Wyndham Championship final chance for FedExCup points

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GREENSBORO, N.C. -- As the final event in the PGA TOUR Regular Season, the Wyndham Championship will once again play a pivotal role in setting up the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. The event offers the final opportunity for players to improve their FedExCup positions heading into the Playoffs, or in some instances, move into the top 125 in the standings and qualify for the first Playoff event the following week, The Barclays.

"It's going to be another exciting week at the Wyndham Championship as players take this final opportunity to qualify for the Playoffs and try to improve their seeding for next week," said Stephen P. Holmes, chairman and chief executive officer of Wyndham Worldwide. "This week, we have nearly all players ranked 100 through 150 in points trying to secure their place in the Playoffs, plus an additional number playing to move up in the FedExCup standings."

Anthony Kim (14), Carl Pettersson (20), Bill Haas (28) and defending champion Ryan Moore (35) have the opportunity to win one of the TOUR's longest-running events and move towards the top of the FedExCup standings heading into The Playoffs. Following the third Playoff event, the BMW Championship, the top-five players control their own destiny at the THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola -- a win by one of the top five in Atlanta clinches the season-long FedExCup title -- thus the importance of a high seed entering The Playoffs.

"Players realize how vital it is to play well during the Regular Season, especially with last year's changes that place a premium on being further up on the FedExCup point list," said 2007 Wyndham Championship winner Brandt Snedeker, currently 45th in the FedExCup standings. "I think as players become accustomed to the FedExCup and its place in golf, it's going to make this week [the Wyndham Championship] very, very important."

Several notables are outside the top 125 heading into the Wyndham Championship, including former Masters champions Mike Weir (No. 126), Trevor Immelman (No. 154) and Fred Couples (164), along with Henrik Stenson (No. 133), currently ranked No. 30 in the Official World Golf Ranking. These four players, who represent 27 PGA TOUR wins, are among those that need strong finishes to qualify for The Barclays.

Last year's winner Moore jumped to No. 22 in the FedExCup standings with his Wyndham Championship victory, and he ultimately played his way into the third Playoff event, the BMW Championship. In his bid to repeat, Moore will have to outlast the previously mentioned players, along with major champions Lucas Glover (No. 54), Davis Love III (No. 84), David Toms (No. 98) and John Daly (No. 208).

The 156-player Wyndham Championship field will be competing for a share of the $5.1 million purse and 500 FedExCup points beginning Thursday, Aug. 19. An exciting finish likely awaits on Sunday as Shigeki Maruyama (2003) is the only champion in the past 15 years at the Wyndham Championship to win by more than three strokes.

Over the span of 37 weeks of competition, players vie to become the FedExCup champion, which distinguishes the one player who not only performs well during the 33-week PGA TOUR Regular Season, but also excels through the pressure of the four-event PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. Tiger Woods captured the inaugural FedExCup in 2007 and won for a second time in 2009. Vijay Singh won the title in 2008.

During the Regular Season, TOUR members earn points based on their finish, with a strong emphasis placed on winning and high finishes. Once the Regular Season concludes, the top 125 players advance to the Playoffs, a series of four $7.5 million tournaments offering quintuple points relative to Regular Season events.

The Playoffs feature a progressive cut beginning with The Barclays in New Jersey (125 players), continuing with the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston (100 players) and the BMW Championship in Chicago (70 players). A reset then takes place, seeding the top-30 players for the culminating TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola in Atlanta, where the FedExCup Champion is crowned.

A FedExCup points reset coming after the BMW Championship guarantees that all 30 players at THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola will have a mathematical chance of winning the FedExCup, with the top five controlling their own destiny.