After Hunter Mahan rolled in a delicate 10-footer to save bogey on the 18th hole, he smiled out of both relief and joy. The putt sealed his two-stroke victory over Jason Day, Cameron Tringale and Stuart Appleby at The Barclays, the first of four legs of the FedExCup Playoffs — it was also his first win since 2012.
During the second round of The Barclays, Phil Mickelson hit an errant drive so far left on the fifth hole at Ridgewood Country Club that his ball ended up in the hospitality/beer tent about 30-50 yards adjacent to the green.
Ernie Els hasn’t had the best season of his career — not by a long shot, but he feels like his game is finally taking a turn for the better. He’s been enduring some growing pains following a couple of changes. There’s been the equipment switch from Callaway to Adams. He’s back to using the short putter after a couple-year dalliance with the belly putter. He’s also been enduring a nagging injury to his back and ribs due to the wear of tear of too much practicing and playing.
Hunter Mahan has a lot to play for right now — he’s currently tied for the lead at The Barclays (with half the field still out on the course), the first of four legs of the FedExCup Playoffs, after firing a five-under 66 in the first round. Coming into the week, he’s ranked no. 62 in the points standings and he’s hoping to do some moving over the next three events and make the top 30 to qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship.
Then, there’s the Ryder Cup — the top 9 automatic berths have already been set, but there’s still one way to make the team of 12. With U.S. Captain Tom Watson pondering his three captain’s picks, which will be announced September 2, Mahan is looking to impress him in the next two events.
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