Results

Summary

Hunter Mahan awoke from a season long coma in time to fire a final round 65 and take the Barclays. This takes him from 62nd in the FedEx Cup race to 1st (which is ridiculous). Ridgewood Country Club rolled out a lush, ball striker’s track with the added treat of no. 5, a true test of who lays up and who doesn’t. We got some great theater from Lefty early in week, and until Mahan broke away on 17, it was anybody’s tournament with some serious names “lurkying.”

The Takeaway

1) The struggle has been real for Mahan. He came in this week having won ‘just’ $1.48 million on the year, and was 60th on the money list, but banked $1.44 million on Sunday to nearly double his season total. With just 8 top 25 finishes, and only one top-10 since March, this has easily been Mahan’s worst season since he really came on to the scene in 2007. He now looks like the trendy captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup, and coming off the T7 at Valhalla and following it up a convincing win, it’s easy to see why he deserves the nod from Watson. I’m on board, but mostly because no one else has stepped up their game like he has over the last month. I can’t say I’m thrilled about it, but I’m not going to be thrilled with any of the captain’s picks at this point, and I do have a hint of faith in Mahan due to his experience.

2) Now to the fun: CBS went full Monday night scripted drama with the story about Kandi and Zoe Mahan “NetJetting” in to surprise Hunter on the 18th green. Nantz did all he could to soak up his final fifteen minutes on the air covering PGA Tour events this year before he goes HAM on Thursday Night Football by referencing Mahan’s WD from the 2013 Canadian Open as the 36 hole leader as he got the call that his wife was in labor (with the video clip of him on the range on the phone to boot). It was Emmy worthy! I’m 98% sure that Nantz was out for blood, and wanted you to cry right there on your couch. Well, Hunter poured water on the narrative pretty quickly:

Hunter Mahan didn't really seem THAT thrilled to see his family. https://t.co/dNfYzPdda0



— Trevor Reaske (@TrevorReaske) August 24, 2014

We haven’t seen an Oklahoma State Cowboy throw a Heisman stiffy that strong since the Barry Sanders days. Let me tell you how shocked I am that a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader named Kandi (with an ‘i”) was unable to fully understand the situation at the end of a golf tournament. She was ready for her moment in the sun, and failed to realize that Hunter was not in the last group, and Jason Day was waiting back in the right rough. Mahan quickly ushered them off the green, and his reaction had a little “getting caught with the side chick” feel to it.

3) Cam Tringale rallied to a T2 finish, but I’m still left with a lot of questions about him DQ’ing himself from the PGA Championship five days after the event ended. On the 11th hole on Sunday, playing partner Matt Jones thought that Tringale whiffed on a putt on a tap in, but Tringale said there was no intent. He signed his card and it appeared to be over. Five days later, he said that he did whiff, and signed for a wrong scorecard. What looks like a noble and honest act has to be drawing some awkward glances around the clubhouse. Cam, it’s pretty easy. If you whiffed, you whiffed, and you know you whiffed. That means you knowingly lied on Sunday when Jones asked you about it, and it weighed on you for five days. The players respect the rules like Barney Stinson respects the Bro Code. Ask Vijay how long the “C” word follows you around.

4) Now it’s time to rip on FedEx Cup playoffs because that’s what I enjoy, and I’m surprised I made it all the way to bullet four before digging in. So basically anyone that won this week was going to make it to number 1 in the FedEx Cup standings. Bo Van Pelt wasn’t in the top 100 going into the tournament, and was projected as number 1 in the standings after round 1. Over the last five months, Rory has seven top-10’s to go with his three wins, two of them of course major championships. Mahan has two top-10’s including this win, and now passes Rory in the standings. I understand that it’s “The Playoffs” and I’m supposed to treat it like other sports treat their playoffs, but Rory has literally WON 75% of his last four starts, and just FELL in the standings! Two years ago, he won the PGA Championship, then he won two Playoff events, and STILL didn’t win the FedEx Cup! Look, the Playoffs are infinitely more exciting then whatever was there before 2007, but until golf fans get a better idea of how this system works, then it’s never going to be given much respect. I can’t be watching a golf tournament like this:

5) There were a lot of performances that are noteworthy for one reason or another.

  • Jason Day netted a another runner up finish, the 7th of his career to go with two victories. What’s not to like about this guy? He’s a young stud who hits it a mile, grinds like he’s trying to keep his tour card, and then seems like a genuine dude off the course. Day was on the cut line after Thursday, so to have a “disappointing” runner up finish when it was looking like he was going home for the weekend has to (huge announcer cliche) make dinner taste a little better.
  • Rickie Fowler drilled another top-10 finish. Can he play both balls in four-ball in Scotland next month?
  • Furyk shockingly did not close a 54 hole lead. This narrative got a lot of run over the weekend, and I don’t have the numbers in front of me, but it does seem that he gets passed by more than he does give it away.
  • Tron thinks Patrick Reed is going to ball out in the Ryder Cup, along with Jim Furyk. Expect some hot takes coming later this week!

Shot Tracker of the Week

The 5th hole this week drew a strong line in the sand between the dudes that lay up and those that don’t. J-Rose damn near aced it on Saturday, while Bubba laid up.

Oil Spill of the Week (Brought to you by BP)

In a week where the spills were maintained, this was the second of back to back triples by Brice Garnett (h/t Two Inches Short)

#TourSauce of the Week

Unfortunately I missed most of the action this week, but thanks to Joshua Macatol who sent us this #AmSauce from Mahan.

@NoLayingUp serious #amsauce from Mahan knocking his ball off the tee at address. https://t.co/qFhkpQcbOy



— Joshua Macatol (@jmacatol) August 24, 2014

Looking Ahead

The Deutsche Bank Championship is going to be more of the same. Great field, but crazy math and fabricated drama that just doesn’t get me amped. If the standings are going to reshuffle so drastically week to week, what is the reason to tune in every week of the playoffs?