Kuchar denies Laird in play-off

Kuchar: flawless final day

Final leaderboard
(US unless stated)
-12 M Kuchar
-12 M Laird
Kuchar won at first extra hole
-10 K Streelman
-10 S Stricker
-9 J Day (Aus)
-9 R Palmer
-9 R Sabbatini (SA)
-9 V Taylor

Also see

• Opinion
• Rankings
• Golf on Sky
• Ryder Cup standings
• £5 Free Bet

Matt Kuchar birdied the first hole of a sudden death play-off with Martin Laird to win The Barclays and go top of the FedEx Cup play-off standings.

Kuchar produced a bogey-free, five-under effort of 66 to set the clubhouse target of 12-under-par at the Ridgewood Country Club.

But Laird stood on the 18th tee with a one-shot lead needing only a par four to close out his second PGA Tour title.

Unfortunately for the Scot, who was three in front at the start of the day, he three putted for a five to sign for a level-par round of 71.

Superb approach

And Kuchar completed Laird's nightmare when the players returned to the 18th to contest the first extra hole.

The American punched his approach from the left rough to within three feet of the hole and, after Laird had made a regulation four, holed the birdie putt to seal his third career win.

Laird had earlier frittered away his advantage despite starting his final round with two birdies.

A double-bogey seven at the third, however, was followed by further dropped shots at the fourth and eighth during a front nine of 36.

He regrouped with birdies at the 12th and 17th but then failed to muster the required par at the last, despite hitting his second shot to within 25 feet of the cup.

American duo Steve Stricker (66) and Kevin Streelman (68) shared third place on 10-under-par with a group of four men - Americans Vaughn Taylor (69) and Ryan Palmer (69), South Africa's Rory Sabbatini (64) and Jason Day (71) of Australia - a stroke further back.

World number one Tiger Woods again showed glimpses of his best form during a 67 that put him in a tie for 12th at seven-under-par.

That was enough to move Woods up to 65th in the FedEx Cup play-off standings and ensures he is in the field for next week's Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston - the second leg of the lucrative four tournament series, where only the top 100 players are eligible.

Donald burst

Luke Donald, meanwhile, started his final round with six straight birdies and reached the turn in just 28.

But the Englishman, who found out he was one of European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie's three wildcard picks after the 10th hole, had to settle for a 68 after bogeying five of his last eight holes.

Donald ended up on six-under-par, alongside compatriots Ian Poulter (70) and Justin Rose (72).

Another of the English contingent, Paul Casey (69), was one better off but his day - like that of Rose - was overshadowed by being overlooked for a Ryder Cup wildcard.

Montgomerie plumped for Donald, Padraig Harrington, whose closing 75 at The Barclays dropped him down to a share of 47th, and Italian rookie Edoardo Molinari, who won the European Tour's Johnnie Walker Championship earlier in the day and joins his brother, Francesco, in making a Ryder Cup debut.