Golf: Fed Ex Cup Opens with The Barclays!

Frank Doyle makes his picks for the Barclays Championship, the first event of the Fed Ex Cup!

This week sees the start of the Fed Ex Cup, the new playoff format introduced by the PGA for the final weeks of the golfing season. The top 125 players play four tournaments over four weeks, with the field sizes reducing every week. The man with the most points at the end gets a big bag of money, and what’s wrong with that?

Hostilities commence this Thursday in New Jersey, at the Barclay’s Championship. The Barclay’s Championship had been known as the Westchester and it’s been run since the ‘sixties but it was moved to later in the calendar to suit the Fed Ex Cup.

World No 1 Luke Donald is the ante-post favorite, followed by 2007 Barclays Champion Steve Stricker and by Australian Adam Scott. The course doesn’t appear to be the most challenging – least of all the drive-enticing short par 4 18^th – but the greens aren’t level and the rough may be difficult. Factoring all that into our calculations, here are Sports Interaction’s

Fore! to Follow

Jason Day (+2200). After second place finishes at the Masters and US Open, Day failed to make the cut at the PGA. But the Australian’s got the talent and he’s due a win.

David Toms (+3300). The Indian summer of David Toms continued with a fourth place finish at the US PGA. Definite contender here.

Gary Woodland (+4000). The Transitions Championship winner returned to form as the summer went on. Good value at the price.

Kevin Na (+12500). Na was the king of putters earlier on the PGA Tour, and had a top ten finish at the PGA. Worth a look at the price at a course where ability with the flat stick will make a difference.