May. 15, 2008
By Steve Dennis, PGA TOUR Staff
1. Tiger Woods' first place standing is safe for the 12th straight week, and only Stewart Cink could pass Phil Mickelson to move into 2nd, which he would do with any top 3 finish. However, this is a week in which several players can make huge moves to get into position for the stretch drive.
Following is a list of the top players in the field and how much they could move with a top 3 finish at the AT&T Classic. Of note, Paul Goydos could move from 146th to 14th in two weeks if he could duplicate his 2nd place finish again this week.
|
| Stewart Cink |
3 |
9,449 |
13,949 |
2 |
12,149 |
2 |
11,149 |
2 |
| Ryuji Imada |
18 |
5,931 |
10,431 |
3 |
8,631 |
6 |
7,631 |
9 |
| D.J. Trahan |
20 |
5,528 |
10,028 |
3 |
8,228 |
7 |
7,228 |
9 |
| Nicholas Thompson |
35 |
4,110 |
8,610 |
6 |
6,810 |
12 |
5,810 |
20 |
| Briny Baird |
36 |
4,103 |
8,603 |
6 |
6,803 |
12 |
5,803 |
20 |
| Brian Gay |
38 |
3,920 |
8,420 |
7 |
6,620 |
13 |
5,620 |
20 |
| Paul Goydos |
42 |
3,666 |
8,166 |
7 |
6,366 |
14 |
5,366 |
23 |
| Kevin Sutherland |
43 |
3,644 |
8,144 |
7 |
6,344 |
14 |
5,344 |
23 |
| Steve Elkington |
44 |
3,609 |
8,109 |
7 |
6,309 |
14 |
5,309 |
25 |
| Ben Crane |
47 |
3,568 |
8,068 |
8 |
6,268 |
15 |
5,268 |
25 |
| Kenny Perry |
56 |
3,174 |
7,674 |
9 |
5,874 |
20 |
4,874 |
32 |
| Retief Goosen |
59 |
3,083 |
7,583 |
9 |
5,783 |
20 |
4,783 |
32 |
| Troy Matteson |
62 |
2,963 |
7,463 |
9 |
5,663 |
20 |
4,663 |
32 |
| John Mallinger |
63 |
2,867 |
7,367 |
9 |
5,567 |
20 |
4,567 |
32 |
| Charles Howell III |
69 |
2,657 |
7,157 |
11 |
5,357 |
23 |
4,357 |
34 |
|
2. Several players in the field who did well in 2007 are doing even better this year, including 2 who have already earned more points this year than last. Of the players who finished among the top 100 seeds for the 2007 PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, the players below are the ones who've had an even better season so far this year by at least 1,000 points. Stewart Cink and Ryuji Imada have more points already in 2008 than through all of the 2007 Regular Season. In addition, Cink, Imada, Troy Matteson Brian Davis and Steve Elkington all had good finishes at the AT&T Classic last year.
|
| Stewart Cink |
3 |
9,449 |
28 |
7,080 |
4,477 |
4,972 |
203 |
| Ryuji Imada |
18 |
5,931 |
55 |
5,005 |
2,144 |
3,787 |
2,700 |
| Troy Matteson |
62 |
2,963 |
56 |
4,986 |
1,703 |
1,260 |
1,300 |
| Kenny Perry |
56 |
3,174 |
58 |
4,926 |
733 |
2,441 |
0 |
| Brian Davis |
110 |
1,548 |
74 |
4,442 |
297 |
1,251 |
280 |
| Brian Gay |
38 |
3,920 |
76 |
4,345 |
1,996 |
1,924 |
56 |
| Steve Flesch |
74 |
2,468 |
81 |
4,119 |
923 |
1,545 |
0 |
| Steve Elkington |
44 |
3,609 |
90 |
3,543 |
1,506 |
2,103 |
375 |
|
3. There have been 19 different winners of 21 events so far this year, and the odds are very good the AT&T Classic will give us the 20th of 22. D.J. Trahan won the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, and Brian Gay won the Mayakoba Classic, but no one else in the field has won yet this year. Here are the players in the field who have won an event on the PGA TOUR since 2005, but haven't won yet this year.
