Barclays, Final Round: Matt Kuchar Wins Playoff After Martin Laird Three-Putts 18

Matt Kuchar's shot at the Barclay's title got new life when leader Martin Laird three-putted the 18th hole with the tournament on the line, and he made the most of it.

Kuchar hit a fantastic iron from the fairway to within three feet of the pin on the first playoff hole, and when Laird's approach from the other side of the fairway could only crawl to 51 feet away, the competition was as good as sealed.

Laird two-putted, which at least forced Kuchar to hole out from close range, but "Kooch" would not miss the clinching putt. This is the first win of the season for the 32-year-old American, and only his second ever on the PGA Tour. For Laird, only the regrets of putting woes that have haunted golfers for time immemorial. Also, a handsome check to help soothe the pain.

For more on the Barclays and the PGA Tour, be sure to check out our golf blog, Waggle Room.

Martin Laird stood on the 18th green with two putts between himself and a title at The Barclays. Turns out he needed three. With Jim Nantz and company praising Laird's extraordinary putting today--awful foreshadowing if we ever heard it--Laird sent his first putt about 10 feet past the hole, setting himself up for a putt that was eerily similar to his birdie save on the 17th.

Alas, the second putt had no chance. None. It was off the line from the start and only broke further away.

Laird must now face Matt Kuchar in a sudden death playoff for the tournament crown.

You can follow the live leaderboard here. For more on the Barclays and the PGA Tour, be sure to check out our golf blog, Waggle Room.

Just minutes after seeing his lead vanish on a Matt Kuchar birdie on 17, Martin Laird returned the favor. Laird drove the green in two on the par-5 17th, then two-putted for a birdie that put him back at -13 for the first time since the second hole of the afternoon.

Laird's birdie didn't come easily, though; he had 30 feet for eagle, and putted it about 38 feet; there was no break on his putt coming back, though, and his stroke was true.

The Glaswegian now just needs to make par at 18--not an easy task, mind you--to preserve his win. He hasn't bogeyed it in three tries, but he hasn't played it needing a par to win, either.

You can follow the live leaderboard here. For more on the Barclays and the PGA Tour, be sure to check out our golf blog, Waggle Room.

All eyes are on Martin Laird now, as Matt Kuchar has just closed out his Sunday round with a par on 18. That gives Kuchar a 5-under 66 for the day, good for 12-under for the tournament. Laird now has two holes to avoid a playoff--one way or the other.

Fortunately for Laird, he's just driven the fairway on the par-5 17th, and a birdie here is not out of the question by any stretch.

You can follow the live leaderboard here. For more on the Barclays and the PGA Tour, be sure to check out our golf blog, Waggle Room.

What good is mettle if it's never tested? For Martin Laird, that testing has begun in spades, as two straight birdies on 16 and 17 by Matt Kuchar have forced a tie atop the leaderboard at -12.

Laird, two groups behind Kuchar, found himself staring at a birdie putt on 16 shortly thereafter that would have given him the lead back, but the 18-footer was pushed a few inches left. Meanwhile, Kuchar has driven the fairway on 18 and looks to be in decent position to close out with at least a par.

You can follow the live leaderboard here. For more on the Barclays and the PGA Tour, be sure to check out our golf blog, Waggle Room.

Steve Stricker may not be the clubhouse leader for long. Matt Kuchar, who came into Sunday's play at -7, nailed a 9-foot birdie putt on the 16th to move into sole possession of second place at -11, one shot off Martin Laird's pace.

With Laird struggling to maintain the lead, any additional pressure Kuchar could put on the Scotsman might only weaken his resolve even further, and Kuchar has the par-5 17th waiting. Might Kuchar go to the 18th hole tied for the lead?

You can follow the live leaderboard here. For more on the Barclays and the PGA Tour, be sure to check out our golf blog, Waggle Room.

Through two holes of his final round, Martin Laird was two under, pushing his Barclays-leading total to -14. It looked as if he were on pace to cruise through Sunday's action and pick up a victory.

Well, funny thing--Laird doubled the third and bogeyed the fourth, and he hasn't made any progress to improving his score since then. So Laird is now on top of the field by only one stroke at -11 as he heads toward the back nine.

Meanwhile, Steve Stricker is the latest golfer to make a final-round push here, climbing to -10 going into 18. If he can finish at -10, there's really no telling whether anybody else is going to top that score. Laird's already +1 on Sunday--who's going to guarantee he doesn't fall any further? Wait, check that, he just birdied 11 and he's back up by two strokes. But still.

You can follow the live leaderboard here. For more on the Barclays and the PGA Tour, be sure to check out our golf blog, Waggle Room.

They're not tournament winners, or even clubhouse leaders, but Tiger Woods and Ben Crane made themselves another dollar or two with strong Sunday performances at The Barclays.

Both men came into the final round out of serious contention at -3, and hadn't done much since the first round. But both Crane and Tiger registered five birdies to only one bogey, reflecting solid play off the tee and on the green.

This, of course, will lead everyone to wonder whether Tiger is "back," to the point where someone's going to have to ask what "back" even means in this context anymore, prompting thousands of blank stares. Meanwhile, Tiger will continue to not be "back" until he is winning tournaments again, which he has once again not come close to doing this weekend.

You can follow the live leaderboard here. For more on the Barclays and the PGA Tour, be sure to check out our golf blog, Waggle Room.

Luke Donald has been a non-factor for the majority of The Barclays this weekend: he was -3 coming into the final round, nine shots off the pace, and never better than two under until the back nine yesterday.

But on that back nine, Donald seemed to hit his groove, registering four birdies in a span of five holes. Better yet, that hot streak has remained intact, as Donald fired six straight birdies to begin his final round. A birdie putt on 7 lipped out, ending the streak, and Donald had to get up and down from a bunker to save par on 8. They can't all be birdies, after all.

Still, the spree has launched Donald into second place, and if he can get into the clubhouse in double digits under par, that could put major pressure on the leaders as they begin their final rounds.

Elsewhere, Rory Sabbatini has also put together a solid final round, going -6 through 13. He's now at -8, and could be in for a pretty nice payday if the last few pairings underwhelm.

You can follow the live leaderboard here. For more on the Barclays and the PGA Tour, be sure to check out our golf blog, Waggle Room.