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A Flat Ending For FedEx Cup Playoffs

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 25, 2008

ATLANTA - Chad Campbell tipped over a small bucket of balls Wednesday and hit 5-irons across the pond on the practice green at East Lake, none quite as true as the one he struck five days ago at Valhalla that earned a crucial point in the Ryder Cup.

Campbell, the last player to qualify for the 30-man field at the Tour Championship, will be the first to tee off today. He'll understand if his game doesn't arrive until sometime later in the week.

"It's going to take a few days," he said. "I think once the tournament gets going, I'll be good to go. But everybody is a little bit worn out. There are some guys here who are fresh. I just don't think you can name any of them who were at the Ryder Cup."

Ten Americans who were spraying each other with champagne on Sunday are trying to remind themselves that this, too, is a big week. The Tour Championship features a $7 million purse, and for many players, their final PGA Tour event of the year.

The only two missing at East Lake from the U.S. team are J.B. Holmes and Boo Weekley. Sergio Garcia is the only Ryder Cup player from Europe who qualified for the Tour Championship.

The Ryder Cup is only one component that has taken the sizzle out of the FedEx Cup finale.

A new points system during the PGA Tour Playoffs brought the kind of volatility the tour wanted, but it knocked out several players that otherwise would have had a right to be at East Lake, including Padraig Harrington, who won two majors this year.

As for the drama over who wins the FedEx Cup and the $10 million prize?

They could have started engraving Vijay Singh's name on the trophy two weeks ago. He won the first two playoff events, and now only has to complete four rounds at East Lake to capture the FedEx Cup.

Ochoa Seeks To End Winless Streak
Lorena Ochoa takes another streak into the LPGA Tour's Navistar Classic. For a change, she's trying to end this one.

Ochoa, set to begin play today in Prattville, Ala., is making her first start since the Safeway Classic on Aug. 24 and is winless in seven events.

"It's been challenging in the last months, that I didn't get any wins," Ochoa said. "So it would be nice to start that roll again."

She spent much of the past month at home in Mexico trying to regain the form that helped her win six of her first nine starts this year, including four straight.

Maria Hjorth snapped Ochoa's three-tournament winning streak last year on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail course in suburban Montgomery, picking up her first LPGA Tour winner's check in eight years.

No Love

Davis Love III, a former PGA champion who has played on six Ryder Cup teams, likely is a lock to be the U.S. captain one of these years.

But it doesn't sound like 2010 will be it.

"I would consider myself too young and too interested in still playing," said the 44-year-old Love.

Paul Azinger said he has not thought about being captain again, even if he is asked. The heavy favorite would be Corey Pavin, because Fred Couples will be the Presidents Cup captain next year and most other candidates are on the Champions Tour or too young.

That's not to say Love is not interested. He said if PGA of America CEO Joe Steranka called with an offer, "We'd have a conversation."

"I'd love to be considered," he said. "But I'd love to play, too."

Tidbits

Davis Love III was honored this week with the Payne Stewart Award, given to a PGA Tour player who reflects Payne Stewart's respect for tradition, charity and presentation through dress and conduct. The award has been presented each year at the Tour Championship since 2000, a year after Stewart perished in a plane crash on his way to the PGA Tour's season finale. ... Among the text messages Tiger Woods sent Paul Azinger at the Ryder Cup: "You will win because only Americans win on that course." Valhalla previously hosted the PGA Championship in 1996, won by Mark Brooks, and in 2000, won by Woods. ... David Duval tied for 22nd last week at the Viking Classic, his best finish on the PGA Tour since a tie for 16th in the 2006 U.S. Open.

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