Four straight birdies down the stretch put him in position to add a fourth title
On a sun-drenched Florida course, Miguel Angel Jimenez reminded the game that momentum is its own kind of mastery — four consecutive birdies to close his round placed him atop a leaderboard where ambition and survival share the same fairway. The TimberTech Championship, second in a three-event post-season, is both a proving ground and a threshold: only the top 36 in Schwab Cup points will earn passage to Phoenix's season finale. While some play for glory, others play simply to continue playing — and in that tension lies the quiet drama of a sport measuring itself in single strokes.
- Jimenez surged to the top with four straight birdies to close his round, turning a solid day into a statement of late-round nerve.
- Steven Alker, the season's dominant force, stumbled with a double bogey on 15 but remains so far ahead in the standings that Phoenix is already his destination — and a win here would seal a $1 million prize.
- Vijay Singh's withdrawal after nine holes with a foot injury ended his post-season before it found its footing, marking his second missed season finale in three years.
- Dozens of players are separated by razor-thin margins in the Schwab Cup standings, where the difference between advancing to Phoenix and going home may come down to a single shot over 36 holes.
- Tom Pernice Jr. and Scott McCarron both shot 69 but find themselves on opposite sides of the projected cut line, embodying the precarious arithmetic of a field fighting for 36 spots.
Miguel Angel Jimenez closed Friday's round at Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club with four consecutive birdies, carding a 5-under 67 to take a one-shot lead over Paul Goydos and Rod Pampling at the TimberTech Championship. It was a finish built on momentum rather than dominance — and in a post-season where survival is the primary currency, it was enough to stand alone atop the board.
The tournament is the second of three events determining who advances to the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix. The top 36 players in Schwab Cup points earn that passage, and for much of the field, this week is less about winning than about enduring. Jimenez, a three-time winner this season and fifth in the standings, had already secured his Phoenix berth — a freedom that may well explain the ease of those closing birdies.
Steven Alker, who leads the Schwab Cup standings by a commanding margin, had a rare stumble — a water ball and double bogey on the par-3 15th — before recovering with a closing birdie for a 70. He sits tied for seventh, but the larger picture remains firmly in his favor: he has already locked in the No. 1 seed for the finale, and a victory this week would clinch the $1 million Schwab Cup prize outright.
Further down the leaderboard, the drama was quieter but sharper. Tom Pernice Jr., 44th in the standings, posted a 69 and projected to make the cut. Scott McCarron, at 54th, matched that score but sat just outside the top 36 — the kind of position where every remaining shot carries outsized weight. Padraig Harrington, second in the overall standings, shot 72 and remained well back of the lead.
The week also brought an early ending for Vijay Singh, who withdrew after nine holes with a foot injury, missing the season finale for the second time in three years. With two rounds remaining, the field stayed bunched and the stakes stayed high — for those chasing Jimenez, and for those simply trying to earn a ticket to Phoenix.
Miguel Angel Jimenez finished Friday's round with a flourish, birdieing four straight holes down the stretch for a 5-under 67 that put him atop the leaderboard at the TimberTech Championship. He held a one-shot lead over Paul Goydos and Rod Pampling at Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club, a position earned not through dominance but through late momentum—the kind of finish that catches the attention of a field playing for something real.
The TimberTech Championship is the second event in a three-tournament post-season sprint, and the stakes are concrete: the top 36 players in Schwab Cup points will advance to next week's Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix. For most of the field, this week is about survival. For Jimenez, it's about adding to an already strong season. He arrived as a three-time winner this year and sat fifth in the Schwab Cup standings, meaning he had already secured his spot in Phoenix. That cushion allowed him to play with a certain freedom on Friday.
Steven Alker, the man leading the entire Schwab Cup race, had a messier day. He hit into the water on the par-3 15th hole at Royal Palm and took a double bogey, a rare stumble for someone in his position. He recovered with a birdie on 18 for a 70, leaving him tied for seventh. But Alker's commanding lead in the overall standings means he has already locked in the No. 1 seed for the season finale. More than that: if he wins this week, he clinches the $1 million prize that comes with the Schwab Cup itself. For Alker, this event is about sealing a dominant season, not about qualifying.
Padraig Harrington, sitting second in the Schwab Cup standings, shot 72 and remained in contention, though well back of Jimenez. The real drama was further down the board, where the margin between advancing and going home was measured in single strokes. Tom Pernice Jr., currently 44th in the standings, posted a 69 and was projected to make the cut if he could hold position over the next two days. Scott McCarron, at 54th, also shot 69 but was projected just outside the top 36—the kind of precarious position that makes every shot matter.
The week took a turn for the worse for Vijay Singh, who withdrew after nine holes with a foot injury. His absence meant he would not be eligible for the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, marking the second time in three seasons he has missed the season finale. For Singh, the post-season ended before it really began.
With two rounds remaining, Jimenez held the lead, but the field remained bunched. The tournament was still very much in play, and for dozens of players fighting for those final spots in the top 36, the next 36 holes would determine whether they got to Phoenix or went home.
Notable Quotes
Alker is assured the No. 1 seed for the season finale and could clinch the $1-million prize if he were to win the TimberTech Championship— Tournament context
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does Jimenez's late surge matter if he's already locked into Phoenix?
Because he's a three-time winner this year—he's playing to win, not just to qualify. The momentum of finishing with four birdies puts him in position to add a fourth title.
And Alker—he's already won the Schwab Cup race essentially?
He's locked in the top seed and could clinch the million-dollar prize with a victory here. But he also had that double bogey on 15. Even the leaders aren't immune to mistakes.
What about the players like Pernice and McCarron?
They're on the knife's edge. Pernice is 44th and projected to make it if he holds. McCarron is 54th and projected to miss. Two or three shots could flip their entire season.
So this is really about the middle of the field fighting for survival?
Exactly. The top guys like Alker and Harrington are playing for titles and prizes. The guys in the 30s through 60s are playing for their playoff lives.
And Singh just withdrew?
Foot injury after nine holes. He's out of the Charles Schwab Cup for the second time in three years. Sometimes the season ends not with a decision but with an injury.