The PGA Tour

He may have got rid of his playoff beard, but that didn't stop Canadian lefty Mike Weir carding a half-decent ten-under 61 in the first round of the Deutsche Bank Championship. That was good enough to put him at the top pf the pile if you hadn't already gathered...

Weir pocketed ten birdies and holed 120 feet worth of putts - including a 60-footer for eagle at the last - matching Vijay Singh's course record set in 2006. Speaking of Vijay, the Fijian finds himself in second place with John Merrick, Briny Baird and Heath Slocum, all of whom opened with 64s.

Other players in the mix include Ben Curtis (T6), Ernie Els, and IGWT faves Anthony Kim and Kevin Streelman (all tied eighth). Out of our picks, Sergio Garcia and Geoff Ogilvy are both tied for 19th, but Robert Allenby has a lot to do down in tied 67th.

Poor Sergio Garcia, eh? We never usually root for him to be honest, but up against Vijay Singh in a playoff at The Barclays on Sunday, we had no choice. Anyway, Garcia ended up losing out to Singh on the second extra hole at Ridgewood CC to give 'The Big Fijian' a record fourth victory at The Barclays.

Kevin Sutherland also found himself in the playoff, but couldn't cut the mustard and was knocked out after the first extra hole. Garcia made an absolute hash of things on the second hole, however, hooking his drive into the left rough, landing his ball next to a mole hole...

Elsewhere, IGWT pick Kevin Streelman ended up in a tie for fourth (despite starting the day in pole). Justin Leonard, Mike Weir and Paul Casey all finished tied for seventh, with Phil Mickelson and Steve Stricker tying for 19th.

Singh now finds himself at the top of the FedEx Cup playoff standings on 109,500 points, with Garcia in second on 104,375 and Kevin Sutherland in third with 101,856 points. Lefty and Justin Leonard occupy the fourth and fifth spots respectively. Things are hotting up...

This Barclays stuff has been a bit of a win-win situation for us here at IGWT. Even though one of our picks, Steve Stricker, shot an abysmal third round 77 to drop from the top spot, our other tip, Kevin Streelman, produced the goods to move into pole position going into the final day.

A 68 on Saturday put Streelman on eight-under, one shot clear of a bleedin' tricky chasing pack comprising Vijay Singh, Mike Weir (whose ice hockey-style playoff beard seems to be working a treat), Paul Casey and Sergio Garcia.

Jim Furyk, Anthony Kim and Steve Stricker are all tied for 11th, so you get the feeling that only a round in the low 60s will suffice if they're to stand a chance. Still, stranger things have happened, like Tiger Woods walking on water...

IGWT pick Steve Stricker finds himself at the top of the pile at The Barclays after a second round 64 (seven-under). Stricker hasn't dropped a stroke since the first two holes on Thursday, and has since bossed the A.W Tillinghurst layout, playing his last 23 holes in 11 under.

He finds himself three clear of Hunter Mahan, who carded a disappointing 73 to go with his first round 62. How comfortable do you reckon Stricker feels, however, with Angel Cabrera, Kenny Perry (both six-under), Sergio Garcia, Anthony Kim and IGWT pick Kevin Streelman (all five-under) breathing down his neck? He'd better check that he hasn't soiled himself...

As much as we're looking forward to things heating up over the weekend, it's goodbye to Ernie Els, Camilo Villegas, Ian Poulter and Padraig Harrington (those majors must have been a fluke).

Who's laughing now, eh? Just a few weeks after he slammed The Ryder Cup, Hunter Mahan shot the lights out Ridgewood CC with a nine-under 62 in the first round of The Barclays Championship. Mahan - who hit 11 of 14 fairways and only needed 23 (if Paul Azinger's at all bothered) - is firmly in the driving seat, four strokes clear of Paul Casey, who carded a 66.

After rounds of 67, Bo Van Pelt, Kevin Streelman, Mathew Goggin, Charley Hoffman and Dudley Hart all find themselves in the mix on four-under, with Adam Scott, Jesper Parnevik and Steve Stricker hot on their heels.

Some of the bigger names, however, have got it all to do. Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Vijay Singh and Anthony Kim all posted one-under rounds of 70 to put them eight shots off the pace.