O'Neill: Woods returns, Els takes a break

This FedExCup thing isn’t working out quite like the PGA Tour drew it up. In the first round of the PGA Tour playoff series, the game’s No.1 star, Tiger Woods, took a pass, skipping The Barclays Classic and taking time off after winning the PGA Championship at Southern Hills.

This week, with the playoff series moving to the Deutsche Bank Championship, another of the “Big Five” is playing hooky. Ernie Els, who was fourth at The Barclays, has announced he is punting the second round of the playoffs to return to his home near London.

The South African said he wants to be home while his children prepare to return to school. Els plans to be back next week for the third event of the FedExCup, the BMW Championship in Chicago. He will remain in the United States for the Tour Championship the following week.

“I have been on the road now for almost eight weeks and it is important that I return home where my children will be preparing for their return to school,” Els said, in a statement released by his management company. “I regret having to miss such a prestigious and important tournament and I wish everybody there an enjoyable and successful week.”

Well, the good news is, Woods will play at the Deutsche Bank. The PGA Tour’s top money winner dropped to fourth in the FedExCup points standings by being missing in action at The Barclays. Steve Stricker, who captured the event, catapulted 11 places to first in the standings, followed by K.J. Choi and Rory Sabattini. Stricker is 4,950 points ahead of Woods.

Appearing on NBC’s TODAY show, Woods was asked about skipping The Barclays and about being in a position where his presence, or lack thereof, has such a significant impact.

“You can’t play each and every event,” Woods said. “You’d like to, but you really can’t. My whole idea is to be 100 percent committed to each and every tournament I play in, to be able to give everything I have to be able to win that event.”

HAT TRICK FOR OCHOA
Lorena Ochoa won her third consecutive tournament with a five-stroke victory in the Safeway Classic on Sunday. The LPGA record for most wins in succession is four, last accomplished by Annika Sorenstam in 2001. But Ochoa won’t match it or break it – she is not going to play this week.

“They keep saying, ‘You should play, you can do four in a row,’ ”Ochoa told The Associated Press. “But it's time for me to go home. I’m very happy with my three wins. And this year has been very special to me.”

Ochoa, who is from Mexico, is planning on taking most of September off. Besides the Safeway, she won the Canadian Women's Open the previous week and the Women's British Open — her first major — the week before.

“I think it's hard to realize [the third straight] right now,” she said. “But every week I play to win and that’s why I’m here.”

WEDDING BELLS
Speaking of Sorenstam, it’s been a different kind of year for the 36-year old Swede, who used to rule the LPGA roost. While coming back from injuries, Sorenstam has not won a tournament for the first time since her rookie season in 1994.

That is not to say she hasn’t won anything. She announced earlier this week that she has won a man, agreeing to marry Mike McGee. The former sports agent and son of golfer Jerry McGee popped the question over the weekend.

“What a lovely surprise,” she told The AP. “I’m as happy as I can be.”

No date has been set. This will be the second round of nuptials for Sorenstam, who divorced David Esch in 2005. She began seeing McGee shortly thereafter and the two have been thick as thieves since.

McGee now manages the “Annika” business brand, which features clothing, golf course designs, a golf academy and … perhaps an “Annika” wedding dress? Hmmm? Hmmm?  

PETE AND REPEAT
Three former winners of the Deutsche Bank are among the top 10 on the FedExCup points list.

Woods, Vijay Singh (sixth) and Adam Scott (ninth) are all former champs in Boston. All three have finished second in the event, as well. When Singh won in 2004, Woods and Scott were the runners-up. When Woods won last year, Singh was the runner-up.

At the same time, such notable names as Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Padraig Harrington are playing in the event for the first time this week.

THE CUT
The playoff field will be cut to the top 70 in the points standings after this week. Only those players will advance to the third week of the playoffs.

The competition is tight. Only 812 points separate 63rd place Steve Marino from 76th place Brian Davis.  You can earn that same amount of points with a two-way tie for 16th this week.

STRICKLY SPEAKING
With his win at The Barclays, Stricker has moved up to fifth in the Official World Golf Ranking. It is his highest ranking ever. He was 12th following the 1997 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

EAGLE EYE
When Denis Watson won last week’s Boeing Championship with an eagle on the second playoff hole, it was the first time in 22 years a playoff ended in such fashion. Lee Elder defeated Peter Thomson with an eagle at the 1985 Merrill Lynch Golf Digest Commemorative.

ROOKIE DEBUT
German Bernhard Langer makes his Champions Tour debut this week at the Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach. A two-time Masters champion, Langer turned 50 on Monday.

ALL HALE
Hale Irwin is the only player to win at Pebble Beach on both the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour.  Irwin won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in 1984 on the regular tour, then captured the 2005 Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach on the Champions Tour.

NATIONWIDE RACE
A tight battle is shaping up for a spot in the top 25 as the Nationwide Tour season heads for the finish line. Only $804 separates 24th place on the money list (Jon Mills) from 27th place (Scott Gardiner). Those who finish in the top 25 will enjoy some level of exempt status on the PGA Tour next season.

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