Birdies & Bogeys: Deutsche Bank Championship

By Joel Beall

We're halfway through the 2015 FedEx Cup, and in just two weeks we've seen Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy play tug-of-war with the No. 1 world ranking, Jason Day make his case as best player in the world and a certain orange-clad golfer remind the sport that any "Big 3" notions are premature.

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Birdie - Rickie Fowler

Since being cited as one of the tour's most overrated players in an early season poll (which, we should note, was justified at the time, given he had just one pro victory to his name), Fowler has won the Players Championship, Scottish Open and Deutsche Bank Championship. While he lacks the major pedigree, Fowler has proven he's not far off from the Spieth-Day-McIlroy triumvirate.

Birdie - Henrik Stenson

At 39, Stenson is having a quiet but solid season, posting seven top-10 finishes, including back-to-back silver medals in the past two weeks. Stenson is a former FedEx Cup champion, so while the golf world celebrates its new "Big 4," keep an eye on the Swede to make some noise at East Lake.

Bogey - Henrik Stenson

Fowler made quite the comeback effort on the back nine, but the tournament was truly decided by Stenson's double bogey on the par-3 16th. Fowler made 3 on the hole, and ended up winning by one stroke.

Birdie - Jerry Kelly

Despite missing all four majors this season and without a win since 2009, Kelly finds himself in the final 70 on the FedEx Cup points ranking thanks to a ninth-place showing at TPC Boston. The 48-year-old put himself in position with a 66 on Saturday and 68 on Sunday, before sealing the deal with a birdie on the 72nd hole.

Bogey - Jordan Spieth

Last week's missed cut at the Barclays was excused (sort of) due to Spieth putting new irons into play. But it's hard to justify his display (75-73) at the Deutsche Bank Championship, which marked the first time in Spieth's pro career he has missed cuts in back-to-back starts. For those appointing the Golden Child the next icon of the sport, we'd like to point out that Tiger Woods once made 142 consecutive cuts.

Bogey - World Rankings

Rory McIlroy grabbed the World No. 1 ranking last week at the Barclays, and he wasn't in the field. On Monday, Jordan Spieth seized the title back ... after missing the cut. Oh, and this coming week -- with no PGA Tour event even being held -- McIlroy will return to the No. 1 spot. Call me crazy, but I think the World Rankings equation might need some tinkering.

Birdie - Hunter Mahan

Ranking 92nd in the FedEx Cup standings entering Deutsche Bank, Mahan's claim as the only player to compete in every FedEx Cup event since the inception of the Playoffs was in jeopardy of ending at TPC Boston. However, with a marvelous performance -- highlighted by a third-round 64 -- Mahan moved up to 52nd, getting him into next week's BMW Championship and extending his streak at least one more event.

Bogey - Phil Mickelson

Mickelson was hoping a strong late-season push would propel him into the Presidents Cup conversation. Instead, a 65th-place finish at TPC Boston was Phil's third 50th-or-higher showing in his last four events. Ranked 30th in Presidents Cup points, it would be a bad look for Jay Haas to make Mickelson one of his captain's picks with his recent woes. And so it appears Mickelson will be left off his first U.S. Cup team (Ryder or Presidents) since 1994.

Bogey - Charley Hoffman

It's not often we give someone who finished third a "bogey" designation. Nevertheless, Hoffman's third-round five-over 76 submarined his chances of winning the tournament, and to a bigger extent, his shot at the Presidents Cup.

Birdie - William McGirt

Now THAT is how you close the deal. McGirt, a 36-year-old journeyman who started the week 88th in FedEx Cup standings, was on the bubble for earning a spot at the BMW Championship heading into the 71st hole. All he did was hole out from the fairway for eagle, and his par on the final hole translated to a T-12 finish, good enough to send McGirt to the next round of the playoffs.