Jim Furyk plays 17 great holes and one crazy little Tour Championship victory squashier.  The 17th hole will go down as Jim’s bane during his third round.  While playing very steady Jim Furyk like golf, steady pars and a birdie thrown in here or there, all the while leading the tournament, until the 17th hole.  With water left most players bail out right, but Jim went with the opposite and pull hooked one left into the water.  Then to compound his mistake he doesn’t go up 70-90 yards and drop where his ball last crossed the hazard, he decides to to re tee.  Even with a great tee shot and a very good second shot, and a putt for bogey that almost went in Jim walked off the 53rd hole of the Tour Championship no longer our tournament leader.  I hope that Jim can come back from that 17th hole, but if history is to repeat itself he may not be ready for another Tour Championship win.

Rory McIlroy played another solid round on Saturday that could have been better.  With one short putt missed and a few bad chip shots Rory finds himself 3 shots back from the leaders.  Rory needs to play a little better on the front nine and get off to a hot start.  Even though he doesn’t need a winner in order to be the FedEx Cup champion, we all know he is out there to win another tournament.  I think that if Rory were to win the FedEx cup without winning the Tour Championship he would be a little disappointed.  Plus I want to see him win three in a row.

Brandt Snedecker has turned out to be a heck of a competitor in the playoffs and no one can doubt his being a captains pick.  With a round of 64 on Saturday catapulting him into the top spot in both the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup race.  Brandt is one of those top 5 players coming to this event that carried his own fate in his hands. Rory will definitely be watching Brandt on Sunday for he is the only player that can deny Rory of a FedEx Cup race with a win.

Justin Rose has been at the top of the leader board all week long.  He is the man to beat on Sunday.  He has played the most consistent so far.  Justin has won a PGA Tour Playoff event in the past, but this would most notably be his biggest win of his career so far.  The only problem is with Brandt and Rory so close to the top, even with a W at the Tour Championship Justin cannot win the FedEx Cup.  Rory and Brandt and Tiger conceivably would need to go crazy on Sunday, and I don’t think that is a possibility.

Ryan Moore and Bubba Watson are two players that are only 3 shots back and are playing very well this week.  Bubba can tear up this course, and if he makes a few putts early on can put some pressure on the leaders.  Ryan Moore is one of only two players who played his way into the Tour Championship from outside the top 30.  It would be great to see him win the Tour Championship, and that would really create some wild times for the top points winners and the mathematicians to figure out the FedEx Cup winner.

Unfortunately my pick Dustin Johnson fired a 73 on Saturday to pull himself out of the Tour Championship race and ultimately the FedEx Cup.  Looks like the Chicago Golf Guy’s curse still stands.