Say what you will about the flaws of the FedExCup — its impossible to follow format, the fact that Rory McIlroy could win two of the four playoff tournaments and not win the Cup, the fact that it's football season and nobody cares — but this year, the playoffs have yielded some great golf. After Nick Watney took the prelim (the Barclays), McIlroy restored order and won the Deutsche Bank and BMW with some spectacular shotmaking, taking both tournaments with 20-under par totals. He's the favorite to kiss the Cup and collect the $10 million, but he's not the only player with a shot. In fact, with the Tour Championship points re-set, everybody has a chance, however remote.

Here are the current top 10 in points, starting with No. 10.
All photos by Tim Clark, Athlon Sports

10. Jason Dufner
2012 Season: 2 Wins, 8 Top 10s, 20 cuts made in 21 events
After entering the playoffs second in points, Duf-man chose to skip the Barclays, revealing a fatal flaw in the process. If you want to win the thing, you should have to show up; the Patriots don't get to skip the division round and head straight to the AFC Championship Game. Be that as it may, Dufner has the skills to win at East Lake. He's fourth on Tour in Greens in Regulation and second in the Tour's All Around ranking.

What needs to happen for Dufner to win the Cup (from PGATour.com):
• Wins the TOUR Championship
And ...
• Rory McIlroy (No. 1) finishes in a 3-way tie for 4th or worse
• Tiger Woods (No. 2) finishes in a 6-way tie for 2nd or worse
• Nick Watney (No. 3) finishes in a 3-way tie for 2nd or worse
• Phil Mickelson (No. 4) finishes in T-2 or worse
• Brandt Snedeker (No. 5) finishes 2nd* or worse
*Tie for the FedExCup

9. Zach Johnson
2012 Season: 2 Wins, 6 Top 10s, 22 cuts made in 23 events
Zach's a world-class roller of the rock who ranks eighth on Tour in Strokes Gained, Putting. He had a Top 10 in his last appearance at East Lake (T9 in 2010), and he feels awfully at home in Georgia. Consider him a dark horse for the Cup.

What needs to happen for Johnson to win the Cup (from PGATour.com):
• Wins the TOUR Championship
And ...
• Rory McIlroy (No. 1) finishes in a 6-way tie for 2nd or worse
• Tiger Woods (No. 2) finishes 3rd or worse
• Nick Watney (No. 3) finishes T-2 or worse
• Phil Mickelson (No. 4) finishes 2nd* or worse
*Tie for the FedExCup

8. Lee Westwood
2012 Season: 0 Wins, 7 Top 10s, 13 cuts made in 14 events
Westwood righted the ship after a disappointing summer that included a missed cut at the PGA Championship. He's played better than most in the playoffs, posting a T5, T13 and T2 in the three FedExCup playoff events.

What needs to happen for Westwood to win the Cup (from PGATour.com):
• Wins the TOUR Championship
And ...
• Rory McIlroy (No. 1) finishes 3rd* or worse
• Tiger Woods (No. 2) finishes T-2* or worse
• Nick Watney (No. 3) finishes 2nd* or worse
*Tie for the FedExCup

7. Dustin Johnson
2012 Season: 1 Win, 6 Top 10s, 16 cuts made in 18 events
I sound like a broken record when I talk about DJ. Guy's insanely talented and destined to win multiple majors. He's at the current vanguard of the bombers, ranking 5th on Tour in Driving Distance, 7th in Scoring Average and 9th in the All Around Ranking. Johnson has played better than anyone not named McIlroy in the playoffs, finishing T3 (Barclays), T4 (Deutsche Bank) and T6 (BMW).

What needs to happen for Johnson to win the Cup (from PGATour.com):
• Wins the TOUR Championship
And ...
• Rory McIlroy (No. 1) finishes in a 5-way tie for 2nd or worse
• Tiger Woods (No. 2) finishes T-2 or worse

6. Louis Oosthuizen
2012 Season: 0 Wins, 5 Top 10s, 14 cuts made in 18 events
I'll say it: Oostie has the best swing in golf. Perfect balance, perfect contact almost every time. He's 6th in Greens in Regulation and 7th in Total Driving. He's riding a streak of seven consecutive top-25 finishes coming in, but this is his first time to play East Lake.

What needs to happen for Oosthuizen to win the Cup (from PGATour.com):
• Wins the TOUR Championship
And ...
• Rory McIlroy (No. 1) finishes T2 or worse
• Can finish 2nd and still have a mathematical chance of winning

5. Brandt Snedeker
2012 Season: 1 Win, 6 Top 10s, 19 cuts made in 21 events
Sneds is a hungry player right now, for the primary reason that he's eager to reward Davis Love's faith in him as a Captain's Pick. He's a good enough putter to win at any track — in fact, he's No. 1 on Tour in Strokes Gained, Putting. As a member of the current top 5 in points after the re-set, Snedeker is guaranteed the Cup with a win.

