Snedeker charges ahead at BMW Championship

Brandt Snedeker carded seven straight birdies on his way to an 8-under 63 and a one-shot lead over Zach Johnson in the third FedEx Cup Playoff event -- the BMW Championship -- on Thursday.

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September 13, 2013. Brandt Snedeker carded seven straight birdies on his way to an 8-under 63 and a one-shot lead over Zach Johnson in the third FedEx Cup Playoff event — the BMW Championship — on Thursday.

 

“You get on runs like that, you get excited for the next hole because you know something good is going to happen, because you’re in such a good frame of mind and everything is going in the right direction,” Snedeker said.

 

American Snedeker did every thing right– a 15-foot putt from the fringe on the 13th, another 15-footer on the next hole when he used the blade of his sand wedge to bump the ball out of the short rough, and a 40-footer from the fringe on the 17th stood out to him.

 

[highlight] Snedeker is at No.9 in FedEx Rankings and assured of being the first defending FedEx Cup champion to make it to the Tour Championship [/highlight]

That gave him a one-shot lead over Zach Johnson and placed the reigning FedEx Cup champion atop the projected standings. Tiger Woods was not satisfied with his round of 66, mainly because he had a pair of three-putt bogeys and missed a 4-foot birdie putt over his last five holes.

 

“I’m not exactly real happy,” Woods said. “I played well, and I just didn’t get much out of that round. I missed three little short ones in there and then played the par 5s even par. That’s just not very good.”

 

Steve Stricker, Charl Schwartzel and Kevin Streelman also were at 66 along with Woods.

 

Snedeker is at No.9 in FedEx Rankings and assured of being the first defending FedEx Cup  champion to make it to the Tour Championship.

 

Conway Farms, a blend of strong holes and plenty of birdie opportunities on par 4s where players hit wedge for their second shot. Slow game was predicted.

 

Wind played havoc on many players, Rickie Fowler opened with a pair of double bogeys, followed by a pair of bogeys. He rallied for a 77. Rory McIlroy made a double bogey — his ninth of the FedEx Cup Playoffs — on his second hole, and then three-putted from 4 feet for a triple bogey and staggered to a 78. Lee Westwood, fighting severe pain in his back and ribs, had an 80.

 

The top 30 players in the FedEx Cup after the BMW Championship advance to the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola next week and a shot at the $10 million prize.

 

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