Watney wins The Barclays and takes Fed Ex cup lead

American Nick Watney has moved to number one in the Fed Ex cup playoffs after winning the The Barclays at Bethpage Black Golf Course in Farmingdale, New York

Watney birdied the final hole to win by 2 over fellow American Brandt Snedeker and by 3 over Dustin Johnson and overnight leader Sergio Garcia. His  -10 score of 278 was strong enough to hold off the Spaniard.

The two dueled for most of the day in the final pairing, but the momentum shifted on the 7^th when Sergio 3 putted for bogey and Watney tapped in for birdie.

Garcia was aiming to record back-to-back tour wins after his triumph at Wyndham just last week and take the Fed Ex cup lead.

However a final round 75 cost the Spaniard dearly. That been said Sergio was upbeat about his amazing play over the last 2 weeks,  ‘No doubt about it. It’s been two very good weeks, I would of loved to have finished in a different way, but I can’t be disappointed with how this weeks gone’.

Tiger Woods unpredictable play on the weekend was evident again this week as he struggled shooting a closing 76 and dropping to 31^st, however he is still in a good position in the top 5 of the standings.

With this win Watney turns around a dismal season and credited his improved putting to his shock win ‘I made more putts than I have all season today’.

He is now in with a chance to be named one of Davis Love’s Ryder Cup picks when the teams named at the conclusion of next weeks event.

Only the top 100 players in the standing will now advance to Boston for the Deutsche Bank championship.

The Fed Ex Cup champion will collect US$10 million and will be crowned at the conclusion of the Tour Championship next month.

In other golf news, European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal has named England Ian Poulter and Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts as his two captains picks for the biannual event as Germany’s Martin Kaymer wrapped up the last spot.

Colsaerts will be the only rookie on the European team and the first Belgian to play in the Ryder Cup.

Oliver Neave, golf correspondent