Woodland climbs to 17th as Thorbjornsen inherits the FedEx Cup bubble
By Staff Writer
1 min read
Key takeaways
- Gary Woodland has climbed from No. 31 to No. 17 in the FedEx Cup standings with rounds of 64-65.
- Michael Thorbjornsen now holds the 30th and final Tour Championship place.
- Rickie Fowler held 30th after Thursday and has slipped outside the cutoff.
- The 50-man BMW field is cut to 30 on Sunday for next week's Tour Championship at East Lake.
Three players have moved into the top 30 of the FedEx Cup standings at the halfway point of the BMW Championship and three have dropped out, and the man holding the last seat into East Lake is now Michael Thorbjornsen. Rickie Fowler, who went to bed Thursday in 30th, is the most notable of those pushed below the line.
Who has gained the most at Bellerive?
Gary Woodland. He arrived at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis at No. 31, one place outside the Tour Championship field, and has removed most of the suspense with a 64 and a 65. That moved him to No. 17 and into solo second, which puts him in Saturday's final pairing.
He did it without his best ball-striking. Woodland said he lost his shots right on the back nine before making an adjustment that held up over the closing holes.
I checked my grip, which is a key from Randy Smith.
The Kansas alumnus is playing in front of a St. Louis gallery with no shortage of Missouri supporters in it, though he said the arrival of his wife on Friday and a crowd of people he knows from home has made the week easier rather than harder.
What happens on Sunday?
The field of 50 becomes a field of 30. Everything below about No. 25 is live, which is why the bubble has turned over twice in two days and why a player like Thorbjornsen, a first-time PGA Tour winner this season, is suddenly the name everyone is checking.
- gary woodland
- michael thorbjornsen
- rickie fowler
- bmw championship
- fedex cup
- tour championship
- bellerive country club
- east lake
