FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Patrick Reed didn’t break anything Thursday except par.
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Patrick Reed didn’t break anything Thursday except par.
Two days after Reed broke the gavel during the ceremonial closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange, the American kept a clean card and shot 5-under 66 to share the lead with Martin Laird at The Barclays.
Reed was dressed in a blue blazer with an American tie when he was asked to bang the gavel
three times at the stock exchange closing on Tuesday. On the third hit, the top of the gavel flew off into the crowd, and Reed later made a joke at his own expense on Twitter.
“They told me to give it 3 good hits, so I did!” he tweeted.
He was much better with a golf club in hand at Bethpage Black, running off three birdies and an eagle on the front nine to close out his 66.
The start of the FedEx Cup playoffs, with a $10 million bonus waiting at the end, was more about a cup that doesn’t pay a dime. A dozen or so Americans are still in the mix to make the Ryder Cup team. Qualifying ends after this week for the top eight, and then Davis Love III has four captain’s picks over the next month. Reed is winless this year and holding down the No. 8 position in the Ryder Cup standings.
Reed and Laird were a shot ahead of three other Ryder Cup hopefuls — Rickie Fowler, Kevin Chappell and J.B. Holmes, whose 67 was the best score among those who played in stronger wind in the afternoon. Defending champion Jason Day, the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, was among those at 68.
The Barclays is the start of a four-tournament series in which the field size shrinks until 30 qualify for the finale at the Tour Championship. Laird started at No. 89, and with only the top 100 in the standings advancing, starting well was crucial.
U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson, the No. 2 seed in the FedEx Cup, recovered from a bogey-bogey start to post a 70, while Adam Scott (No. 3) shot 69. Jordan Spieth had a 71.
British Open champion Henrik Stenson withdrew after a 74 because of pain in his right knee.
CANADIAN PACIFIC WOMEN’S OPEN
PRIDDIS, Alberta — Three-time champion Lydia Ko was back on the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open leaderboard. Canadian star Brooke Henderson got left behind after a late start.
The top-ranked Ko shot a 5-under 67 on Thursday at Priddis Greens in the round delayed for nearly three hours because of lightning, leaving her two strokes behind leader Chella Choi.
Ko has won three of the last four years, the first two as an amateur. The 19-year-old New Zealander has four LPGA Tour victories this season, winning the ANA Inspiration for her second major title.
The 18-year-old Henderson was 1 under with three holes left when play was suspended because of darkness. Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ontario, beat Ko in a playoff in June in the KPMG Women’s PGA for her first major title, and successfully defended her Cambia Portland Classic title in early July.
Choi was 7 under with four holes left. Celebrating her 26th birthday, the South Korean player made consecutive birdies on the par-5 18th and first holes and also birdied the par-4 second and fourth.
Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow was a stroke back after a 66. France’s Karine Icher — playing alongside Choi — was 6 under with four holes left.
MADE IN DENMARK
FARSO, Denmark — Tom Lewis flirted with the first 59 in European Tour history, then made three late bogeys and settled for a 9-under 62 and a share of the Made In Denmark lead.
Lewis made a 45-foot eagle putt on the par-5 fourth hole to reach 12 under through 13 holes at Himmerland Golf and Spa Resort. He needed to play even par over the last five holes for a 59.
He bogeyed the next hole and closed with two more bogeys to drop into a tie for the lead with Belgium’s Thomas Pieters and Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren.