Chris Kirk was making his way through the crowd as he greeted his family and walking toward the scoring area. At that point, he was still unaware he had won the tournament. But then, Kirk saw his caddie Bill Harke celebrating in the hallway, and Jack Graham, CEO of Deutsche Bank, was shaking his hand congratulating him.
With the logjam near the top of the leaderboard, Russell Henley probably wasn’t the guy you were expecting to go out and post a six-under 65 to take the lead at 12-under. Despite not birdieing the reachable-in-two par-5 18th, Henley still took a one-shot advantage over Billy Horschel, who birdied his last three holes to post a four-under 67 and get to 11-under.
Paired with each other in the third round of the Deutsche Bank Championship, Rory McIlroy and Chris Kirk both caught fire and shot scorching bogey-free, seven-under 64s. Both players shot up the leaderboard at 10-under for the championship on Sunday’s “Moving Day” over the long weekend at TPC Boston. They’re currently tied for third, trailing Russell Henley by two strokes.
Ryan Palmer only needed 21 putts on his way to a smooth eight-under 63 at TPC Boston to kick off a two-shot lead over Keegan Bradley at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Palmer also drained everything he looked at from inside 15 feet.
It’s not just the Americans who are holding their breaths in hopes of getting a captain’s pick for next month’s Ryder Cup. The deadline to make the European team on points is this Sunday, August 31st, which technically means the PGA Tour’s Deutsche Bank Championship ending on Monday doesn’t count towards the standings.
Ryder Cup juggernaut Ian Poulter is on the outside looking in and needs Captain Paul McGinley to give him the official nod (which, lets be real, it’s a lock). Poulter helped his case on Friday, firing a four-under 67 to put him in a tie for sixth after the first round.
The Deutsche Bank Championship isn’t just the second leg of the FedExCup Playoffs. It’s also — perhaps more importantly for a handful of players — the last chance for guys in the running to impress U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson before he announces his three wildcard picks next Tuesday, September 2nd. In other words, it’s a big week for those hoping to get a phone call on Monday evening.
Among those names are Keegan Bradley and Webb Simpson, both of whom are off to sizzling starts at TPC Boston.
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