FedExCup notes: EDS Byron Nelson Championship

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Tiger Woods' first-place standing is safe this week, but three players -- Justin Leonard, Sean O'Hair and Ryuji Imada -- could take over second with a victory. Trevor Immelman, who moved into the top 15 with his Masters victory, has an opportunity to move into the top three with another win. Luke Donald, Bart Bryant, Anthony Kim and Steve Elkington, who have been quietly playing very well (see further below) could also turn up the volume on their seasons with a win. The players in the field who could move into the top five in the FedExCup Points Standings are listed below.

Several players who did well in 2007 are doing even better this year, including two who have already earned more points this year than last. Of the players who finished among the top 70 seeds for the 2007 PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, the players below are the ones who have had an even better season so far this year by at least 1,000 points. O'Hair and Imada have more points already in 2008 than at the end of the 2007 Regular Season.

A number of players in the top 30 in the 2008 FedExCup Points Standings are heavily dependent on their victory to have gotten them there. Those players will need either to win again in the 2008 Regular Season or more consistently earn high finishes to remain in the top 30. The easiest way to spot players who are highly "win-dependent" is to examine their points per start compared to their points per start excluding their victories. Below is a chart of the players in the EDS Byron Nelson field who are in the top 30 in the FedExCup points standings that lists points per start, points per start excluding victories and their points per start in last year's regular season for comparison.

A few players who are playing well might be "flying under the radar." Looking at players whose ranking for "Points per non-winning start" is 10 or more places above their FedExCup standing, several players stand out who are having good years but haven't won. Luke Donald only has five starts, but they include a second and a third. Bart Bryant has a second at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and three other solid top-25 finishes. Anthony Kim has missed three cuts in nine events but also has a tie for second and a tie for third. Steve Elkington has two top-five finishes and three other top-15 finishes this year, and Kevin Sutherland has a tie for fourth, a tie for eighth and three other top 25s. Adam Scott's points-per-start rank is also well above his FedExCup rank, but he has only finished four events in 2008 (he withdrew from the Shell Houston Open) and has a lone top-10 finish at the world Golf Championships -- Accenture Match Play Championship.