Candidates for a top-10 breakthrough in 2012

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Parity has been the name of the game in the first five seasons of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.

There have been 36 different players finish inside the FedExCup top 10 at season's end, none doing so more than three times. Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson and Steve Stricker each have three top-10 finishes, highlighting the 11 players with multiple top-10s.

To further illustrate that point, just three players (Luke Donald, Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar) in last season's final FedExCup top 10 had finished inside the top 10 any of the previous four seasons of the Playoffs. Simple arithmetic tells us that seven of last season's top 10 had never previously finished inside the FedExCup top 10.

Below is a list of players who could break out or break through to make their way into the FedExCup top 10 in 2012. To be eligible for this list, a player had to be eligible for the 2011 Playoffs and could never have posted a top-10 FedExCup finish.

1. Adam Scott

FedExCup history: 2011: 16th | 2010: 19th | 2009: 110th | 2008: 47th | 2007: 13th Scott burst back onto the scene in a big way in 2011 with a WGC victory, a Masters runner-up and seven top-10 finishes. The Aussie finished 12th in the inaugural FedExCup race and has two other top 20s, but has never cracked the top 10 in the final standings. With the confidence he gained last year, this should be the year that he finally cracks the top-10. Click here for Scott's 2012 season preview

2. Jason Dufner

FedExCup history: 2011: 25th | 2010: 65th | 2009: 11th | 2008: 172nd | 2007: T77th Playoff losses at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and PGA Championship brought Dufner and his cool demeanor to the forefront in 2011. What people may not remember, however, is that the former Auburn Tiger had an 11th-place FedExCup finish in 2009 when he picked up six top-10s including a runner-up finish at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Click here for Dufner's 2012 season preview

3. Trevor Immelman

FedExCup history: 2011: 88th | 2010: 156th | 2009: 158th | 2008: 16th | 2007: 55th Finally healthy, the '08 Masters champ is returning to form and could be poised for big things in 2012. For more on his potential, look up Simpson, Webb. Immelman's 2011 numbers are quite similar to what the 2011 FedExCup runner-up posted in 2010. Both made 18 cuts and each had two top 10s -- none before August. They peaked late in the year. Simpson carried that on to success the following year and Immelman could do the same. Click here for Immelman's 2012 season preview

4. Kyle Stanley

FedExCup history: 2011: 34th | 2010: N/A | 2009: N/A | 2008: N/A | 2007: N/A Stanley had an impressive rookie campaign following his q-school graduation. He followed his season-best runner-up finish at the John Deere Classic in July with three more top-10s in his next seven starts. In three Playoff events, Stanley worst finish was a T-22. He's got the game to return to the Playoffs and has displayed the ability to thrive in those events. Click here for Stanley's 2012 season preview

5. Gary Woodland

FedExCup history: 2011: 17th | 2010: N/A | 2009: 207th | 2008: N/A | 2007: N/A He hits the ball a long way -- a very long way -- but there's much more to Woodland's game. He finished 2011 ranked 12th in greens in regulation and 28th in the All-Around Ranking. Woodland made the most of his second chance on TOUR and with his game, it looks as though he's here to stay. Click here for Woodland's 2012 season preview

6. Rickie Fowler

FedExCup history: 2011: 43rd | 2010: 32nd | 2009: N/A | 2008: N/A | 2007: N/A The young star is still searching for his first victory on the PGA TOUR. In his first two seasons on TOUR, Fowler hasnt even qualified for the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, but he has shown the ability to string together enough good showings to be right there at the end of the year with or without a victory. Look for Fowler to make his debut at East Lake in 2012. Click here for Fowler's 2012 season preview

7. Bubba Watson

FedExCup history: 2011: 26th | 2010: 22nd | 2009: 53rd | 2008: 30th | 2007: 57th The Playoffs havent been kind to Watson (no top-10s in 18 starts) even though his 2010 Playoffs diaries were kind to us all. Watson did have two victories last season, though. It should be noted that, before the 2011 season, Bill Haas was coming off a two-win season and had never finished better than a tie for 10th in a Playoffs event. Click here for Watson's 2012 season preview

8. Bo Van Pelt

FedExCup history: 2011: 23rd | 2010: 30th | 2009: 50th | 2008: 79th | 2007: 45th Tasted victory (unofficially) for the first time since 2009 with his successful trip to Malaysia. Van Pelt showed a penchant for performing well on a big stage with his Sunday rally to a T8 finish at the Masters and two top-10 finishes in the Playoffs. He's made it to East Lake each of the last two years with last seasons 23rd-place mark standing as his best FedExCup showing. Click here for Van Pelt's 2012 season preview

9. Brendon de Jonge

FedExCup history: 2011: 60th | 2010: 51st | 2009: 137th | 2008: N/A | 2007: 175th Consistency and quantity are two key things to look for in projecting FedExCup success. de Jonges top-25 finishes (21) and starts (62) over the last two years rival anyone's on TOUR and make him a candidate for a big time FedExCup jump. He will need to better his Playoff numbers (six starts, two missed cuts, no top-25s) to take the next step, though. Click here for de Jonge's 2012 season preview

10. Geoff Ogilvy

FedExCup history: 2011: 23rd | 2010: 30th | 2009: 50th | 2008: 79th | 2007: 45th He's been knocking on the top 10's door often with three finishes between 11th and 20th in the five-year history of the Playoffs. Ogilvy posted four top-10s last year, including a third-place finish at the BMW Championship. He entered the Playoffs 79th in the standings and made a 55-spot jump, showing that he's capable of turning it on at the season's pinnacle. Click here for Ogilvy's 2012 season preview