Insider: FedExCup Playoffs spots on the line at Wyndham

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Where's Count Von Count when you need him? The Sesame Street icon could tell you that this week's PGA TOUR event is brought to you by the letter "I" and the number "125."

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Yep, even a child can understand the math for this week's Wyndham Championship; you've got to finish within the top 125 on the points list to get "in" (there's the 'I' word) the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. If you're not in the top 125, you get shuttled to the letter "O" for "out" of the Playoffs or "off" for the next month.

This is the last week for a player to qualify for the Playoffs, which begin next week at The Barclays in New Jersey. Any player who wins this week will jump all the way into the top 80. Any player ranked between 126 and 142 will get in the Playoffs if they finish among the top 10.

Last year five players moved into the top 125 after Greensboro, the most notable being Kevin Stadler, who started the week at No. 133, lost in playoff to Ryan Moore, and hopped all the way to 76th. Todd Hamilton, Jeff Maggert, David Mathis and Chris Riley also jumped in there.

It's critical to get in the Playoffs and give yourself a chance. Although only seven of the 30 players who started outside the top 30 ended up at East Lake for The TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, it remains a possibility. Heath Slocum barely qualified for the Playoffs, but won The Barclays and had a chance to win the FedExCup. So there's a good reason to keep scratching and clawing until the very end.

There are some big names on the fence this week. They're all playing because they want to get in the Playoffs and spin the wheel for the big money. They also want a chance to play; miss the Playoffs and they won't get a chance to compete again until late September.

Here are five guys to watch at this week's Wyndham Championship. They've got the motivation, but do they have the game?

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Henrik Stenson: The big Swede is No. 133 on the points list and has been victimized by a) not playing enough PGA TOUR events and b) not playing well enough when he has appeared. Stenson has competed in only 11 events -- the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Crowne Plaza Invitational are his only non-majors or non WGC events. Which Stenson will show? The one who tied for third at the Open Championship and tied for 29th at the U.S. Open or the one who missed the cut at the Masters, the PGA Championship and THE PLAYERS Championship?

Richard S. Johnson: What's the deal with the Swedes? Johnson is No. 149 in FedExCup points, which puts him on the outer fringe of making the Playoffs. But he's played well lately: a tie for 21st at the Greenbrier and a tied for eighth at Turning Stone. He's played well at the Wyndham Championship, but hasn't really been in the mix the last two years, where his best finish in Greensboro is a tie for 44th in 2009.

Jeff Quinney: He starts the week No. 127 on the FedExCup list, which is remarkable considering he had a midseason stretch where he missed the cut in seven of eight consecutive events. His results have been inconsistent lately, too; he tied for fourth at the RBC Canadian Open, but only tied for 68th at the Greenbrier Classic and missed the cut at Turning Stone. He's done fair in Greensboro and tied for 24th there in 2009.

Mike Weir: The season started on such a promising note for Weir when he finished sixth at the Bob Hope. He hasn't sniffed a top-10 since and his best finish since May was a tie for 33rd at the Crowne Plaza Invitational. The lefthander is fortunate that he's starting at No. 126 and only needs a modicum of success to climb into the Playoffs. He faces an unknown track; he's not played in Greensboro since the tournament moved back to Sedgefield Country Club in 2008.

Brett Quigley: He starts the final week at No. 129 in the point standings. Quigley has played well the last month, even though he missed two of four cuts. He tied for 10th at the John Deere Classic and tied for 22nd at Turning Stone. He missed the cut at the Canadian Open and at the Greenbrier Classic, even though his worst score was a 72 and he twice scored in the 60s. He's played Sedgefield just once, tying for 71st in 2009.

It should be a crazy weekend in Greensboro, with players moving up and out of the Playoff picture on a non-stop basis. The activity should add a little more drama to an already exciting event.