Baldy's Blue Notes 8/28

We’re less than a week away from Championship Week at the Deutsche Bank Championship and already the PGA TOUR Playoffs are heating up. Last week’s Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C., the final event of the PGA TOUR’s regular season, provided plenty of drama, moved some players into the Playoff field, and secured footing for some players hoping to be part of the Deutsche Bank Championship field.

One of the more notable names near the top of last weekend’s Leaderboard, Sergio Garcia, put himself in great position to be in Boston when the PGA TOUR Playoffs field is reduced to 100 after The Barclays this weekend. Garcia began last week ranked 115th on the FedExCup points standings, but by virtue of a fourth-place finish, jumped all the way to 89th. A decent performance this week by the Spaniard and he’ll be a lock to be at the Deutsche Bank Championship next week.

Kevin Stadler, son of long-time PGA TOUR pro Craig Stadler, came up short of his first career victory at the Wyndham, but his consolation prize was a ticket to the playoffs. Entering the event on the outside looking in at 133rd in the FedExCup points standings, Stadler was the week’s biggest mover and finished the week ranked 73rd. A few more performances like last week and Stadler might move from the outside looking in to the season-ending TOUR Championship.

Other golfers playing themselves into the playoffs last week were Todd Hamilton, Jeff Maggert, Chris Riley and TOUR rookie David Mathis.

Now, as the Playoffs are about to get underway, our attention turns toward the next bubble – the top 100 players in the FedExCup standings – which will comprise the Deutsche Bank Championship’s field.

There are some familiar names hovering both above and below that 100-mark including Aaron Baddeley (103rd), local favorite James Driscoll (104th) , Marc Calcavecchia (111th) and our 2003 champion Adam Scott (116th). They will all have to play their way into the Deutsche Bank Championship. Lee Janzen (93rd), Ben Curtis (94th) and bubble-boy Daniel Chopra are among the group that will have to watch their backs this weekend at Liberty National.

Obviously, plenty of players have locked up the Deutsche Bank Championship spots, including past champions Tiger Woods (2006), Phil Mickelson (2007) and Vijay Singh (2004 and 2008). We’re certainly looking forward to seeing all of these players in Boston!

We’re very excited about the host of events planned for this year’s Deutsche Bank Championship. Included in that is our first ever Military Appreciation Day on Tuesday, September 1. All active and non-active military personnel will be given free admission that day along with passes to the MasterCard Club.

We’ll also be joining the PGA TOUR’s ‘Golf Fore Groceries’ initiative and hosting a food drive throughout the entire Championship Week. We’ll be collecting canned and non-perishable food items at the entrance each day and ask those attending to help us out with donations. All food collected will benefit the Greater Boston Good Bank and the Norton and Mansfield food pantries.

We hope you share in our excitement as the Deutsche Bank Championship approaches and I look forward to seeing all of you throughout Championship Week!