Redemption for Horschel, heartbreak for Appleby

Billy Horschel made amends for a 72nd-hole gaffe at last week's tournament to win the BMW Championship and set up a chance to claim the FedEx Cup at the Tour Championship.

Billy Horschel let a trophy slide through his fingers less than a week ago; he made amends at the BMW Championship with a convincing victory that set up a chance to claim the FedEx Cup at this week’s Tour Championship.

The high-energy Floridian chunked a 6-iron into a greenside hazard to gift-wrap the second FedEx Cup Playoff event to Chris Kirk last Monday, but this time Horschel kept a cool head as others around him imploded over the closing holes at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver. Nine finishing pars grafted a two-stroke victory over Bubba Watson as the disintegration of Ryan Palmer and Sergio Garcia paved the way for Horschel to win for the second time on Tour.

Billy Horschel dashed off for a toilet break after hitting his final iron shot. PHOTO: Getty Images

Tied with Palmer at 14-under-par walking to the 12th green, 20 minutes later Horschel found himself with a three-shot edge. Palmer failed to get up-and-down from greenside rough at the 12th then shanked his second shot to the 13th into a stream in front of the green.

The ensuing double-bogey ended Palmer’s hopes just as Garcia, playing in the group ahead, moved into the frame. He had ripped through the first seven holes in five-under on Sunday to leap up the leaderboard and pulled within two strokes of Horschel with a pinpoint 4-iron to birdie the long par-3 15th. Yet indecision proved costly for the Spaniard. He elected to play safe at the par-5 17th rather than risk going for the island green in two shots. From there Garcia blasted his third over the green before half-skulling his chip shot into the water, which led to a catastrophic triple-bogey. When Horschel parred the same hole and found dry land off the 18th tee, the tournament was his.

“It feels so good. It means a lot,” Horschel said. “After last week, everybody on Twitter wanted to call me a choker. I didn’t choke. I made a bad swing at the wrong time. You don’t choke when you are coming from behind. It meant a lot that I could win this one.”

Horschel now enters the season-ending Tour Championship a mere nine points behind FedEx Cup points leader Kirk. Those two, along with Watson, Rory McIlroy and Hunter Mahan, know a victory in Atlanta next weekend will bring with it the US$10 FedEx Cup bounty.

Jason Day will lead the Aussie charge at the Tour Championship, if healthy. PHOTO: Getty Images

There was heartbreak for Stuart Appleby, who catapulted up the points list with a tie for second at the first Playoff leg two weeks ago. He missed the all-important top-30 by one place and 14 points, losing not only a spot at East Lake but also guaranteed starts at the majors in 2015. Making matters worse for Appleby is that the 30th-ranked player, Dustin Johnson, is on a self-imposed hiatus from tournament play but isn’t being replaced in fields for the FedEx Cup Playoff events.

“It is disappointing but [I have] no regrets,” Appleby said. “At least now next year I will be playing pro-ams again, getting a look at courses more, and hopefully heading in the right direction.”

The Australians to go the distance with a chance to win the FedEx Cup are Jason Day (10th), Adam Scott (12th), John Senden (17th) and Geoff Ogilvy (25th). Day’s place in the Tour Championship field is in some doubt after he withdrew from the BMW Championship midway through his second round with a back injury.

LEADERBOARD

1. Billy Horschel (USA) 68-66-63-69—266

2. Bubba Watson (USA) 70-66-66-66—268

3. Morgan Hoffmann (USA) 72-72-62-63—269

T4. Jim Furyk (USA) 70-68-67-66—271

T4. Rickie Fowler (USA) 71-66-66-68—271

T4. Sergio Garcia (Esp) 68-64-72-67—271

T4. Ryan Palmer (USA) 69-64-67-71—271

Also:

T8. Adam Scott (Qld) 71-66-69-66—272

T23. John Senden (Qld) 73-66-70-68—277

T36. Geoff Ogilvy (Vic) 73-69-69-70—281