every year from 2007 to 2009, but a disastrous 2010 cost him his TOUR card.
2:16 pm
Pettersson’s crazy opening birdie
Chrysanthemums, or mums for short, are a staple of Southern plant life as fall approaches. Carl Pettersson met some up and close and personal on Sunday.
His opening drive went so far left that his ball landed in a row of potted mums. After a lengthy search, his ball was found … and he was able to get his ball near the green. From 18 yards out, Pettersson chipped in for birdie to get to 13 under, only two back of Webb Simpson.
Petersson birdied the first hole three times this week.
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