Position in FedExCup standings more importance than ever

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ATLANTA -- With two months to go before the first tee shot is struck in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, much remains to be sorted out before the top-125 players in the FedExCup standings gather for the first Playoff event in Edison, N.J., and begin their march toward the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, September 21-25. A total of 97 players, however, have played well enough thus far to earn a trip to The Barclays for the first Playoff event, based on the number of points required to make the first Playoff event field last year (380). The goal for those players now is to accumulate as many FedExCup points as possible in order to improve their standings and position themselves to move on through the Playoffs toward the ultimate goal: a spot in the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, where one player will walk away with the FedExCup and the $10 million prize.

Of those 97 likely to earn a Playoffs berth, there is a large rookie contingent of eight players: the Masters champion Charl Schwartzel (No. 21); Chris Kirk (No. 27), who won the Viking Classic; Bob Hope Classic winner Jhonattan Vegas (No. 28); HP Byron Nelson Championship winner Keegan Bradley (No. 29); Valero Texas Open winner Brendan Steele (No. 38); Robert Karlsson, who lost in a sudden-death playoff to Harrison Frazar at the FedEx St. Jude Classic (No. 54); Kevin Chappell (No. 75), the low American at the U.S. Open with a T3 finish to go with his T2 at the Valero Texas Open; and Scott Stallings (No. 89).

The brief history of the FedExCup has shown, however, that it takes more than just qualifying for the Playoffs to make a run at the title. In the four previous installments of the FedExCup, only three rookies total have managed to qualify for the Playoffs and advance to the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola: Marc Leishman (2009); Andres Romero (2008); and Brandt Snedeker (2007). Leishman, Romero and Snedeker all went on to win Rookie of the Year on the PGA TOUR during the years they reached the TOUR Championship.

In 2010, of the players who were in the FedExCup top 30 entering The Barclays, a total of 22 continued their strong play through the Playoffs and advanced to the TOUR Championship, meaning there is still much work to be done for those 97 who are most likely already in The Barclays field. And while all 30 players at the TOUR Championship will have a mathematical chance to win the FedExCup, the top five in the standings control their own destiny and can win the FedExCup with a victory in Atlanta. Position in the FedExCup standings entering the Playoffs is key.

Jim Furyk took home the FedExCup in 2010, while Tiger Woods won the title in 2009 and the inaugural FedExCup in 2007. Vijay Singh won the title in 2008.