Geoff Ogilvy says he’s fallen in love with golf again on the eve of the $US35 million FedEx Cup playoffs, after jumping a potentially career-stalling hurdle last week.
Admitting he’d lost some of the passion for the game in recent years, 2006 US Open winner Ogilvy believes the mojo returned at last week’s Wyndham Championship. Using a one-time career moneylist exemption in 2017 after failing to keep his US PGA Tour card last year, Ogilvy needed a strong showing at the regular season-ending Wyndham event to remain inside the top-125 on the FedEx Cup standings.
Ogilvy was in danger of missing the cut on Friday, which would have ended his season, but rallied to finish the North Carolina event tied for 16th. The 40-year-old sneaked into 116th place on the FedEx standings and booked a ninth playoffs berth in 11 years of the Tour’s postseason.
Finishing outside the top-125 meant Ogilvy would have relied on conditional status and sponsor invitations to a limited number of smaller events to revive his career.
The Victorian believes “playing with house money” could fuel a deep run into the four-tournament playoffs, kicking off at this week’s Northern Trust event in New York.
Players are then progressively eliminated after each event until the top-30 advance to the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta in September, when the leading points scorer wins the $US10 million bonus prize.
“I will feel miles less stress; it’s not even comparable. I’m playing with house money. I’ve got nothing to lose,” Ogilvy said. “I’m excited because I have a legitimate chance to get to East Lake, and then you’ve got a chance to win the (FedEx Cup).
“If I play well, great. If I don’t, I get an extra few weeks off before I go to the Presidents Cup as an assistant captain.”
The Melburnian, whose resume also includes three World Golf Championship titles and eight US Tour victories, had a lean two years after his last tour win at the 2014 Barracuda Championship. He carded just two top-10s in two years across the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
“I lost faith quite a few times. If your practice doesn’t go well and you don’t see results straight away, it can be deflating,” Ogilvy said. “My joy for doing it wasn’t quite there for a while, but the last year especially it’s building.”
Now assured of a full playing card for 2018, Arizona-based Ogilvy can also book his spot in all four of golf’s Majors next year by making it to the Tour Championship.
