Chances are you haven’t mastered all the different combinations that will determine the winner of the FedEx Cup this week. Even if you have an advanced math degree, you probably have better things to do with your skills.
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Trying to simplify the points system should be one of the goals when the PGA Tour starts tweaking the format. Whenever a system uses numbers in six figures, people’s eyes start to glaze over.
Rory Sabbatini probably said it best when he was asked if he knew what he needed to do to win the FedEx Cup.
“I figure I just have to play well and everyone ahead of me has to play badly,” Sabbatini said.
That’s about as simple as it gets.
Sabbatini is one of six players who have a chance to win the $10 million grand prize — remember, it’s deferred — going into the 30-player Tour Championship, which begins Thursday at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
There are 50,000 FedEx Cup points available this week, with 10,300 going to the winner, up from 9,000 for the previous three playoff events.
Here is a breakdown of the possibilities:
*Tiger Woods (112,733 points): If he wins, or even if he doesn’t and none of the other contenders steps up, he gets to add $10 million to his retirement account. That should help him sleep better, knowing he will have some security in his old age.
*Steve Stricker (109,600): A victory would give him the Cup. He still could win if he finishes second and Woods finishes fourth or worse and Phil Mickelson places third or worse. Stricker has no shot at catching Woods if he finishes lower than third.
*Phil Mickelson (108,613): If he wins the Tour Championship, he still needs Woods to finish third or lower. Wouldn’t it be something if Mickelson edged Woods to win the tournament but still lost the Cup to him?
Mickelson can claim the Cup by finishing second, but Stricker would have to finish third or worse and Woods sixth or worse. Mickelson can’t pass Woods if he finishes third or worse.
*Sabbatini (103,588): OK, Rory, here’s the deal: To win the tournament, you need Mickelson to finish in a tie for second or worse, Stricker in a tie for third or worse and Woods in a tie for 13th or worse.
So the others don’t have to play all that badly for Sabbatini to have a chance.
*K.J. Choi (103,100): I’m not exactly sure how Choi remains in contention considering he didn’t play in the Deutsche Bank because of a bad back and tied for 38th in the BMW Championship. But a second place in The Barclays still gives him a shot, albeit remote.
If he wins the tournament, he needs Mickelson to finish third or worse, Stricker fourth or worse and Woods 22nd or worse.
*Aaron Baddeley (102,800): There is only one way the Australian can win the Cup. He has to win the tournament and Woods has to withdraw or be disqualified. One thing Woods hasn’t done yet is sign an incorrect scorecard. Just imagine that finish to the FedEx Cup.
Greening up
The greens at East Lake might not be as badly damaged as first feared. Mark Calcavecchia said they were “10 times better than what the tour told us they were going to have.
“I think that might have been kind of a plan so nobody would be completely in a state of shock when they got here,” Calcavecchia said.
“The greens are going to be fine, honestly. Some of them don’t look so good and there are some bare spots on them, but they putt very nice.
“They’re closer to good than they are bad, let’s put it that way.”
Lost in the shuffle
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The Solheim Cup will be big in Sweden this week, but it figures to get little attention on this side of the ocean. The women’s version of the Ryder Cup will go up against the men’s Tour Championship.
The 2009 Solheim Cup has the right idea. The event is Aug. 17-23 at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove. That’s after the PGA Championship but before the beginning of the FedEx Cup playoffs and the BMW Championship at Cog Hill.
The Solheim Cup has a better chance to attract attention with those dates.
This week’s event looks like a mismatch. Every American player is in the top 37 in the world rankings and the Europeans have seven players who aren’t in the top 40. The U.S. women hold a 6-3 edge.
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