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DEUTSCHE BANK NOTEBOOK

Quigley can’t help but look ahead

By Michael Whitmer
Globe Staff / September 6, 2009

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NORTON - At No. 59 in the FedEx Cup points standings, Brett Quigley said he had one focus this week at the Deutsche Bank Championship: play well enough to remain in the top 70 so he can advance to next week’s BMW Championship.

The first step has been taken, Quigley playing his last 11 holes in 3 under par yesterday to make the cut with two shots to spare. But he doesn’t think his work is done.

“I made the cut last week and lost a bunch of spots, so it’s not just a matter of making the cut this week. I’ve got to play well,’’ said Quigley, who shot 69 and is 3 under par. “It’s probably tougher playing to try to make the cut than thinking about winning, and I was certainly thinking about the cut the last nine holes.’’

Starting his round on the back nine, the Massachusetts native eagled No. 12, holing his second shot from 178 yards. But three straight bogeys followed, dropping him below the projected cut line. Quigley responded with a birdie on the 17th hole, and two-putt birdies on the par-5 18th and par-5 second.

“I feel like I played well and putted well, so hopefully a low one’s coming,’’ said Quigley, who starts the third round tied for 43d.

Running a little hot
The frame is the same, the walk is similar, and he can get a little upset on the golf course, just like his father. Kevin Stadler had every right to be a little hot the way he finished his second round, making bogey on three of his final four holes to miss the cut by two shots.

Stadler, finishing on the front nine, bogeyed No. 6, then missed a birdie chance on the par-5 seventh. When he short-sided himself by putting his tee shot on the par-3 eighth hole into a greenside bunker, he tossed his club from the tee into his bag. A missed 22-footer for par led to another bogey, putting Stadler on the wrong side of the cut line.

His drive on the ninth hole just snuck into the first cut of rough to the right of the fairway, and when he pulled his second shot well left and short, Stadler angrily slammed his iron to the ground, snapping it in half. He grabbed the part that included the clubhead, walked across the fairway, and tossed it into the high fescue. To cap his round, he failed to get up and down, shot 70, and guaranteed that he wouldn’t advance to the BMW Championship, since he’s No. 92 on the points list.

Albatross sighting
John Senden made the first double eagle in tournament history, the second of his career, and the third on the PGA Tour this season, holing a 4-iron from 250 yards for a deuce on the par-5 second hole, which measured 562 yards. It played the easiest on the day, with nine eagles and 44 birdies, but Senden’s albatross stood out.

“I wasn’t expecting anything like that,’’ said Senden, who also made a double eagle at the 1993 Mount Isa Open, a local tournament in his native Australia. “It looked like to me it went over the hole. I didn’t see it go in. Then when I saw the cheers go up I knew it was in the hole, so it was exciting.’’

The double eagle wasn’t the only highlight of Senden’s day. He made six birdies, shot 64, and is one of six players tied for fifth at 9 under.

Time well spent
As Retief Goosen studied, and studied, and studied his approach to the par-5 seventh hole, a spectator was overheard saying “My God, I could have had lunch.’’ Goosen’s deliberate preparation paid off: His third shot, from 64 yards, came to rest 8 feet away, and he sank the putt for birdie . . . Fred Couples must be thinking about the Presidents Cup. The leader for the US team, who will announce his two captain’s picks Tuesday, didn’t beat anybody at the Deutsche Bank Championship, finishing last out of the 99 players after rounds of 74-77 . . . Kevin Streelman came close to making his own double eagle, on the par-5 18th. Hitting a hybrid from 235 yards, his ball ended up 19 inches from the cup. Those tap-in eagles must be nice. Streelman shot 68, and is 4 under par . . . Heath Slocum followed his win at The Barclays with a missed cut, shooting 73 and finishing at even par, one shot too high. Stewart Cink and Ernie Els also missed the cut . . . Team New England won six of the nine better-ball matches, taking a 22-14 lead in the fourth John D. Mineck Deutsche Bank Championship Junior Cup, being contested at Boston Golf Club. The event concludes with eight matches today.

Michael Whitmer can be reached at mwhitmer@globe.com

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