ShotLink: FedExCup race in home stretch
Alex Turnbull, ShotLink
FEDEXCUP: McIlroy, Z. Johnson eye top spot | Current standings | Week-by-week leaders
Believe it or not, the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup are only 11 events away. Beginning with this week's FedEx St. Jude Classic, players must snag as many points as possible to ensure a good position ahead of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.
With the power of ShotLink, we can see how players are positioned ahead of the stretch run.
No. 1: Most Points Per Event in 2012 FedExCup
| Most Points Per Event in 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Entering week 23 of the 2012 season, Rory Mcllroy leads in points per event with an average of 184.214 -- and his closest competitor, Tiger Woods has just 156.007 points per event. With Rory Mcllroy and Zach Johnson both playing in the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis, both have a shot at pulling into the No. 1 spot in the FedExCup standings. The week before the U.S. Open could bring a turn of events in the FedExCup race.
No. 2: How are the top finishers from 2011 faring?
Bill Haas became the most unlikely FedExCup champion yet when he stormed to victory in the Playoffs finale in 2011 at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola. It was his only win of the year.
| The top 10 from 2011 vs. 2012 current standing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In 2012, Haas is already in excellent shape to make another deep run. His victory in the Northern Trust Open -- and the 500 points that came with it -- ensure he will have a strong seed this fall:
3. Who are the most improved players this year?
Last year at this point, Tiger Woods was 97th in the FedExCup standings. He would go on to finish the 2011 season (partly due to injuries) without making the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, but that won't be a problem this year, thanks in large to his two victories.
The two-time FedExCup champion has vaulted 94 spots in the standings (vs. 2011) and currently ranks third in the FedExCup.
| Comeback players in 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The biggest movers? A pair of former winner of the FedEx St. Jude Classic. Bob Estes, who won this event in 2011, has five top-25s in 2012 (vs. one in 2011). Even more impressive is 1994 FedEx St. Jude champ Dicky Pride, who has three top-10 finishes after going 2010 and 2011 without a single top 10 :
4. The clock is ticking, and players are under the gun to grab points.
| Entering Week 23: Making the TOUR Championship | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In 2011, 21 of the 30 players to make the TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola were inside the top 30 entering week 23. Only nine players ranked outside the top 30 entering week 23 of the regular season played their way into the TOUR Championship. The highest-ranked player to make the TOUR Championship at entering week 23 in 2011 was Chez Reavie, who went from 114th to 10th, mainly because he finished second after losing a playoff at the Deutsche Bank Championship:
