Australia’s Scott wins Barclays in tight finish

Final round leaderbaord:-11 A Scott (Aus)-10 G Woodland-10 G DeLaet (Can)-10 T Woods-10 J Rose (Eng)JERSEY CITY. Masters champion Adam Scott of Australia won The Barclays after a nail-biting finish, claiming the title on Sunday by one stroke over four rivals in the opening event of the FedExCup playoffs.Early finisher Scott posted a five-under-par 66 at Liberty National for an 11-under-par total of 273 that stood up as Tiger Woods (69), U.S. Open champion Justin Rose (68), Canadian Graham DeLaet (65) and Gary Woodland (73) all finished one stroke back.Scott began the day six strokes behind overnight co-leader Woodland and played eight groups behind the final pair. He finished his round about 90 minutes before the last putt was sunk.He watched challenger after challenger come up short and at the end he was glancing up at a large screen TV near the practice range as he stayed loose in case of a playoff.“I was thinking, I’m lucky to even have a chance, I started today on a wing and a prayer I thought,” said Scott.“I played a good round of golf but I didn’t think it was good enough. But the closing holes threw up a challenge on these guys and luck was definitely on my side today.”It was Scott’s first victory since his rousing playoff win over Argentina’s Angel Cabrera at Augusta, and a frustrating loss for his pursuers, particularly Woods.BACK PAINWoods, who complained of a sore back this week after sleeping on a soft hotel bed, collapsed to his knees after striking his second shot on the par-five 13th hole and grabbed at his back.The shot sailed left and into the water beyond the tee box at an adjacent hole. Woods went on to bogey the hole and the 15th as well before bouncing back with birdies at 16 and 17. He left his last birdie try two revolutions short of the cup.“It (the pain) actually started the hole before, my little tee shot there started it,” Woods said of his tee shot at the 12th hole. “Thirteen just kind of accentuated it.”Woods was asked if it was a back spasm. “Oh yeah, big time,” said the 37-year-old American, who bent very gingerly each time he removed his ball from the cup. “It’s definitely spasming.”Rose needed two putts from 30 feet at the last to tie Scott, but sent his 30-foot birdie try five feet past and missed the par putt.

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Australia’s Scott wins Barclays in tight finish