More rounds to make
After the playoffs, some will play on
ATLANTA - Today's final round of the Tour Championship may signal the end to the first PGA Tour playoffs, but to many the schedule will push on.
Robert Allenby and John Rollins are proof of that. And Brandt Snedeker may make three.
They are the only three members of the select 30-player field here at East Lake Golf Club who have committed to the Turning Stone Resort Championship next week in Verona, N.Y. It is the start of the "Fall Series," seven tournaments that may not attract major names but offer plenty of cash - a total of $34.1 million.
Turning Stone alone offers a $6 million pursue, so onward from East Lake will go Allenby and Rollins, while Snedeker is giving it serious thought.
"The
No such contractual issues for Snedeker. He's just a PGA Tour rookie who's trying to see all the tournaments, all the courses, and, what the heck, he's only 26.
If he does go, it would be a seventh straight week for the onetime Vanderbilt standout and his 10th in 12 weeks. What could change his mind is the state of his game; he shot 68 yesterday, but at 1-over-par 211, he's tied with Ernie Els for last place in the 30-player field, the only two players over par.
"As of now, I'd love to go, but I'll see how my body feels," said Snedeker. "I feel good. I wish I could say I was tired, but [the shoddy play] is due to some swing flaws that I need to figure out."
Eric Axley is committed to next week's tournament, which will be his 30th start of the year. If Snedeker goes, he would tie him for the top spot in that category.
Credible witness
There was an incident involving Woody Austin on the 15th green that prompted several replays on NBC and set off speculation that an infraction had taken place. Austin left his birdie putt on the lip and, as he walked to the ball, he seemed to be ready to tap it in when suddenly his putter was jammed into the turf. The suggestion was Austin had tried to tap in the ball, only to misfire.
Austin told rules official Mark Russell that it wasn't the case. He discovered he had support from a credible witness: Tiger Woods. "I watched it. He was fine. There was no rules violation."
Austin shot 69 and is eight shots behind Woods. At 191, Woods surpassed by five shots the 54-hole mark of the previous six Tour Championships held at East Lake.
Way over yonder
Daunting as the par-3, peninsula-green sixth hole is at East Lake, it became even more so when officials pushed back the tee for Round 3. It had played 152 yards Thursday when it yielded six birdies and a 2.833 field average and 158 yards Friday (10 birdies, 2.700 average). But for the third round, players were sent back to 208 yards. There were a comparable number of birdies (six), but there were six bogeys and three double bogeys, so the field average soared to 3.223, which made the hole rank as the hardest. "Obviously, it was way different," said Snedeker, who used a 3-iron after hitting 9-irons the first two days. "I didn't even know they had a tee back there." . . . Told that he'd be paired today with Els, Snedeker seemed excited. "He looks a whole lot bigger than he does on TV," said Snedeker . . . Told that last place in the Tour Championship pays off with a $112,000 check, Snedeker laughed. "It's kind of stupid money, if you ask me," he said.
