3 minute read
Australians Adam Scott and Jason Day need solid results at the BMW Championship to advance to the $US45-million Tour Championship finale.
Adam Scott has backed his well-rounded game to carry him through to the $A62.5-million Tour Championship as he and countryman Jason Day battle to keep their US PGA Tour play-offs hopes alive.
Former world No.1 Day sits at 50th on the FedEx Cup standings and faces the biggest hurdle of the four Australians at the 70-player BMW Championship in Chicago, Illinois this week.
Day needs at least a top-eight result to climb into the top 30 who advance to next week's Tour Championship finale in Atlanta, Georgia.
However, a top-four BMW result at Chicago's Olympia Fields course can guarantee Day his ninth career start at the Tour Championship, where players vie for the lion's share of a $A62.5-million bonus pool.
Once a perennial contender in the post-season, with two playoffs victories, Day has come close to being the first Australian to win the FedEx Cup title.
The FedEx Cup finals were introduced in 2007 and the series now affords the winner a whopping $A21 million payday.
But without a US Tour victory in two years, Day is now looking to avoid missing the Tour Championship for the second straight year.
"I've always wanted to put myself in the top 30 and try and have a shot at winning the FedEx Cup; the last two seasons have been a little bit disappointing but I'm playing a lot better now," said Day, who has recorded top-10 results in four of his last five US Tour starts.
Day's fellow former world No.1 Scott, 38th on the FedEx standings, needs at least a 17th placing but can lock up the finale with a seventh at the BMW.
Scott, who won the Tiger Woods-hosted Genesis Invitational in February, says his game is solid across the board and is confident of securing a ninth Tour Championship appearance.
Scott ranks in the top 30 on the US Tour from tee to green and around the greens, while he is a creditable 51st in putting.
"The depth of every facet of my game is coming along with my age," Scott told AAP. "Every area is better than it's ever been, certainly my chipping and pitching, and my putting performs under pressure."
Marc Leishman leads the Australians at 20th on the FedEx standings and is already in the Tour Championship, while Cameron Smith needs a 33rd place at the BMW to advance.
In a revised and confusing format to the Tour Championship, Leishman will begin the finale eight shots behind the FedEx leader unless he improves his position with a hot result this week.
"That's my main motivation; it'd be much easier to start the Tour Championship four or five back as opposed to eight and be able to give the FedEx Cup title a run," Leishman told AAP.
