Jim Furyk was poised to make another run at the improbable in Atlanta.
That was until he came to the 17th tee at East Lake Golf Club on Saturday. Furyk shared the third-round lead at the Tour Championship with two holes to play, but fell with a disastrous triple-bogey seven.
That left Brandt Snedeker in prime position to win the tournament and the FedEx Cup playoff title. Justin Rose is tied for the tournament lead at 8 under par going into Sunday’s final round with two trophies on the line. Furyk dropped to a tie for fourth at 5-under par. He finished with a 2-over 72 after carding one birdie and 16 pars in addition to the troubled mark.
“It’s easier to put that one hole behind me than if I had shot 72 and made six bogeys,” Furyk said.
It was two years ago that Furyk won both the 2010 Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup crowns here. He won the tournament and got much needed help to win the PGA Tour’s playoff — and its $10 million prize. Despite coming into that event 11th in the points standings, he won the extra trophy when, in part, leader Matt Kuchar finished 25th.
Furyk was going to need similar help this year as he entered the finale 18th in the standings. He was on his way with the lead he held after the second round and for most of the third.
Snedeker entered the Tour Championship fifth in the points standings, one of the five golfers who would secure the playoff title with a victory.
“I think something like 90-something percent of the PGA Tour winners come from the last two groups, and that’s where I want to be,” Snedeker said.
He will be paired with Rose. The next-to-last group will be Rory McIlroy, who entered as the overall points leader and is tied for fourth at 5 under, and Ryan Moore, who is third at 6 under after shooting a 65.
Rose entered the event 24th in the 30-player field. He needs to win and have McIlroy finish 17th or worse, Tiger Woods finish sixth or worse, Nick Watney and Phil Mickelson finish fourth or worse and Snedeker and Louis Oosthuizen finish third or worse. Only one of those numerous scenarios is currently valid, with Watney (29th) and Mickelson (20th) down the leaderboard.
“Yeah, I need a little help from my friends, as they say,” Rose said. “I was aware the Rory needed to finish outside the top 17 this week. Every credit to him. He’s having a very solid week, as I expected him to.”
Furyk hit his tee shot on the 470-yard No. 17 into the lake left of the fairway. He re-teed and proceeded to hit the roof on a hospitality tent to the right of the fairway. His approach from the rough landed in the greenside bunker. He blasted to 19 feet and two-putted for a seven. He had gone 258 consecutive holes at East Lake without even a double-bogey before the big trouble.
“I was a little uncomfortable on the tee shot and hit a bad double-cross,” Furyk said. “I kind of guided it out there instead of making a good swing. I didn’t really settle myself down on the second swing.”
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