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Hurricane Irene has created a weird and wild situation in forcing officials to cut The Barclays to 54 holes, winding up today at Plainfield Country Club.
If the second-round leader, Matt Kuchar — in the last group on the course — doesn’t finish his third round before Irene ends play today, he wins automatically because scores will revert to the 36-hole total if a full third round is not played.
The PGA has created an unfathomable temptation for Kuchar to try to run out the clock if he is no longer on top of the leaderboard when the first wind and rain from Irene arrives. No penalty for slow play would be too much, except disqualification. The situation should not even be allowed to exist in professional sports, especially when the winner earns $1.44 million and the runner-up $576,000 less.
Padraig Harrington, within four shots of Kuchar at 10-under, has no fear of such shenanigans, even if he would be a victim.
“One, they have to play within the prescribed time in the rules, so it’s not up to them,” Harrington said.
“Two, and this is a huge part of golf, golf is an honorable game. I trust these guys. You have to trust them. But even if you didn’t, the referees are there to make you play within the set time. You can’t just stop.”
Harrington, winner of this tourney in 2005, did allow that the theoretical case isn’t absurd.
“It is a unique situation this week,” Harrington said.
Vijay Singh, king of this tournament with four victories, trails Kuchar by one, along with Dustin Johnson. In the final threesome, they’ll keep the pace lively.
“Now that I’m one back, I would [have a concern to finish 54],” Singh said. “I’m happy with where I am. I would love to be in the lead in case we don’t play.
“I think we’ll manage to finish. I don’t think anyone wants to see a tournament like this [end at 36.]”
Two-time winner of this tourney at Westchester, Ernie Els (at 5-under) said the point is moot.
“We’ll finish. I’m not a weatherman, but we’ll finish,” he said.
Seeking to defend his playoff victory in last year’s Barclays, Kuchar completed his darkness-suspended first round yesterday morning with a field-leading 8-under, then took it to 14-under with a bogey-free second round.
While he was trudging up No. 17 yesterday, Kuchar learned the tournament was cut to 54 holes, the final round starting at 7 a.m. this morning in hopes of finishing by 2 p.m.
“They definitely made the right decision,” Kuchar said. “The forecast just looks terrible. All of us are going to be excited to wrap this thing up and get out of here as quickly and safely as we can.
“I did have it in the back of my mind, that there was a potential to go to 54 holes, that I wanted to make as many birdies as possible.”
Kuchar won The Barclays in a playoff over Martin Laird last year, and then led the FedEx Cup points table into the final leg. At that last playoff stop, The Tour Championship in Atlanta, he was nipped by victor Jim Furyk, who rose from 11th place to collect the $10 million jackpot, while Kuchar flopped into a tie for 25th.
Furyk was disqualified from last year’s Barclays (oversleeping) and only managed ties for 37 and15 in the middle two playoff legs before his bonanza, thanks to the reset. Kuchar had amassed 4,935 points, more than double Furyk’s total, entering the finale, when points were reset and Kuchar became catchable by Furyk.
“Maybe they could figure out a different point-resetting value, but overall, I think it’s a good system and good for golf,” said Kuchar, seeking his first victory of the year.
He’ll play it straight, no doubt. But imagine the temptation with a half-million or more at stake.
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Only Saturday tickets will be honored for the sold-out finale today. Holders of Sunday tickets can exchange them for any-day tickets to next year’s Barclays at Bethpage. . . . Prize money will count, and FedEx points awarded, but victory won’t count as official unless it goes 54.
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Singh said, “A 59’s out there, the way it’s playing.” . . . This is the first shortened FedEx Cup tournament, and the first 54-hole event on the Tour since 2009 in Pebble Beach. . . . The 2005 Nissan Open at Riviera was the last 36-hole tournament, won by Adam Scott in a playoff over Chad Campbell. . . . The 54-hole tournament would be the second in this tournament’s history. J.P. Hayes beat Furyk in a playoff in 1998 at Westchester.