First-round notebook – Deutsche Bank Championship
* Troy Matteson made the most of earning the final spot (No. 125) into The Barclays a week ago, finishing T20 and advancing into this week’s field at No. 83 in the FedExCup standings. He’s off to another much-needed good start this week, opening with a 5-under 66.* Steve Stricker opened the 2009 Deutsche Bank Championship with an 8-under 63 on Friday, taking a two-stroke lead over Scott Verplank, Angel Cabrera, Justin Leonard and Matt Kuchar after the morning wave of the second event in the PGA Tour Playoffs for the FedExCup.
* This would mark the third time in Stricker’s Tour career that he has held at least a share of the 18-hole lead in a Tour event:
Year Event 18-Hole Standing Finish
2009 Crowne Plaza Invitational 3-way tie (T. Clark/W. Austin) 1
1993 Canadian Open 2 over five players T4
* Steve Stricker has found his groove at the Deutsche Bank Championship. After missing his first three cuts from 2003-05, he has since reeled off T7 (2006), T9 (2007) and T13 (2008) finishes at the Tournament. His 63 on Friday betters his previous best score of 67 at the TPC Boston, posted on three occasions.
* Stricker entered the 2009 Deutsche Bank Championship ranked No. 2 in the FedExCup standings on the strength of victories earlier in the year at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial and the John Deere Classic. With nine top-10 finishes this season, he trails only Tiger Woods (12).
* The PGA Tour Playoffs have been kind to Stricker. With five top-10 finishes in nine previous Playoff starts, he trails only Camilo Villegas, who has six. His 63 on Friday also represents a Tour-leading 26 rounds in the 60s in Playoff events.
* Tiger Woods (2006) is the only first-round leader/co-leader at the Deutsche Bank Championship to carry that lead on to victory. The 2007 FedExCup champion and current points leader carded a 1-under 70 on Friday.
* Phil Mickelson, currently No. 10 in the FedExCup standings, is making his 400th PGA Tour start today at the Deutsche Bank Championship. He is making his third start at the Deutsche Bank Championship (1-2007, MC-2008).
* Local favorite Brett Quigley posted a 1-under 70 on Friday. The 40-year-old native of Fort Devens, MA had missed the cut in five previous starts before a T21 in 2008. He is currently No. 59 in the FedExCup standings.
* Defending champion Vijay Singh’s stellar track record at the Deutsche Bank Championship includes four top-4 finishes in five previous starts (4-2003, 1-2004, 2-2006, T60-2007, 1-2008). Despite finishing 1-over 285 in 2007, he is still a collective 65-under in six previous starts at TPC Boston. The 34-time PGA Tour winner needs a good finish this week to move up from his current 78th position in the FedExCup standings.
* Heath Slocum, winner of last week’s The Barclays and the third-ranked player in the FedExCup standings, posted a 2-under 69 on Friday. He is making his seventh start at the Deutsche Bank Championship, with his best outing coming in 2008 (T15). His only other top-25 finish came in 2007 (T23).
* It was a rollercoaster ride for Hunter Mahan during the opening round of the Deutsche Bank Championship. He stood at 6-over par through seven holes before rallying with five birdies in his next nine to move to 1-over through 16 holes. He closed with a double bogey on the par-3 eighth and a birdie on the par-4 ninth for a 2-over 73.
* Ernie Els, fresh off of a T2 finish at The Barclays (one of four top-8 finishes in his last six starts) is making his second start at the Deutsche Bank Championship, with a T3 finish in his inaugural appearance in 2008.
* Five rookies remain in the PGA Tour Playoffs for the FedExCup—Webb Simpson, Jeff Klauk, James Nitties, Marc Leishman and Scott Piercy (67). Only Simpson (#41) is currently inside the Top 70, the cutoff point to qualify for next week’s BMW Championship.
* The top 33 players in this week’s field are assured of reaching next week’s BMW Championship. The remainder will be competing for the other 37 places in the field in Chicago.
* Nine players have now started in all 10 career PGA Tour Playoff events. The list includes Robert Allenby, Stewart Cink, Tim Clark (70), Jim Furyk, Sergio Garcia (70), Hunter Mahan (73), Vijay Singh, Steve Stricker (63) and Camilo Villegas (70).
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