The Loop

7 things you need to know after Week 2 of the FedEx Cup Playoffs

September 02, 2014

With the second leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs complete, here's what you need to know heading into Week 3:

BEST-TIMED BEST-EVER TOURNAMENT

Chris Kirk entered the week a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, but there probably aren't too many golf fans who vividly remember those victories. Not to take anything away from Kirk, but as he acknowledged after, the Deutsche Bank Championship was by far the biggest win of his career, easily trumping triumphs at the Viking and McGladrey Classics. With title No. 3, Kirk moved to No. 1 on the FedEx Cup points list and to the top of the conversation of possible Ryder Cup captain's picks. The 29-year-old University of Georgia product has also guaranteed his first trip to his native Atlanta to play in the Tour Championship.

MOST OPPORTUNISTIC

The last man in the field, Geoff Ogilvy, shot a pair of 65s over the weekend that gave him a T-2 and moved him up from No. 100 to No. 24 on the FedEx Cup points list -- meaning he has a great chance of playing in his first Tour Championship since 2011. Ogilvy would not have even teed it up in Boston if not for Brendon Todd making a 15-foot par putt on the final hole of the Barclays the week before.

CRAZIEST "THAT'S SOOO FEDEX CUP" MOMENT

Jason Day's birdie putt on the final hole gave him a T-7 finish. What's the big deal? It bumped Robert Streb down to a T-9, dropping him to No. 71 on the FedEx Cup points list and ending his season. Streb gets the unofficial "all for naught" award also. He thought he would be moving on in the playoffs after a clutch eagle on the final hole, but he couldn't survive one final crunching of the numbers.

/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/2015/07/20/55ad7ac8b01eefe207f6fac6_blogs-the-loop-blog-geoff-ogilvy-0902.jpg

Geoff Ogilvy is taking advantage of his good fortune in the playoffs.

MOST EXPENSIVE SHOT

This was an obvious one. Billy Horschel needed a birdie on the final hole to get into a playoff -- or an eagle to win -- and he put himself in great shape after a perfect drive. But he chunked his approach shot from 212 yards with a 6-iron so badly that his ball barely reached the hazard on TPC Boston's 18th hole. The resulting bogey kept him from his second PGA Tour title and dropped him into a three-way tie for second, which dropped him out of the top 10 on the FedEx Cup points list to No. 20. Oh, it also probably cost him a good chance of being a Ryder Cup captain's pick. Ouch.

BIGGEST NAMES NOT MOVING ON

Luke Donald and Brandt Snedeker arrived in Boston hoping to salvage disappointing seasons by at least impressing their potential Ryder Cup captains. It didn't work out that way. Donald finished T-57 and found out Tuesday morning he won't make the trip to Scotland to represent Team Europe. Snedeker missed his second consecutive cut in the playoffs and will probably be staying home for the foreseeable future as well.

MOST UNLIKELY CLUTCH SHOT

Needing an eagle on the final hole to have any chance of getting into the top 70, Jerry Kelly put everything he had into a 3-wood from 248 yards. The ball bounded onto the green and within four feet. Kelly made the putt and sweated out the next couple hours before winding up No. 70 on the list to move on.

NEXT UP

The FedEx Cup continues in Denver with the BMW Championship. Cherry Hills will host the event for the first time. The top 30 on the points list at the conclusion of the event will move on to the Tour Championship the following week.