Print this page  |  Close Window

By Mark Spoor
PGATOUR.com Coordinating Producer

A brief word about what you're about to read:

Don't look now, but the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup are coming -- quickly. After the U.S. Open wrapped up, we have merely nine weeks until the inaugural PGA TOUR postseason cranks up at The Barclays at Westchester CC. So for the next nine Mondays -- and the four that encompass the FedExCup playoffs -- we'll take a look at the players making the biggest moves up the standings chart.

Enjoy.

Last Week: U.S. Open, Oakmont Pa. | This Week: Travelers Championship, Cromwell, Conn.

Biggest Mover: Angel Cabrera
He climbed: 129 spots, from 155th to 26th
Because: He won the U.S. Open on Sunday
Not exactly tough to figure that one out. However, consider that following his stunning victory at Oakmont, Cabrera is now second on TOUR in final-round scoring average. That's right, the guy who's knock before Sunday was that he couldn't close now averages 69.25 in four Sunday appearances this season. Incidentally, Tiger Woods is 18th on TOUR at 70.25 in eight appearances.

Perhaps equally significant is the fact that on Sunday morning, Cabrera was not in the 144-player field for the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. Now, he's not only in it, he's firmly in contention, a fact that should not be lost on the rest of the field. It should be interesting to see how Cabrera responds after breaking through.

Welcome to the top 10: Jim Furyk
He climbed: Eight spots, from 16th to eighth
Because: He tied for second at the U.S. Open
Furyk was understandably deflated Sunday after finishing second at the Open for the second consecutive year -- both times by just one stroke. However, it bears noting that no player scored better over the weekend than Furyk. He turned in a pair of even-par 70s on a weekend when 70 often appeared superhuman. That's something that may benefit him well as we get into the playoffs, where conditions may bear a strong resemblance to majors.

Something else that will benefit Furyk as the run-up to the Playoffs continue is his unwavering consistency so far this season. He's made 12 cuts in 14 events and has five top-fives and three top-threes. He's third on the TOUR in driving accuracy with 504 fairways hit in 675 attempts and his 69.58 scoring average puts him fifth among the best players in the world.

Welcome to the top 100: Hunter Mahan
He climbed: 15 spots, from 104th to 89th
Because: He finished T13 in the U.S. Open
He's doing it very quietly, but Mahan is on a bit of a roll these days. He's made three cuts in his last four events, and his T13 finish Sunday is his second consecutive top-20 effort -- he tied for 17th in Memphis. Also, his showing at Oakmont puts his cuts made percentage over 50. Mahan is also fourth in total driving and is among the top 50 on TOUR in total birdies and par-5 performance.

And, oh, by the way, Mahan finished second to J.J. Henry last year at what is now the Travelers Championship. Plus, he's made the cut there in each of the past three years, with eight rounds in the 60s.

Welcome to the field: George McNeill
He climbed: One spot, from 145th to 144th
Because: He finished 63rd at the U.S. Open
Sure, McNeill -- a 2006 q-school medalist -- climbed just one spot, but oh what a difference that one spot makes. Like Cabrera, he was out of the playoffs field Sunday morning, and was in it Sunday evening. This week marked the 10th cut made by McNeill in 16 events this season and the first since he finished T44 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Confidence builder, anyone?

Keep in mind also that McNeill likes streaks as much as the next guy. The last time McNeill made a cut after missing one, he made seven in a row -- from the FBR Open in early February to New Orleans in April. That period of time is awfully close to the time between now and the Playoffs.

Look out for: Jeff Brehaut
He climbed: Into the standings, at 185th
Because: He finished T17 at the U.S. Open
If you're gonna pick a tournament to make your first cut of the year in, the U.S. Open certainly isn't a bad choice. What's more, he did it with gusto, finishing ahead of, among others, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and Ernie Els.

Not a bad week.

Brehaut is an alternate for the Travelers Championship. If he makes the field, there's recent history to suggest he may make quite an impact. Brehaut finished T12 there in 2005 -- after a Sunday 64.