Adam Scott wins The Barclays

Australia's Adam Scott fired a closing round of 66 to win The Barclays at Liberty National Golf Club by a single stroke from a group of four players, including Tiger Woods.

Adam Scott wins The Barclays (Getty Images)

Australia's Adam Scott fired a closing round of 66 to win The Barclays at Liberty National Golf Club by a single stroke from a group of four players, including Tiger Woods.

Scott posted a birdie-free 66 to overtake Canada's Graham DeLaet at the top of the leaderboard and set a clubhouse total of 11-under par. It looked likely that number would be surpassed, but the chasing pack stumbled and Scott's number was enough to claim the first FedEx Cup playoff event.

"I can't believe it," said the Masters champion. "I just played a good round today and I came in and really didn't think it had a chance. But obviously, things went my way a lot out there. I feel I've been given a bit of a gift."

Justin Rose should have matched Scott's score but he three-putted the home hole. Tiger Woods looked to be on a charge before he felt a twinge in his back on the 13th and hooked a shot into a swamp. He fought back with birdies at the 16th and 17th, but came up one shot shy.

Gary Woodland, who held the lead at the start of play, dropped back with a ball into the water on the 13th. He had chances for birdie on each of the three closing holes, but all of his putts narrowly missed.

With the win Scott has moved to second place in the FedEx Cup standings, less than 200 points behind Tiger Woods.

Woods was vague when asked about his back and whether he would be fit to compete in next week's Deutsche Bank Championship.

"I just got off and I'm not feeling my best right now," he said.

Canada's Graham DeLaet closed with an excellent 65 that pushed him into a tie for second place. That finish was enough to propel him to ninth on the points list for the Presidents Cup. With just a week to go before the end of qualifying, he looks likely to make the international team.

With only the top 100 on the FedEx Cup standings progressing to next week's Deutsche Bank Championship, there was also drama towards the bottom of the leaderboard.

Australia's Geoff Ogilvy missed a two-foot putt on the last that would have seen him into the top-100, Camilo Villegas also missed a makeable putt on the home hole that would have secured his progression.

Aaaron Baddeley looked sure to take the Colombian's place in the top-100 but he bogeyed the last three holes and Villegas snuck in.

The Barclays Liberty National GC, Jersey City, New Jersey Aug 22-25, purse $8,000,000, par 71

1   Adam Scott (Aus)      69   66   72   66   273   $1,440,000 T2   Graham DeLaet (Can)   67   73   69   65   274   $528,000 T2   Justin Rose (Eng)      68   68   70   68   274   $528,000 T2   Gary Woodland (USA)   69   64   68   73   274   $528,000 T2   Tiger Woods (USA)   67   69   69   69   274   $528,000 T6   Jim Furyk (USA)      70   66   70   69   275   $268,000 T6   Phil Mickelson (USA)   71   69   70   65   275   $268,000 T6   D.A. Points (USA)      70   72   66   67   275   $268,000 T9   Matt Every (USA)      67   72   69   68   276   $208,000 T9   Rickie Fowler (USA)   71   64   71   70   276   $208,000 T9   Jason Kokrak (USA)   70   69   70   67   276   $208,000 T9   Nick Watney (USA)   68   70   69   69   276   $208,000     Note: Player score in bold signifies Titleist ball usage Where next? European Tour - Tommy Fleetwood wins at Gleneagles

Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly. 

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?