|
| Paul Goydos |
42 |
3,666 |
DNS |
8,166 |
7 |
| Ben Crane |
47 |
3,568 |
DNS |
8,068 |
8 |
| Kenny Perry |
56 |
3,174 |
0 |
7,674 |
9 |
| Retief Goosen |
59 |
3,083 |
DNS |
7,583 |
9 |
| Troy Matteson |
62 |
2,963 |
1,300 |
7,463 |
9 |
| Charles Howell III |
69 |
2,657 |
0 |
7,157 |
11 |
| Steve Flesch |
74 |
2,468 |
0 |
6,968 |
11 |
| Jonathan Byrd |
77 |
2,414 |
625 |
6,914 |
11 |
| Heath Slocum |
79 |
2,220 |
0 |
6,720 |
12 |
| Zach Johnson |
84 |
2,065 |
4,500 |
6,565 |
13 |
| Dean Wilson |
88 |
1,986 |
DNS |
6,486 |
13 |
| Lucas Glover |
102 |
1,714 |
DNS |
6,214 |
16 |
| John Rollins |
112 |
1,499 |
DNS |
5,999 |
18 |
| Joe Ogilvie |
113 |
1,476 |
463 |
5,976 |
18 |
| David Toms |
126 |
1,124 |
142 |
5,624 |
20 |
| J.J. Henry |
145 |
763 |
56 |
5,263 |
25 |
| Robert Gamez |
150 |
694 |
625 |
5,194 |
25 |
| Eric Axley |
152 |
690 |
50 |
5,190 |
25 |
| Ted Purdy |
156 |
618 |
DNS |
5,118 |
27 |
| Olin Browne |
182 |
345 |
625 |
4,845 |
32 |
|
4. A few players are playing very well without much fanfare. Any PGA TOUR member who wins will move up in the standings, but the list below shows players in the field who are averaging around 300 points per start or more without benefit of a win. A 300 points per start average was enough to get into the top 50 last year, but fewer than half of those were able to maintain that average without winning. Retief Goosen is outside the top 50 largely because he has only 9 starts so far this year.
|
| Stewart Cink |
3 |
9,449 |
859 |
| Ryuji Imada |
18 |
5,931 |
494 |
| Briny Baird |
36 |
4,103 |
293 |
| Paul Goydos |
42 |
3,666 |
282 |
| Kevin Sutherland |
43 |
3,644 |
304 |
| Steve Elkington |
44 |
3,609 |
328 |
| Ben Crane |
47 |
3,568 |
324 |
| Retief Goosen |
59 |
3,083 |
343 |
|
5. Some players who did very well at the 2007 AT&T Classic need to have a good week in 2008 to get on track, starting with the defending champion, Zach Johnson. The players in the list below had top 25 finishes here last year, and are averaging fewer points per start than they did during 2007.
|
| Zach Johnson |
84 |
2,065 |
172 |
7 |
13,341 |
702 |
4,500 |
| Camilo Villegas |
89 |
1,967 |
179 |
52 |
5,329 |
267 |
1,300 |
| Jonathan Byrd |
77 |
2,414 |
186 |
26 |
7,757 |
408 |
625 |
| Joe Ogilvie |
113 |
1,476 |
114 |
79 |
4,193 |
175 |
463 |
| Parker McLachlin |
93 |
1,872 |
170 |
158 |
1,307 |
62 |
375 |
| Lee Janzen |
131 |
936 |
117 |
146 |
1,694 |
89 |
375 |
| Brian Davis |
110 |
1,548 |
119 |
74 |
4,442 |
222 |
280 |
|
6. Nine players under 30 have won this year, and this field has several young players capable of winning. The list of players under 30 who are currently in the top 144 in FedExCup rankings are listed below. If any of them win, that player would jump into the top 30 this week.
|
| D.J. Trahan |
20 |
5,528 |
10,028 |
3 |
27 |
| Nicholas Thompson |
35 |
4,110 |
8,610 |
6 |
25 |
| Troy Matteson |
62 |
2,963 |
7,463 |
9 |
28 |
| John Mallinger |
63 |
2,867 |
7,367 |
9 |
28 |
| Charles Howell III |
69 |
2,657 |
7,157 |
11 |
28 |
| Matt Kuchar |
76 |
2,448 |
6,948 |
11 |
29 |
| Dustin Johnson |
82 |
2,121 |
6,621 |
13 |
23 |
| Camilo Villegas |
89 |
1,967 |
6,467 |
14 |
26 |
| Jason Day |
90 |
1,966 |
6,466 |
14 |
20 |
| Parker McLachlin |
93 |
1,872 |
6,372 |
14 |
29 |
| Bubba Watson |
100 |
1,774 |
6,274 |
15 |
29 |
| Michael Letzig |
101 |
1,746 |
6,246 |
15 |
28 |
| Lucas Glover |
102 |
1,714 |
6,214 |
16 |
28 |
| Bill Haas |
106 |
1,627 |
6,127 |
18 |
25 |
| Chez Reavie |
111 |
1,503 |
6,003 |
18 |
26 |
| Kevin Stadler |
117 |
1,388 |
5,888 |
19 |
28 |
| Kenneth Ferrie |
136 |
866 |
5,366 |
23 |
29 |
| Kevin Streelman |
138 |
862 |
5,362 |
23 |
29 |
| Nick Flanagan |
139 |
822 |
5,322 |
24 |
23 |
|