The majors may all be done and dusted this year, but there is still the business of the FedEx Cup to deal with before we can declare the PGA season to be officially over. The playoffs get underway this weekend in New Jersey, with 125 golfers heading to the famed Bethpage Black course in an attempt to move on to the next round, which is what 100 of these guys will do. As you might expect at this stage of the season, the field is totally stacked, and it will be Jason Day who will be out looking to defend his title. He is likely to be the betting odds favorite heading into this one, although there are sure to be a lot of guys drooling over that $1.53 million top prize.
A Closer Look At The PGA Barclays Winning Predictions
Jason Day and Dustin Johnson can both lay claim to be the best players on the tour this year, and while only 34 points separate the two of them atop the FedEx Cup standings, their dominance can be seen in the 600-point lead they have over the rest of the pack. Fay has been a perennial top 25 finisher this season, landing there in 13 of his last 14 tournaments, and he is coming into this one after a very strong showing in the PGA Championship. Johnson has won two of the last five tournaments he has played in, which included the US Open. These two guys are sure to be near the top of the leaderboard on Sunday.
Jordan Spieth is another player who figures to be among the betting favorites, although it has been a bit of an up and down year for the young man. In fairness, though, anyone would have had a tough time following up the season that he had last year. If you are looking for more of a sleeper pick in this tournament, how about Phil Mickelson? Lefty has been turning back the clock of late, and he came within a few strokes of walking away with the British Open title. The winner at that event, Henrik Stenson, is another one worth watching in these final few tournaments of the season, as a good run in the last few weeks can mean the difference between hoisting the FedEx Cup and watching someone else do it.
If you are in the market for a real longshot, you might want to give Jhonathon Vegas a look, as he is another player that has been very good in recent weeks. He had a fine win at the Canadian Open recently, and has been in the top 25 in three straight tournaments. At 7,468 yards long, the Bethpage Black Course is built for someone with power off the tee, and Vegas certainly fits that bill.
Expert Prediction
Jason Day cruised to victory in this event last year, winning by a very comfortable 6 strokes. When you consider that his game right now is much better than it was then, you realize that he is the man to beat this weekend, and I just don’t see anyone doing it.
