You couldn’t have asked for a better finish. After a tough start on Thursday, Phil Mickelson fought back and played his heart out to win the Tour Championship at East Lake Country Club in Atlanta.

When the week began, all eyes were on Tiger. Nobody was talking about Mickelson; I can only figure that no one thought he would be a factor.

Playing flawless golf, Mickelson shot a 5 under par 65 to win by 3 strokes over Tiger Woods.
It was good to see lefty smiling again. You could tell by his demeanor that his game is back and he is excited to be playing again.

After going through season ending knee surgery in 2008, Tiger came back and won 6 times on tour in 2009. With all the scenarios being discussed by the announcers, it was appropriate to see Tiger win the FedEx Cup. Even though there were 6 players that could have won the Cup, Tiger Woods was the player that deserved to win.

Watching Tiger and Phil play the way they did this week could be an indication of what is to come in 2010? All I can say is, I can’t wait!

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When the day began there were 16 players within 5 strokes of the lead at the Tour Championship. This final leg of the FedEx Cup playoff series has proven to be more exciting than most expected. East Lake Country Club is challenging the players and this tournament should come down to the final few shots on Sunday.

With the tee times being moved into the morning, the heat has not been as big a factor today as in previous rounds. The greens were more receptive today and allowed the players to be a bit more aggressive with their approach shots.

There were several players who were able to challenge the golf course today including Geoff Ogilvy who shot a par 64. Phil Mickelson charged up the leader board shooting 66 to move into a tie for third place. Mickelson had another good round on Saturday with 5 birdies and a lone bogey at the 16th hole.

Kenny Perry found the magic touch today and stormed into the lead with a 6 under par 64. Perry started his round with 4 straight birdies on a course where birdies are at a premium. He is now at 8 under par and holds a 2 stroke lead over Tiger Woods heading into the final round.

Only 8 players shot under par rounds today, once again proving that East Lake Country Club is one of the toughest tests on the PGA tour.

Sunday should prove to be a real old fashioned showdown. There are 8 players at 2 under par or better and any one of them could win the Tour Championship. Only Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods control their own destiny. If either player wins the Tour Championship, they will also win the FedEx Cup.

There are several other players in contention that have a chance to win the Cup, but they will all need help.

The final round should prove to be an exciting finish. Who will be victorious? Patience and Course management will be an absolute must. If the first three rounds are any indication, this championship should come down to the final hole.

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On Friday at the SAS Championship in Cary, North Carolina, Leonard Thompson became only the 10th player in PGA history to play in 1000 or more professional tournaments. Thompson started his career in 1971, playing in 651 PGA events, winning 3 tournaments and finishing in the top 25 168 times. Moving to the Champions Tour, Thompson has competed in 348 before teeing off at Prestonwood Country Club.

Leonard Thompson joined a very select group of Iron man golfers that include:

• Miller Barber – 1292

• Dave Eichelberger – 1239

• Charles Coody – 1070

• Arnold Palmer – 1053

• J.C. Snead – 1046

• Dale Douglas – 1041

• Gay Brewer – 1023

• Jim Colbert – 1019

• Gene Littler – 1013

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/WireImage.com

On Friday, the Golf Channel spoke with many different players at the SAS Tournament to get a take on this momentous achievement. In great form, they took this moment to roast and congratulate him for being able to stand the test of time, remain healthy and compete for over 38 years.

Congratulations to Leonard Thompson on an amazing feat.

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At the halfway point of the Tour Championship at East Lake Country Club in Atlanta, the course appears to be winning. With the Top 30 PGA professionals competing this week you would expect low scores. After two rounds on this magnificent 7154 yard Par 70 golf course, 66 has been the best round recorded on either day.

On Wednesday, we here at World Golf Emporium questioned whether weather conditions would have an effect on the final leg of the FedEx Cup. Although, for now, the rain has held off, the temperatures on Friday made for a sweltering hot day. The temps got up in the mid 90s and with little or no wind, the players struggled to stay cool and hydrated. For Saturday, Tournament officials decided to move tee times up to try and avoid rain.

After struggling on the 14th hole on Thursday, Phil Mickelson came back strong and shot a 3 under par 67 to get back to even par. Mickelson showed no signs of surrender during the second round and is once again within striking distance of the lead.

I was absolutely amazed watching Stewart Cink play the 10th hole. Stepping up to the tee on ten, Cink was tied for the lead at 5 under par. Using a driver on the 469 yard par 4, Cink hit his tee shot left and with one bounce the ball traveled out of bounds.

Playing his next tee shot, his third stroke, Cink proceeded to hook the shot over the same fence, out of bounds. After two tee shots out of bounds, teeing up for the third time, his fifth stroke on the par 4, Cink once again chose to hit Driver. Conventional wisdom would suggest using a different club. This time he kept his drive in play and scrambled to a 4 over par 8, dropping him back to 1 under par and 4 strokes off the lead.

Who would have thought we would see two different players shoot 8 on a par four in the first two rounds of the Tour Championship?

There were some great shots on Friday like Tiger Woods second shot at the par 5, 15th hole, where he drilled a 3 wood to just over 4 feet from the hole. What should have been an eagle, ended up as a birdie. All in all though, East Lake Country Club once again proved to be up to the challenge.

Heading into the weekend there are 16 players at even par or better and within striking distance of the lead. The final 36 holes should prove to be interesting and the tournament could come down to the final hole.

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