VARGAS ON THE VERGE
3 Times A Runner-Up, The 8-Year Veteran Closing In On First
Player of the Year
Doug Vargas’s 3rd place finish in last month’s Survivor Challenge earned him some crucial breathing room on Chris Moawad in the standings for Player of the Year. Moawad, aiming to be the first repeat Player of the Year since 2005-2006 (Patrick Bird), had cut Vargas’s lead down to single digits before the Survivor, but now stands 11.56 points back. Vargas can dispense with any drama with a higher finish than Chris Moawad in the season-ending Tour Championship. Should Moawad finish higher, Vargas will need (not factoring in bonus points):
– A 2nd place finish with a Moawad victory
– 7th place or better should Moawad finish 2nd
Though not in the running for Player of the Year, other golfers have high finishes to strive for. Patrick Bird is in position for his highest finish since winning Player of the Year in 2007. Clint Crump also aiming for his highest since 2006, while P-Jay Fidler also in range for his highest since 2009 when he finished 3rd.
The Tour Championship will be Patrick Bird’s 75th career Tour start, John Frost’s 70th, and P-Jay Fidler’s 60th.
OCTOBER UPDATE
| CUR | PREV | PLAYER | EVENTS | POINTS | WINS | # OF TOP-3's | BEHIND LEAD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | D. VARGAS | 7 | 83.31 | 3 | 4 | |
| 2 | 2 | Moawad | 7 | 71.75 | 4 | -11.56 | |
| 3 | 4 | Bird | 8 | 56.65 | 2 | 3 | -26.66 |
| 4 | 3 | Grigorian | 5 | 55.92 | 2 | 2 | -27.39 |
| 5 | 6 | Crump | 6 | 54.08 | 1 | 3 | -29.23 |
| 6 | 5 | Fidler | 7 | 53.83 | 3 | -29.48 |
|
| 7 | 8 | W. Vargas | 6 | 49.65 | 1 | 4 | -33.66 |
| 8 | 7 | Vaughan | 6 | 44.58 | 3 | -38.73 | |
| 9 | 9 | Frost | 6 | 41.65 | 1 | 4 | -41.66 |
| 10 | 10 | Mann | 5 | 29.34 | 2 | -53.97 | |
| 11 | 12 | T. Joe | 9 | 25.88 | 1 | -57.43 | |
| 12 | 11 | Gordón | 5 | 25.15 | 1 | -58.16 | |
| 13 | 13 | Quiroz | 4 | 20.04 | 1 | -63.27 |
|
| 14 | 14 | Witt | 8 | 17.56 | -65.75 | ||
| 15 | 15 | Clemente | 2 | 8.08 | 1 | -70.23 |