Groups we're watching: THE PLAYERS, Final Round

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May. 11, 2008

All times are eastern.

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Paul Goydos, Kenny Perry
Tee time: 2:30 p.m.
Tee: No. 1
Total TOUR wins: 11
Why you should watch: Perry, 47, has won some big tournaments on the PGA TOUR, but a PLAYERS Championship victory would easily be the career topper for him. Perry has made no bones about his desire to qualify for the 2008 Ryder Cup matches, which will be held in his home state of Kentucky.

Perry's well-rounded game will be on display on Sunday. His unique swing produces plenty of power, and his putter has worked well all week.

Goydos' position as the PLAYERS leader heading into the final round is easily one of the best stories of 2008. Goydos is a 43-year-old fighter from a scrappy city (Long Beach, Calif.) who has had to earn everything he's gotten in his PGA TOUR career. His short-hitting game places heavy reliance on wedge and iron play, but his strong performance on the Stadium Course's difficult par-3s has him on the verge of an improbable PLAYERS win. Goydos gets a lot out of his game, and through three rounds in Ponte Vedra Beach, he hasn't made many mistakes.

2008 Stat comparison
Player Events Cuts Made Wins 2nd 3rd Top 10 Top 25 Scoring Average
Perry 11 10 -- -- 1 1 4 70.08
Goydos 12 7 -- -- -- -- 1 71.93
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Sergio Garcia, Jeff Quinney
Tee time:
2:19 p.m.
Tee: No. 1
Total TOUR wins: 6
Why you should watch: A lot has been written about Sergio Garcia this week, but the ultimate PLAYERS wild card may be Quinney.

Quinney has been maligned for failing for win on the PGA TOUR despite several strong chances. He is a player who has a reputation for playing strongly on the West Coast, but Quinney has played well on the Stadium Course in his brief PGA TOUR career.

In his first PLAYERS in 2007, Quinney dropped a stunning 64 on the field in Round 3 that helped him finish tied for sixth. Quinney has a good balance of power and short game, and he has avoided making double bogeys this week, something Garcia hasn't been able to do.

2008 Stat comparison
Player Events Cuts Made Wins 2nd 3rd Top 10 Top 25 Scoring Average
Garcia 8 7 -- -- -- -- 3 70.01
Quinney 13 10 -- 1 -- 1 4 70.53
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Phil Mickelson, Bernhard Langer
Tee time:
2:08 p.m.
Tee: No. 1
Total TOUR wins: 36
Why you should watch: No man has ever successfully defended a PLAYERS title, and Mickelson has a long way to go to become the first. He and Langer both sit at 2 under, and with Goydos leading at 7 under, Mickelson will have to go a few shots into red numbers to have a chance at winning.

Langer is in contention mainly because he has played the Stadium Course's par-5s better than anyone in the field. He birdied three out of the four on Saturday and has two eagles on the longer holes this week.

2008 Stat comparison
Player Events Cuts Made Wins 2nd 3rd Top 10 Top 25 Scoring Average
Mickelson 10 9 1 1 -- 4 9 69.56
Langer 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- 73.66
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TODAY'S COVERAGE
LIVE COVERAGE
FEDEXCUP STANDINGS:
SCORING:
Player Events Points
Tiger Woods 5 17,745
Phil Mickelson 11 10,846
Stewart Cink 11 9,449
Player Today Thru Total
Byrd, Jonathan -6 F -12
Perry, Kenny -3 F -9
Palmer, Ryan -3 F -9
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