2016 Deutsche Bank Championship Preview

2016 Deutsche Bank Championship Preview
Dates: August 29-September 5, 2016
Where: TPC Boston
Par/Yards: 36-35–71/7,297
Field: 99 (Danny Willett)
Defending champion: Rickie Fowler
Purse: $8,500,000 ($1,530,000 to winner)
FedExCup: 2,000 points to the winner
Format: 72-hole stroke play
Twitter: @DBChampionship

FedExCup and the Deutsche Bank Championship

• The Deutsche Bank Championship is the second of four events of the FedExCup Playoffs for the tenth consecutive season since the Playoffs were introduced in 2007. There is more on the line than the Deutsche Bank Championship trophy – players in the top half of the 100-player field will be looking to move up, jockeying for the coveted top-five position heading to the TOUR Championship; those near the bottom need enough points to survive to the next event at the BMW Championship (70 players).
• Each playoff event offers 2,000 FedExCup points to the winner.
• The top 125 in the final PGA TOUR Season FedExCup standings following the Wyndham Championship qualified for The Barclays.
• The top 100 players on the FedExCup points list following The Barclays qualified for the Deutsche Bank Championship, with 25 players having been eliminated following the first week of the Playoffs.
• The top 70 on the points list following the Deutsche Bank Championship qualify for the BMW Championship, contested at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, IN.
• The top-30 players following the BMW Championship will qualify for the TOUR Championship. Prior to the TOUR Championship, a points reset will take place, giving all players in the field a mathematical opportunity to win the FedExCup. The top-five players control their own destiny and would claim the FedExCup with a victory at East Lake.

Current FedExCup Rankings (top 10)

1. Patrick Reed 3,575
2. Jason Day 3,195
3. Dustin Johnson 2,907
4. Adam Scott 2,523
5. Jordan Spieth 2,255
6. Emiliano Grillo 2,089
7. Russell Knox 2,039
8. Justin Thomas 1,802
9. Brandt Snedeker 1,801
10. Phil Mickelson 1,758
Players on various FedExCup bubbles

30. Daniel Berger 1,258
31. Scott Piercy 1,257
70. Chez Reavie 772
71. Marc Leishman 765
100. Chad Campbell 633

The top five in the FedExCup

• The top five in the FedExCup Playoffs is where players want to be after the next two events are played and the 100-man field at the Deutsche Bank Championship is eventually trimmed to 30 for the TOUR Championship. The top five entering East Lake will control their own destiny and can win the FedExCup with a victory, most recently performed by Jordan Spieth in 2015.
• No. 1 – Patrick Reed
  • 2015-16 Season – With his one-stroke win over Sean O’Hair and Emiliano Grillo at The Barclays, Patrick Reed jumped from No. 7 to No. 1 in the FedExCup standings for the first time in his career.
  • His victory last week at Bethpage Black (his fifth overall) marked the fourth consecutive season he has won on the PGA TOUR.
  • Prior to winning, Reed owned two runner-up finishes (Hyundai Tournament of Champions, Valero Texas Open) among his 10 top-10 finishes.
  • He will be attempting to join Vijay Singh (2008) as the only players to win The Barclays and FedExCup in the same season.
• No. 2 – Jason Day
  • 2015-16 Season – Followed up his sensational five-win season during the 2014-15 campaign with three victories this season, winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational, World Golf Championships-Dell Match Play and THE PLAYERS Championship.
  • Entered the Playoffs in the top spot in the FedExCup, but dropped to second with his T4 at The Barclays.
• No. 3 – Dustin Johnson
  • 2015-16 Season – Highlighted by his first major championship victory (U.S. Open) and a win at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, Dustin Johnson has enjoyed a stellar season that includes a career-best 12 top-10 finishes.
  • The two victories give him at least one win in each of his first nine seasons, the best current streak on the PGA TOUR.
• No. 4 – Adam Scott
  • 2015-16 Season – Bouncing back from a disappointing No. 106 finish in the FedExCup a year ago, Adam Scott notched back-to-back victories at The Honda Classic and World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship en route to a current ranking of fourth in the FedExCup.
• No. 5 – Jordan Spieth
  • 2015-16 Season – Coming on the heels of his historic 2014-15 season, Jordan Spieth notched two wins this season at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and DEAN & DELUCA Invitational to increase his victory total to eight on TOUR.

Miscellaneous Deutsche Bank Championship notes

• Adam Scott (2003) and Phil Mickelson (2007) are the only players to win the event in first start.
• Vijay Singh is the only multiple winner of the event (2004, 2008).
• Henrik Stenson (2013) and Vijay Singh (2008) are the only players to win the Deutsche Bank Championship and FedExCup in the same season.
• Five players in their 20s have won the Deutsche Bank Championship: Adam Scott (2003), Webb Simpson (2011), Rory McIlroy (2012), Chris Kirk (2014), Rickie Fowler (2015).
• Patrick Reed is seeking to join Vijay Singh as the only players to win The Barclays and Deutsche Bank Championship (2008) in the same season.
• The 54-hole leader/co-leader has gone on to win four of 13 times at the Deutsche Bank Championship (Adam Scott/2003, Vijay Singh/2004, Olin Browne/2005, Steve Stricker/2009).
• Ten past Deutsche Bank Championship winners are in the field (missing Tiger Woods/2006 and Olin Browne/2005:
  • Champion / Year(s) won / Current FEC Rank
  • Rickie Fowler / 2015  /No. 16
  • Chris Kirk / 2014 / No. 75
  • Henrik Stenson / 2013 / No. 21
  • Rory McIlroy / 2012 / No. 38
  • Webb Simpson / 2011 / No. 74
  • Charley Hoffman / 2010 / No. 27
  • Steve Stricker / 2009 / No. 97
  • Vijay Singh / 2008, 2004 / No. 95
  • Phil Mickelson / 2007 / No. 10
  • Adam Scott / 2003 / No. 4

