Week 34 Approach Shots: The Barclays

News, notes and predictions as we get set for the first stage of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, The Barclays at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J.

TV/Radio (all times ET)

TV: GOLF(Thu.-Fri., 3 p.m.-6 p.m.; Sat., 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m.; Sun., 12-1:30 p.m.), CBS (Sat., 3 p.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.-6 p.m.) RADIO: SIRIUS 209, XM 146, PGATOUR.COM (Thu.-Sun., 12 p.m.-6 p.m.)

Key links

• Expert picks | Sleepers • Rankings | Fantasy Insider • Tee times | Field | Course

Weather

Sunny, temperatures in low-80s. Winds 10-12 mph from the west. Updated weather info

While much of the attention is rightly focused on FedExCup points leader Ernie Els this week, the man on the hottest of hot seats just may be 125th-ranked Scott Piercy.

Piercy, on the strength of three consecutive top-25 finishes moved up 29 spots and into the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, securing the final spot in this week's field with a T8 finish at the Wyndham Championship.

"As far as pressure, you just have to go out and play," Piercy said. "You can't force anything out here or else it's going to get worse. Let it happen. And hopefully it's what you want."

Piercy peaked at No. 82 in the FedExCup standings following the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February. Before this week, he was last in the top 125 after a T30 finish it May's Valero Texas Open moved him from 133rd to 123rd.

Piercy fell as far as 154th in the standings four weeks ago. Since then, however, he has bounced back to finish T16, T22 and T8 in his last three events to make the Playoffs by two points.

"I've been kind of looking at it as like a two-part year," Piercy said. "The first part until about six weeks ago, and then the last six weeks for the rest of the year. I changed coaches, I changed caddies. I got a new Titleist driver, new Titleist ball that I really like. And my ball-striking has been great. And it's been a tale of two years. So I'm really excited that I'm actually getting to play. Hopefully I can play two or three or four, all the playoff events and keep this little run kind of going."

A year ago, Heath Slocum was ranked 124th in points before winning The Barclays and moving up to third. Could Piercy be this year's Slocum, the longshot who gets hot at the right time? "I'm excited for my chances," he said.

Piercy begins his quest to keep the season going when he tees off with Robert Garrigus on Thursday at 2 p.m. ET

WINNING ISN'T EVERYTHING: In three previous FedExCup seasons, at least one member of the final top 10 has made it to that position without a win on TOUR the during the entire season or Playoffs.

Jim Furyk has the top two finishes for a winless player, coming in fifth (2008) and fourth (2009) the previous two seasons.

Furyk has two wins this year, but a number of players have showed consistency in qualifying high for the Playoffs without the benefit (or points) of a win.

Jeff Overton (6th) and Matt Kuchar (9th) come into The Barclays with a combined total of 15 top-10 finishes. Similar production, with or without a victory could help either to better Furyk's finishing number of a year ago.

Four others in the top 20 -- Bo Van Pelt, Robert Allenby, J.B. Holmes and TOUR rookie Rickie Fowler -- enter the Playoffs without a win on the season.

Columnists' predictions

Each week, PGATOUR.COM columnists will predict the winner. Here are their picks for The Barclays. Columnist Pick Comment Stan AWTREY PAUL CASEY: He could have won The Barclays in 2008 when it was played at Ridgewood, when he tied for seventh. A victory would solidify his standing on the European Ryder Cup team. Craig DOLCH BEN CURTIS: The last time The Barclays was held at Ridgewood CC, Curtis finished a shot out of the three-way playoff. He's due for a really good week. Melanie HAUSER RORY MCILROY: This course is suited to him. He wanted one of those majors, but could get The Barclays title instead.

Bolton's Yahoo! selections

Fantasy columnist Rob Bolton will provide his Yahoo! picks as a starting point for you every week. Use the advice and opinion from his Power Rankings and Fantasy Insider to assist in determining lineups changes throughout each tournament. Group Starters Bench Group A Steve Stricker Phil Mickelson Group B David Toms, Bo Van Pelt Kevin Sutherland, Camilo Villegas Group C Paul Casey Tim Clark

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Did you know?

Anyone participating in this weeks event could leave Ridgewood Country Club with the top spot in the FedExCup standings. Conversely, any player ranked outside the top 45 could potentially miss the 100-man cut for the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Kodak Challenge

This week's Kodak Challenge hole is the 594-yard par-5 17th at Ridgewood Country Club. The long dogleg left is one of the great par 5s in the game. Tee shots will need to cut dogleg and avoid deep rough and trees to the right to give players an opportunity to hit the green in two. More on Kodak Challenge

What the winner gets

A victory this week at The Barclays will earn the following benefits: • Fully Exempt for the remainder of 2010 and all of 2011 and 2012 • 2,500 FedExCup points. In 2009, it took 494 points to reach the Deutsche Bank Championship, 816 points to reach the BMW Championship, and 1,532 to reach THE TOUR Championship. • A spot in the following 2011 events in order of play:    - SBS Championship    - Bob Hope Classic    - Arnold Palmer Invitational    - Masters Tournament    - Verizon Heritage    - THE PLAYERS Championship    - Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial    - The Memorial Tournament    - AT&T National    - PGA Championship • If second TOUR win since the 2010 U.S. Open, entry into the 2011 U.S. Open. • If a U.S. player, 1,350,000 points towards making the 2011 Presidents Cup team.