Players fight for Playoff berth

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Last chance at this week's Wyndham Championship to make top 125 in FedExCup rankings

ATLANTA -- Next week, the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup begin with The Barclays, but only the top 125 players in the FedExCup standings will be teeing it up. Those who don't earn enough points via the last event of the Regular Season -- this week's Wyndham Championship -- will be on the sidelines as the race for the FedExCup title, and its $10 million bonus, begins on Aug. 25 and ends here in Atlanta at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, Sept. 21-25 at East Lake Golf Club.

While the top 125 in the FedExCup standings earn a spot in The Barclays field, only 100 will qualify for the Deutsche Bank Championship the following week. After a one-week break, the top 70 will advance to the BMW Championship, with the top 30 moving on to the TOUR Championship.

With his win last week at the PGA Championship in Atlanta, rookie Keegan Bradley vaulted into the No. 4 position in FedExCup points, trailing only Nick Watney (No. 1), Steve Stricker (No. 2) and Luke Donald (No. 3). The top seven in FedExCup points are assured of making it all the way to the TOUR Championship, the culminating event of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. Rounding out the top seven are Phil Mickelson (No. 5), K.J. Choi (No. 6) and Bubba Watson (No. 7).

At the other end of the spectrum, any player currently ranked No. 110 or below in FedExCup points needs to play well at this week's Wyndham Championship to secure a spot at the first event of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. In 2010, it took 380 points to finish the Regular Season at No. 125 on the FedExCup standings and qualify for The Barclays. While the number may be different for the 2011 Playoffs, using 380 as a benchmark, here is a quick approximation of what the "bubble boys" need to do to make The Barclays field:

Of course, there is more to the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup than simply qualifying. Players will also use this week to improve their positions throughout the standings, giving them a better chance of advancing deep into the Playoffs and making a run at the FedExCup title. David Toms, ranked No. 8 in FedExCup points, is the highest-ranked player in the Wyndham Championship field, thanks to a win at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, a runner-up finish at THE PLAYERS Championship and a T4 last week at the PGA Championship. A win this week would move Toms into the coveted No. 1 seed heading into the Playoffs.

"The thrilling finish on Sunday at the PGA Championship in our own backyard has provided a tremendous amount of momentum and additional interest in the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola," said Executive Director Todd Rhinehart. "We saw a nice jump in ticket sales yesterday as Keegan Bradley talked about returning to Atlanta next month to make a run at the FedExCup title. We're looking forward to hosting a great field of players and an exciting event for our fans."