FedExCup Power Rankings: The Top 15 Golfers

It's Playoff Season on the PGA Tour

It's playoff season on the PGA Tour, as the players descend on Bethpage State Park for The Barclays, the first of a four-tournament sprint to the FedExCup title and its accompanying $10 million payout.

Don't look to us to explain the format; you need a math degree from MIT to work your way through the various statistical scenarios. What we can do is give you list of contenders for the sixth FedExCup title. Missing from this list are three of the last four FedExCup winners — Jim Furyk (2011), Bill Haas (2010) and Vijay Singh (2008) — indicating that a slight changing of the FedEx guard might be afoot. Of course, the Cup's only two-time winner, Tiger Woods, is in the thick of the chase for the championship, and since his major drought continues, he might have to console himself with $10 million. That would buy a lot of meals at Perkins.

Here are 15 players to watch as the world's best contend for the Cup. In this ranking, we considered performance in this year's majors and WGC events, since they most closely approximate the conditions and field strength of the FedExCup quartet.

1. Rory McIlroy
Rory sits atop the golf world after eight-shot PGA win.
Current FedEx position: 3
2012 Wins: 2
2012 Top 10s: 7

2. Tiger Woods
Major drought now four-plus years and counting, but he's the only two-time Cup winner.
Current FedEx position: 1
2012 Wins: 3
2012 Top 10s: 6

3. Keegan Bradley
Playing some of the planet’s best golf right now. Put up a credible PGA title defense.
Current FedEx position: 8
2012 Wins: 1
2012 Top 10s: 5

4. Bubba Watson
Solid season proves he’s no one-hit wonder.
Current FedEx position: 5
2012 Wins: 1
2012 Top 10s: 5

5. Jason Dufner
Skipping The Barclays, but still a threat to win the Cup.
Current FedEx position: 2
2012 Wins: 2
2012 Top 10s: 8

6. Justin Rose
Red-hot Rose had top 5s at the Bridgestone and the PGA. He's due for a win.
Current FedEx position: 12
2012 Wins: 1
2012 Top 10s: 7

7. Zach Johnson
Sometimes, slow and steady wins the race.
Current FedEx position: 4
2012 Wins: 2
2012 Top 10s: 6

8. Steve Stricker
Typically solid campaign includes T7 at PGA.
Current FedEx position: 10
2012 Wins: 1
2012 Top 10s: 7

9. Matt Kuchar
Missed cut at PGA was a buzzkill for Kooch, but he's played well at the other marquee events.
Current FedEx position: 9
2012 Wins: 1
2012 Top 10s: 8

10. Carl Pettersson
Golf's most lovable Carl since Spackler is on a serious roll right now.
Current FedEx position: 7
2012 Wins: 1
2012 Top 10s: 6

THE NEXT 5
11. Ernie Els
Current FedEx position: 11
2012 Wins: 1
2012 Top 10s: 5

12. Hunter Mahan
Current FedEx position: 6
2012 Wins: 2
2012 Top 10s: 4

13. Luke Donald
Current FedEx position: 16
2012 Wins: 1
2012 Top 10s: 6

14. Dustin Johnson
Current FedEx position: 26
2012 Wins: 1
2012 Top 10s: 5

15. Graeme McDowell
Current FedEx position: 27
2012 Wins: 0
2012 Top 10s: 4

COMMENTS

Ernie Els Pulls Off British Open Shocker

Big Easy Takes Advantage of Adam Scott Collapse

So did Ernie Els win it? Or did Adam Scott lose it? Both. The agony and the ecstasy of golf were on full display at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, and when it was over, Els had his second Claret Jug and fourth major, and Scott had first-hand knowledge of what it feels like to be Greg Norman. Or Jason Dufner.

COMMENTS

Webb Simpson Wins the U.S. Open

Simpson Posts 68-68 Weekend at the Olympic Club

Webb Simpson is our national champion, and contrary to the naysayers who'll claim he backed into it, a 68-68 weekend on one of the toughest golf courses in U.S. Open history is the definition of earning it.

Simpson, who was six shots off the lead when Saturday dawned, was the only player to break par in both of the final two rounds on his way to posting a 1-over 281, although he had to sweat out a birdie putt on 18 by Graeme McDowell before claiming his third career PGA Tour win and first major championship. The 26-year-old Simpson was playing in only his second U.S. Open, and at a tournament where par is gold, it took a delicate par save on 18 to seal the win. Simpson chipped to four feet from a gnarly greenside lie, then coaxed in a ticklish slider to close his 68.

McDowell and playing partner Jim Furyk both had plenty of golf left to play when Simpson posted his number, and while McDowell was able to get close with a birdie at 17 and a makeable birdie look at 18, Furyk squandered what might prove to be his last best chance to win a second major, failing to make a birdie during his final-round 74 and bogeying three of his final six holes.

And thus ends Northern Ireland's two-year stranglehold on America's championship; McDowell won at Pebble Beach two years ago, and Rory McIlroy dominated at Congressional in 2011.

Tiger Fade

Some proclaimed that the tournament was over after Tiger Woods' 69-70 start gave him a share of the 36-hole lead. Thankfully, I wasn't one of them — but I thought it. Unfortunately, Tiger's comeback remains a work in progress. His 75-73 weekend is one of the bitterest disappointments of his career, but Olympic Club's fearsome sextet of opening holes deserve much of the credit. Tiger bogeyed three of the first six on Saturday on his way to a crushing 75, and he played the opening six holes at 6-over on Sunday. For the tournament, the field was more than 1,000 strokes over par on holes 1-6. Brutal.