Bae matched shots with PGA champion Jason Day throughout the third round of The Barclays on Saturday until both finished at 7-under 63 and tied for the lead going into the final round at Plainfield Country Club.
Suddenly, the opening FedEx Cup playoff event is loaded with significance beyond the $10 million bonus at the end.
Two shots behind was Ryan Palmer, playing for the first time since his father died in a traffic accident in West Texas. A victory by Bae would put him on the Presidents Cup team in his native South Korea, assuming he could even play. And a FedEx Cup title comes with a five-year exemption.
