PGATOUR.com Coordinating Producer
As happened last week, we won't go with just the top 5 movers in number, but rather the top 5 movers in impact. Tiger Woods, of course, leads that list. Three other players also played their way into this week's event at East Lake.
Last week: BMW Championship
This week: TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola
Biggest mover: Stewart Cink
He moved: Eight spots, from 32nd to 24th
Because: He finished T7 at the BMW Championship
Ask yourself this -- you can bet Cink has asked himself this at least once since Sunday night: What might have been had Cink not shot a 2-over-par 73 in Friday's second round? What's more, what spot would Cink be in if he had made the cut last week at the Deutsche Bank Championship?
All is hardly lost, however. Cink -- with more than $2 million in earnings last season -- still gets to go home to Atlanta and play for a whole bunch of money this weekend. In five TOUR Championship appearances, Cink's best finish is a tie for 13th in 2001.
Welcome to the field: Camilo Villegas
He moved: Six spots, from 34th to 28th
Because: He finished T7 at the BMW Championship
Remember last week when we said that Villegas' recent string of good fortune was being done "almost quietly"? Well, it's not quiet anymore. Villegas has back-to-back top-10s and three top-10s in his past five starts. By the way, his other two finishes were a T21 at The Barclays and a T23 at the PGA Championship -- hardly horrific.
Here's the stat that will wake you up: Villegas' average finish in FedExCup events is 12.3. That'll get you some points -- and a few dollars.
So will this: Of the players that have participated in all three FedExCup events, Villegas is fifth in scoring average at 69.40.
Welcome to the field: Tim Clark
He moved: Six spots, from 33rd to 27th
Because: He finished T5 in the BMW Championship
When he went out in 29 on Sunday at Cog Hill -- a tournament record -- many wondered how high up the leaderboard -- and the FedExCup standings -- Clark would climb. As it happens, he came in in 38 but still managed to get a top-five finish and earn himself a spot at East Lake.
Clark now has three top-five and four top-10 finishes in his past seven TOUR starts dating back to his runner-up finish at the John Deere Classic back in July. However, he has been a bit up-and-down in the Playoffs. He was T17 at The Barclays and he missed the cut last week at the Deutsche Bank Championship.
Here's a stat that may have a big effect at the damaged greens at East Lake: Clark leads the TOUR in putts per round at 28.02.
Welcome to the top 10: Aaron Baddeley
He moved: Five spots, from 11th to sixth
Because: He finished second at the BMW Championship.
There was no final-round collapse here, to be sure. A final-round 66 gave Badds his second consecutive top-five finish, as well as 7,400 FedExCup points and more than $1 million in earnings in just the past two weeks.
Quite a run, indeed.
Baddeley is second behind Steve Stricker in scoring average amongst those players that have played all 12 Playoff rounds (68.56). He's also second behind Stricker in par breakers (29.17) and first in putting average among players with 12 Playoff rounds (1.662).
Welcome to the lead: Tiger Woods
He moved: Two spots, from third to first
Because: He won the BMW Championship
What could possibly be said about Tiger Woods' season that hasn't already been said? He has six wins in 15 events this season. He's made nearly $10 million this year (that's a familiar number, isn't it?) and his career earnings are now more than $75 million.
Oh -- and there's the 60 career TOUR wins -- at the age of 31.
If he wins at East Lake -- which he has not done since 1999, by the way, he'll add another accolade -- inaugural FedExCup champion.
