For a few minutes it appeared Ryan Moore was going to crash the FedEx Cup party. After he made birdie at the 15th hole Sunday, Moore was tied for the lead at 9-under par. For about five minutes.
Brandt Snedeker, playing in the final group, regained the lead with a birdie and Moore couldn't keep pace. He closed with three consecutive bogeys to shoot 70 and tie for third at 6-under.
“It just came down to the last three holes,” Moore said. “They’re tough golf holes and I didn’t hit good shots on them. So they’ll sneak up on you real quick if you don’t put them in the right spots and unfortunately, that’s what got me.”
Justin Rose, who began the final round tied for first, never got any traction. Back-to-back bogeys on the front nine put him in a hole and he wound up shooting a 71, three shots behind Snedeker, to finish second. It was the best finish for Rose in four appearances at the Tour Championship.
“I didn’t get the momentum going on the greens,” Rose said.
No. 6 plays tough
The decision to play from the back tee on the par-3 sixth hole had a big impact on the final round. The 202-yard shot to the island green on a breezy day proved to be the second-most difficult hole of the day.
Nine players hit balls into the water. Overall, the hole yielded nine bogeys and seven double bogeys. Among those who made a five on the hole were Snedeker, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Bo Van Pelt.
“It was gusty out there,” Woods said. “It was blowing in on the left. I roasted a 5-iron in there with a low draw. I had 188 to the front and I didn’t even get it that far.”
There were some successes, too. Moore made a 16-footer for birdie, one of four made there.
Only six previous tee shots ended up in the water at No. 6 during the first three days.
Mahan finishes strong
Hunter Mahan made seven birdies on Sunday and wound up shooting 66, matching Webb Simpson for low round of the day. Mahan tied for eighth at 4-under 276.
Mahan will play one event in the Fall Series and play in the World Challenge. He was not selected for the Ryder Cup team.
“I’m going to get ready for next year and work on my game,” Mahan said. “We’ll figure out the best way to attack the year.” He and wife Kandi are making a trip to Italy and they are planning to attend several Oklahoma State football games this fall.
Mahan has had a modicum of success at East Lake. He’s played in the Tour Championship each year since 2007 and has three top-10s.
The Phil Factor
It's normally feast or famine for Phil Mickelson at East Lake. This week it was more like the diet plate.
Mickelson was never a factor. He shot a 69 on Sunday and finished tied for 15th.
Since the FedEx Cup playoffs began, Mickelson won at East Lake in 2009 and tied for third in 2008. He also won the Tour Championship in 2000 in the pre-playoff era. His misses have been big – 20th in 2007 and tied for 22nd in 2010.
More high ratings
Golf Channel drew a 1.6 rating and 1.56 million average viewers on Friday, making it the second highest-ranked and second most-watched Tour Championship early round on record. The second round had a 74 percent increase over last year.
The overnight ratings for the third round on NBC produced a 2.2 rating, up 100 percent from last year. It was third-highest overnight rating for the tournament since 2009.
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