THE TOUR Championship player capsules: 21-30

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Sep. 22, 2008

The PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup has reached its final stage, with 30 players advancing to THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola this week at East Lake. Here's a look at each of the 30 players:
THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD: 1-10 | 11-20 | 21-30

21. ERNIE ELS
2008 PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup Performance
Rank Chg in
Rank
Tournament Finish Earned
Points
YTD
Points
Points
Behind
21 -2 BMW Championship T17 2,750 104,425 18,226
19 +33 Deutsche Bank Championship T3 4,900 101,675 18,825
52 -25 The Barclays CUT 0 96,775 12,725
ernie_els.jpg
Els

Els, who has 60 career wins throughout the world, won for the first time on the PGA TOUR in 3 years, 4 months and 29 days, capturing The Honda Classic by one stroke over Luke Donald. He began the final round three strokes behind Donald, Matt Jones and Mark Calcavecchia and fired a final-round 67 to complete the biggest comeback of his career.

Els has combined his success in the regular season with a T3 finish at the Deutsche Bank Championship in the second event of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup to move from No. 52 in the standings to No. 19.

22. KEN DUKE
2008 PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup Performance
Rank Chg in
Rank
Tournament Finish Earned
Points
YTD
Points
Points
Behind
22 -4 BMW Championship T33 2,270 104,232 18,419
18 +10 Deutsche Bank Championship T10 3,250 101,961 18,539
28 +23 The Barclays T12 2,921 98,711 10,789
ken_duke.jpg
Duke

Ken Duke, the 39-year-old former Nationwide Tour Player of the Year, is in the midst of his best season on the PGA TOUR with four top-10 finishes, including a runner-up at the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee.

Duke moved up 23 spots in the FedExCup standings with a T12 finish at The Barclays, which he backed up with a T10 finish at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Duke is a good example of how outstanding play in the Playoffs earns you a ticket to THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola.

23. TIM CLARK
2008 PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup Performance
Rank Chg in
Rank
Tournament Finish Earned
Points
YTD
Points
Points
Behind
23 +5 BMW Championship T8 3,500 103,895 18,756
28 +12 Deutsche Bank Championship T15 2,775 100,395 20,105
40 +20 The Barclays T38 2,190 97,620 11,880
tim_clark.jpg
Clark

Tim Clark is another player who has made the most of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.

The South African has improved each week with a T38 at The Barclays to move 20 spots in the standings to No. 40, then a T15 at the Deutsche Bank Championship to move another 12 spots to No. 28. Finally at the BMW Championships, a T8 landed Clark at No. 23 and in the field at THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca- Cola.

Clark recorded the fifth runner-up finish of his career when Phil Mickelson birdied from the trees on the 18th hole at the Crowne Plaza Invitational for a one-stroke victory.

Clark is the all-time leading money winner for players without a victory on the PGA TOUR and will be looking to erase that label at East Lake.

24. BRINY BAIRD
2008 PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup Performance
Rank Chg in
Rank
Tournament Finish Earned
Points
YTD
Points
Points
Behind
24 -2 BMW Championship T38 2,210 103,534 19,117
22 +5 Deutsche Bank Championship T21 2,500 101,324 19,176
27 +2 The Barclays T48 2,124 98,824 10,676
briny_baird.jpg
Baird

Briny Baird made the cut in all but two events of the PGA TOUR Regular Season and posted three top-10 finishes, putting him inside the top 30 of the FedExCup standings heading into the PGA TOUR Playoffs.

That position proved valuable as his T48, T21 and T38 finishes in the Playoffs allowed him to stay within the top 30 and earned a place in THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola field.

25. D.J. TRAHAN
2008 PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup Performance
Rank Chg in
Rank
Tournament Finish Earned
Points
YTD
Points
Points
Behind
25 +10 BMW Championship T5 3,825 103,453 19,198
35 +7 Deutsche Bank Championship T67 2,103 99,628 20,872
42 -25 The Barclays CUT 0 97,525 11,975
trahan.jpg
Trahan

D.J. Trahan floored it off the start line this year by winning his second PGA TOUR title, the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. He could have set the cruise control and enjoyed the ride but instead he has gone on to earn nine top-25 finishes and has made 20 cuts in 26 starts.

Born in Atlanta, Trahan seemed ready to sail through the Playoffs and make his triumphant return to THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola. Unfortunately, a missed cut at The Barclays followed by a T67 at the Deutsche Bank Championship suddenly put Trahan on the outside of THE TOUR Championship field at No. 35 in the FedExCup standings.