Advancing through the Playoffs

• It took 633 points to advance to this year’s Deutsche Bank Championship, with Chad Campbell earning the final spot.
• Five players moved into the top 100 at The Barclays and played their way into the Deutsche Bank Championship:
  • Sean O’Hair (from No. 108 to No. 15)
  • Sung Kang (from No. 122 to No. 88)
  • John Huh (from No. 111 to No. 90)
  • Tyrone Van Aswegen (from No. 104 to No. 93)
  • Derek Fathauer (from No. 118 to No. 99).
  • Five players dropped out of the top 100 following The Barclays and were eliminated from the FedExCup Playoffs:
    • Shane Lowry (from No. 87 to No. 102)
    • Peter Malnati (from No. 93 to No. 104)
    • Robert Streb (from No. 95 to No. 105)
    • Lucas Glover (from No. 96 to No. 106)
    • Jonas Blixt (from No. 100 to No. 107).
• In the history of the FedExCup, here’s a look at how many players have advanced to the Deutsche Bank Championship when starting from outside the cut line (top 120 in 2007-08; top 100 from 2009-present): 2016 (5), 2015 (8), 2014 (7), 2013 (5), 2012 (6), 2011 (8), 2010 (6), 2009 (4), 2008 (15) and 2007 (2)
  • 2016 Sean O’Hair, Sung Kang, John Huh, Tyrone Van Aswegen, Derek Fathaue
  • 2015 Zac Blair, Spencer Levin, Jason Dufner, Carlos Ortiz, Mark Wilson, Luke Donald, Johnson Wagner, Camilo Villega
  • 2014 Bo Van Pelt, Stewart Cink, Andres Romero, Danny Lee, Paul Casey, Gonzalo Fdez-Castano, Morgan Hoffman
  • 2013 Martin Kaymer, Camilo Villegas, Erik Compton, Greg Chalmers, Stuart Appleb
  • 2012 Graham DeLaet, Bob Estes, David Hearn, Jason Day, Tommy Gainey, Jonas Blix
  • 2011 William McGirt, Padraig Harrington, Ernie Els, Ian Poulter, Camilo Villegas, Chris Stroud, John Merrick, Bill Lund
  • 2010 Kevin Streelman, Ryuji Imada, J.P. Hayes, Tiger Woods, Troy Matteson, Andres Romer
  • 2009 Freddie Jacobson, Richard S. Johnson, Heath Slocum, Troy Matteso
  • 2008 Richard S. Johnson, Tim Petrovic, Jason Day, Martin Laird, Angel Cabrera, Ryan Palmer, Tim Herron, Michael Allen, J.J. Henry, Frank Lickliter II, Jesper Parnevik, Justin Bolli, Jeff Overton, Glen Day, Lee Janze
  • 2007 Doug LaBelle II, Rich Beem

Deutsche Bank Championship history

• Founded in 2003, the Deutsche Bank Championship features a winner’s roster that includes Adam Scott, two-time winner Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods, Olin Browne, Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker, Charley Hoffman, Webb Simpson, Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson, Chris Kirk and Rickie Fowler.
  • 2015 – Rickie Fowler posted the sixth-consecutive come-from-behind victory at the Deutsche Bank Championship, edging 2013 FedExCup champion Henrik Stenson by one stroke.
  • 2014 – Chris Kirk, who played the final 37 holes without a bogey, carried a win at the Deutsche Bank Championship to a No. 2 finish in the FedExCup. Billy Horschel, who finished second to Kirk at TPC Boston, went on to win the FedExCup.
  • 2013 – Henrik Stenson overcame a two-stroke deficit to Sergio Garcia with a final-round 5-under 66, tying the tournament scoring record at 22-under 262. He carried the win on to the 2013 FedExCup title.
  • 2012 – With the Deutsche Bank Championship celebrating its 10th anniversary, Rory McIlroy posted his fifth TOUR win in come-from-behind fashion over Louis Oosthuizen, becoming the youngest-ever winner of a FedExCup Playoffs event.
  • 2011 – Webb Simpson outlasted Chez Reavie in the first-ever playoff at the Deutsche Bank Championship, giving him two wins in three starts on TOUR (Wyndham Championship).
  • 2010 – Charley Hoffman carded a career-low 62, including 11 birdies, en route to a five-stroke win over Luke Donald and a pair of Aussies (Geoff Ogilvy and Jason Day).
  • 2009 – Steve Stricker made his 250th career cut on the PGA TOUR and went on to record his seventh win (including a season-high third) by one stroke over Jason Dufner and Scott Verplank.
  • 2008 – Vijay Singh carded a tournament-record 22-under 262 to cruise to a five-stroke victory over Mike Weir and ultimately the FedExCup.
  • 2007 – Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh were paired together for first two rounds; Mickelson, Woods, Brett Wetterich and Arron Oberholser dueled with Mickelson winning to take over FedExCup lead.
  • 2006 – With two eagles in his first seven holes in the final round, Tiger Woods erased a three-shot deficit and posted an 8-under-par 63, overcoming the 54-hole leader Vijay Singh to win by two.
  • 2005 – Olin Browne clipped Jason Bohn by a single stroke for his third career win. In the process he surpassed $1 million in season earnings for the first time in his career.
  • 2004 – Vijay Singh, in claiming one of nine PGA TOUR titles on the year, moved to No. 1 in the World Golf Ranking as he out dueled Tiger Woods and Adam Scott. Woods had been No. 1 for a record 264 weeks.
  • 2003 – Adam Scott, playing on a Sponsor Exemption, earned first win of TOUR career at the inaugural Deutsche Bank Championship