Steve Stricker Leads the FedEx Cup Standings

Tiger Woods had a chance at the Deutsche Bank Championship to make some headway in the FedEx Cup standings and blew it. Retief Goosen missed a put on the 17 th hole that allowed Stricker to claim the lead in a cluttered leaderboard. Stricker got the read off of Goosen, made the putt and never looked back. Now Stricker is the FedEx Cup leader and with two events to go, Stricker at the top of his game with a 909-point lead over Tiger and a chance to take home the $10 million cake waiting at the end of the gauntlet.

Woods isn’t the only elite golfer left disappointed. While the leaderboard was certainly crowded, Padraig Harrington was one of the herd that simply couldn’t close out on the fourth day. Two poor drives put him in penalty stroke territory, and he missed an eagle attempt that would’ve put him within striking distance. Instead, the cousin of Joey Harrington finished a disappointing fourth. He’s been oh-so-close, but lacking finishing power. The PGA Championship win this year has been his peak. He’s been scrambling ever since.

Stricker is displaying the opposite of Harrington and Woods. Once this guy gets a stranglehold on the lead, he is relentless. He doesn’t strike fear in to the hearts of his opponents like Lefty or Tiger, but he’s certainly proving that his blood runs ice cold when he gets rolling. If anyone is peaking at the right time, it’s Stricker.

The FedEx Cup is a marathon and only those with the ability to hold on to death-defying leads will hold true to form. So far, the best bet is Stricker who is destined for another top-5 finish to stay in contention. Not to wax poetic about Woods, but his 63 on the final day was proof that he’s not done yet. It was a warning shot in to the void to say, “Don’t forget about me.” The tour heard the beacon of fear, and trust me, nobody is forgetting about the best golfer in the world with that $10 million purse on the line.