Maybe a little challenge was all he needed; at the BMW Championship he fired three rounds in the 60s en route to a T5, moving up 10 spots in the FedExCup standings and punching his ticket to Atlanta.

26. RYUJI IMADA
2008 PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup Performance
Rank Chg in
Rank
Tournament Finish Earned
Points
YTD
Points
Points
Behind
26 -3 BMW Championship T67 2,103 103,353 19,298
23 +8 Deutsche Bank Championship T13 3,000 101,250 19,250
31 -22 The Barclays CUT 0 98,250 11,250
imada.jpg
Imada

Not only did Ryuji Imada begin the regular season with two second-place finishes, tying his best career finish set in 2007, he broke through with his first career win at the AT&T Classic in Atlanta beating Kenny Perry in a playoff.

The former University of Georgia golfer has improved every season since joining the PGA TOUR in 2005. Look out for Imada at THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola in Atlanta, not far from the site of his AT&T Classic victory in May.

27. ANDRES ROMERO
2008 PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup Performance
Rank Chg in
Rank
Tournament Finish Earned
Points
YTD
Points
Points
Behind
27 -3 BMW Championship T44 2,151 103,303 19,348
24 -2 Deutsche Bank Championship T50 2,115 101,152 19,348
22 +3 The Barclays T55 2,112 99,037 10,463
romero.jpg
Romero

This Argentinian PGA TOUR rookie won his first career TOUR event this year at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The win catapulted him up the FedExCup rankings from No. 135 to No. 14. His consistent play, making nine of his next 11 cuts, kept him in the running.

Despite not having played particularly well in the Playoffs, Romero's regular season performance and 25th-place seed helped buoy him into THE TOUR Championship.

He has the game to contend at THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, as we've seen in other big-time events: 3rd at the 2007 British Open; T8 at the 2008 Masters' and T7 at the 2008 PGA Championship. Romero was one of 11 players to make the cut in all four major championship events in 2008.

28. BILLY MAYFAIR
2008 PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup Performance
Rank Chg in
Rank
Tournament Finish Earned
Points
YTD
Points
Points
Behind
28 -2 BMW Championship T22 2,464 103,189 19,462
26 +3 Deutsche Bank Championship T78 2,092 100,725 19,775
29 +8 The Barclays T31 2,284 98,634 10,866
mayfair.jpg
Mayfair

This year, Billy Mayfair has made 20 out of 26 cuts, finishing second twice. His consistency has carried over into the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, as he made the cut in the first two events and finished T22 at the BMW Championship.

Don't forget, Mayfair won THE TOUR Championship in 1995, beating Vijay Singh by five strokes at Southern Hills Golf Club in Tulsa, Okla.

29. BUBBA WATSON
2008 PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup Performance
Rank Chg in
Rank
Tournament Finish Earned
Points
YTD
Points
Points
Behind
29 -2 BMW Championship T28 2,340 103,003 19,648
27 +3 Deutsche Bank Championship T44 2,151 100,663 19,837
30 +26 The Barclays T12 2,921 98,511 10,989
watson.jpg
Watson

One of the longest hitters in golf, Bubba Waston used a T2 at the Buick Open during the PGA TOUR Regular Season combined with three finishes inside the top-45 (T12-T44-T29) in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup to qualify for THE TOUR Championship.

Perhaps the most important development of the 2008 season happened off the course, as Watson went back and finished the required credits to earn his degree from the University of Georgia.

30. CHAD CAMPBELL
2008 PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup Performance
Rank Chg in
Rank
Tournament Finish Earned
Points
YTD
Points
Points
Behind
30 -16 BMW Championship W/D 0 102,812 19,839
14 +7 Deutsche Bank Championship T7 3,558 102,812 17,688
21 +1 The Barclays T65 2,104 99,254 10,246
campbell.jpg
Campbell

Don't count out Chad Campbell as he fills the final spot in this year's TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola.

The winner of THE TOUR Championship in 2003, this captain's pick for the U.S. Ryder Cup Team (who beat Padraig Harrington in Sunday Singles) has had a consistent regular season with 11 top-25 finishes.

Most players wouldn't count a withdraw from a tournament as a highlight to their Playoffs performance, but following a T7 at the Deutsche Bank Championship, Campbell withdrew from the BMW Championship to be home for the birth of his first son.

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