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GOLF

FedEx Cup playoffs begin with The Barclays in N.J.

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 08.21.2008
PGA tour
• What: The Barclays
• Site: Paramus, N.J.
• Schedule: Today-Sunday
• Course: Ridgewood Country Club (7,319 yards, par 71)
• Purse: $7 million. Winner's share: $1.26 million
• Television: Golf Channel (Today-Friday, 11 a.m.) and Channel 13 (Saturday, noon; Sunday, 11 a.m.)
• Notable: Steve Stricker won the FedEx Cup playoff opener last year for his first victory since 2001. The event moves to Ridgewood after 41 seasons at Westchester Country Club. The tournament will be played on the Championship Course, a composite of the A.W. Tillinghast-designed East, Center and West nines. ... The top 144 players in the season points race qualified for the tournament. Top-seeded Tiger Woods, sidelined by a knee injury, and seven other players, are skipping the event. With Woods out, Kenny Perry tops the list with 99,500 points, followed by Phil Mickelson (99,250), British Open and PGA winner Padraig Harrington (99,000), Anthony Kim (98,750), Stewart Cink (98,625) and Vijay Singh (98,500). No. 144 Lee Janzen has 92,070 points. ... The top 120 after The Barclays will be eligible for the Deutsche Bank Championship next week in Norton, Mass. The field then will be cut to 70 for the BMW Championship at Bellerive in St. Louis, and to 30 for the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta. ... Harrington won the 2005 event, holing a 65-foot eagle putt on the final hole to beat ex-Wildcat Jim Furyk by a stroke. ... Rich Beem finished third last week, closing with two 63s, to jump from 166th to 114th in the standings. ... Tom Watson won the 2001 Senior PGA at Ridgewood, also the site of the 1935 Ryder Cup, 1974 U.S. Amateur (Jerry Pate) and 1990 U.S. Senior Open (Lee Trevino). Byron Nelson was an assistant pro at the course.
LPGA TOUR
• What: Safeway Classic
• Site: Portland, Ore.
• Schedule: Friday-Sunday
• Course: Columbia Edgewater Country Club (6,397 yards, par 72)
• Purse: $1.7 million. Winner's share: $255,000
• Television: ESPN2 (Friday-Saturday, 1 p.m.; Sunday, 12:30 p.m.)
• Notable: Last year, former UA All-American Lorena Ochoa won by five strokes for her third straight victory and the sixth of her eight 2007 titles. Ochoa is winless in six starts since the Sybase Classic in May, her sixth victory in her first nine events. She tied for fourth last week in Ottawa, shooting 66-68-74-73. ... Former Wildcat Annika Sorenstam is in the field. She's leaving the tour after the season. ... Pat Hurst won the 2006 tournament. ... The tour is off the next two weeks.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
• What: Boeing Classic
• Site: Snoqualmie, Wash.
• Schedule: Friday-Sunday
• Course: TPC Snoqualmie Ridge (7,183 yards, par 72)
• Purse: $1.6 million. Winner's share: $240,000
• Television: Golf Channel (Friday-Sunday, 3:30 p.m.)
— The Associated Press