Le couperet est tombé à Medinah dans lIlinois lors du BMW : les 30 meilleurs des Fedex playoffs se retrouveront cette semaine à East Lake à Atlanta pour disputer le Tour Championship qui désignera le champion de l’année. Les autres sont déjà partis en vacances !
Mais rendons d’abord hommage d’abord à ces champions qui ne seront pas là : Tiger Woods d’abord, vainqueur du Masters mais trop absent des parcours pour prétendre à un meilleur classement, Shane Lowry, le vainqueur de l’Open, Jordan Spieth malgré une fin de saison encourageante, Phil Mickelson qui a avoué hier avoir réalisé la pire des saisons – et dont l’hôtel a été touché par la foudre samedi dans la nuit ! -… Sont donc aussi partis en vacances : Poulter, McDowell, Poston, et bien d’autres champions.
Hier dimanche, Justin Thomas s’est battu comme un diable pour garder sa première place convoitée par Patrick Cantlay, par Tony Finau et par Hideki Matsuyama, revenu en trombe dans le peloton de tête (son deuxième 63 de la semaine !). C’est Cantlay qui a un peu craqué à la fin avant toutefois un magnifique birdie au dernier trou pour assurer la deuxième place de la Fedex.
Très concentré, Thomas voulait évidemment obtenir cette première place des playoffs qui le placerait à -10 au départ du premier tour jeudi prochain à East Lake ! Et il y est arrivé, certes dans la difficulté, mais le résultat est là. Il a quand même joué dimanche 68 pour terminer -25 total. Une année qu’il n’avait pas gagné après ses galères dues en bonne partie à un poignet blessé lors du Honda Classic. Il signe là sa dixième victoire sur le circuit américain (dont un Majeur) alors qu’il n’a que 26 ans ! Il devrait prendre la 5e place au classement mondial dont il a déjà été le leader en 2017.
Après sa victoire, il a déclaré : « Je suis resté patient, j’étais cependant un peu nerveux mais j’ai pris du plaisir. J’ai eu du mal à prendre les fairways mais le birdie du 11 m’a relancé. Pour le Tour Champioship, je sais que je partirai à -10 mais j’essaierai de ne pas regarder le leaderboard comme j’ai fait aujourd’hui et de faire de mon mieux !« .
Dans le sac de Justin Thomas :
Driver : Titleist TS3 (9.5 degrees)
Shaft : Mitsubishi Diamana BF 60TX
Bois 3 : Titleist TS3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Blue 80TX
Bois 5 : Titleist 915Fd (18 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 9.2 Tour Spec X-flex
Fers : Titleist T100 (fer 4), Titleist 718 MB (fers 5-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Shafts : True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter : Scotty Cameron X5 Tour
Grip : SuperStroke Pistol GT Tour
Balles : Titleist Pro V1
Classement général du BMW : cliquez ici
LES 30 QUALIFIÉS POUR LE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP À EAST LAKE
| PLAYERS ADVANCING TO TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP | ||
|---|---|---|
| FEC rank/Player | Starting Strokes | TOUR Championship |
| 1. JUSTIN THOMAS | -10 | 4th start |
| The 2017 FedExCup champ seeking to join Tiger Woods as only two-time winners. | ||
| 2. PATRICK CANTLAY | -8 | 3rd start |
| Never been a factor at East Lake but he’s never been in this sort of form either. | ||
| 3. BROOKS KOEPKA | -7 | 4th start |
| Reigning Player of the Year hoping to improve on his T-26 finish at East Lake last year. | ||
| 4. PATRICK REED | -6 | 6th start |
| East Lake has rarely treated him well; his best finish is T13 and just 5 of his 20 rounds are under par. | ||
| 5. RORY McILROY | -5 | 6th start |
| A winner and runner-up at East Lake in the past. Looking to add to 2016 FedExCup crown. | ||
| 6. JON RAHM | -4 | 3rd start |
| Looking to better the T7 and T11 results from his first two trips to East Lake. | ||
| 7. MATT KUCHAR | -4 | 9th start |
| The two-time winner this season has been a staple at East Lake since 2010 but T10 is his best finish there. | ||
| 8. XANDER SCHAUFFELE | -4 | 3rd start |
| Won at East Lake in debut in 2017. T7 last season. Likes the place for sure. | ||
| 9. WEBB SIMPSON | -4 | 7th start |
| Three top-5 finishes at East Lake, but the year he could have won it all … he was 22nd in Atlanta. | ||
| 10. ABRAHAM ANCER | -4 | 1st start |
| First trip to East Lake for the first Mexican to make the Presidents Cup. | ||
| 11. GARY WOODLAND | -3 | 7th start |
| The U.S. Open champion has not been able to tame East Lake in the past. T9 is his best result in six tries. | ||
| 12. TONY FINAU | -3 | 3rd start |
| Looking to improve his efforts at East Lake after T7 in 2017 and T15 in 2018. | ||
| 13. ADAM SCOTT | -3 | 11th start |
| Won at East Lake the year before the FedExCup started. Nothing better than T6 (2011) since. | ||
| 14. DUSTIN JOHNSON | -3 | 10th start |
| Five top 10s, three of them top 5s in his past at East Lake but no wins. | ||
| 15. HIDEKI MATSUYAMA | -3 | 6th start |
| Finding some form late in the season and has top-5 finish at East Lake in two of the last three seasons. | ||
| 16. PAUL CASEY | -2 | 6th start |
| Never finished worse than T11 at East Lake in five tries. Four times inside top 5. | ||
| 17. JUSTIN ROSE | -2 | 10th start |
| While a win at East Lake is not on his resume, he did secure the FedExCup here a year ago. Six straight top 10s on the course. | ||
| 18. BRANDT SNEDEKER | -2 | 7th start |
| A winner at East Lake in 2012 to take the FedExCup. Nothing better than T16 in the other five starts. | ||
| 19. RICKIE FOWLER | -2 | 6th start |
| Shot a pair of 65s last season on way to career best T7 at East Lake, but was over par in the other two rounds. | ||
| 20. KEVIN KISNER | -2 | 4th start |
| After two dreadful performances in 2015 and 2016, he was T3 in 2017 at East Lake. Returns after a year absence. | ||
| 21. MARC LEISHMAN | -1 | 4th start |
| East Lake has not been a happy hunting ground for the 2009 Rookie of the Year. T21 last season his best result. | ||
| 22. TOMMY FLEETWOOD | -1 | 2nd start |
| T11 in his only previous start at East Lake last season. Still searching for first PGA TOUR win. | ||
| 23. COREY CONNERS | -1 | 1st start |
| From Monday qualifier to tournament winner to first trip to East Lake. It’s all gravy from here. | ||
| 24. SUNGJAE IM | -1 | 1st start |
| Chasing Rookie of the Year honors. Only rookie to survive to East Lake but handful of others have wins. | ||
| 25. CHEZ REAVIE | -1 | 2nd start |
| Returns to East Lake for the first time since 2011 when he was T26. | ||
| 26. BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU | Even | 2nd start |
| Was top seed a year ago but struggled to finish 19th. This year he will need to climb. | ||
| 27. LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN | Even | 3rd start |
| Returns for first time since he was a WD in 2015. Never better than T23 at East Lake. | ||
| 28. CHARLES HOWELL III | Even | 6th start |
| Two-time runner-up in the TOUR Championship but only one of those was at East Lake. Georgia native returns for first time since a T6 in 2011. | ||
| 29. LUCAS GLOVER | Even | 4th start |
| Just his second appearance in the FedExCup era and fourth overall. Two top 10s from previous trips. | ||
| 30. JASON KOKRAK | Even | 1st start |
| Had to play his way in at Medinah to earn his first East Lake start. | ||