What needs to happen for Snedeker to win the Cup (from PGATour.com):
• If he wins the TOUR Championship he wins the Cup
• Can finish as low as T-2 and still have a mathematical chance of winning

4. Phil Mickelson
2012 Season: 1 Win, 7 Top 10s, 17 cuts made in 21 events
Lefty's had a disappointing season by his lofty standards, but he's still 5th in Strokes Gained, Putting — thanks in part to a switch to the claw grip — and 4th in Birdie Average, proving that if he gets hot, he's got a good chance. He's the field's only two-time winner at East Lake.

What needs to happen for Mickelson to win the Cup (from PGATour.com):
• If he wins the TOUR Championship he wins the Cup
• Has a reasonable chance of winning with a 2nd place finish
• Can finish as low as 3rd and still have a mathematical chance of winning

3. Nick Watney
2012 Season: 1 Win, 4 Top 10s, 21 cuts made in 24 events
Watney's season had been something of a disappointment until a win at the Barclays launched him into the Cup conversation. And that win appears to have been something of a fluke. Despite his lofty position, Watney seems like the least likely of the top 10 to hoist the Cup.

What needs to happen for Watney to win the Cup (from PGATour.com):
• If he wins the TOUR Championship he wins the Cup
• Has a reasonable chance of winning with a 2nd place finish
• Can finish as low as 4th and still have a mathematical chance of winning

2. Tiger Woods
2012 Season: 3 Wins, 8 Top 10s, 16 cuts made in 18 events
Is he back? Just kidding — not going to revive that tired debate. Three wins tell me he's just fine, even if none was a major. Tiger's second in scoring average, and while he's no longer one of the bombers, he ranks 6th in Total Driving. Tiger will treat this as a prelude to next week's main event (the Ryder Cup), but that doesn't mean he doesn't want the $10 million and his third FedExCup.

What needs to happen for Woods to win the Cup (from PGATour.com):
• If he wins the TOUR Championship he wins the Cup
• Has a reasonable chance of winning with a top-3 finish
• Can finish as low as a 5-way tie for 5th and still have a mathematical chance of winning

1. Rory McIlroy
2012 Season: 4 Wins, 9 Top 10s, 12 cuts made in 15 events
Rory's the story of the season, ranking atop the money lists on both sides of the pond and the current No. 1 in the World Golf Ranking. His four PGA Tour wins and nine top 10s lead the pack, and statistically, he's virtually above reproach — 1st in Scoring Average, 1st in Birdie Average, 1st in Par Breakers, 6th in Driving Distance. Throw in an 8-shot PGA Championship win and two playoff wins, and nobody's been better under the spotlight. Like Woods, the Cup final represents a mere prelude to the Ryder Cup for McIlroy, but a win would cap as magnificent a run of golf as we've seen since Woods in his prime, and that's motivation enough for Rory. The only stumbling block: It's his first time at East Lake.

What needs to happen for McIlroy to win the Cup (from PGATour.com):
• If he wins the TOUR Championship he wins the Cup
• Has a reasonable chance of winning with a top-5 finish
• Can finish as low as 29th and still have a mathematical chance of winning

It's Glory's Last Shot for 2012, and for the losers, it will be a long wait for Augusta 2013. Here's a rundown of players who could be kissing the Wanamaker Trophy come Sunday afternoon during the 2012 PGA Championship, and a few who won't.

Contender: Dustin Johnson
Playing in his home state of South Carolina, Johnson could finally harness that otherworldly talent and win his first major. The longer and tougher the course, the better his chances, and Kiawah fits the bill. He has five top-10 finishes in majors in the last four years, including two top 10s at the British Open. The links-style layout of the Ocean Course will make Johnson feel right at home.

Best Career Finish, PGA: T5
Last Year: Cut

Contender: Rory McIlroy
Rory gives himself a grade of B for his season thus far. A win at the Ocean Course would bump up that GPA. It's been a frustrating season for McIlroy, but he has two third-place finishes at the PGA in the last three years. His top-5 finish at the WGC-Bridgestone and his confident demeanor point to a strong showing this week.

Best Career PGA Finish: T3
Last Year: T64

Contender: Keegan Bradley
The defending champion backed into the title last year thanks to Jason Dufner's collapse, but he might not need such cooperation this time. Bradley has a major, a WGC and a Rookie of the Year award in the last 365 days. He could be the first player to defend a major title successfully since Tiger Woods won the PGA in 2006-07.

Best Career PGA Finish: 1
Last Year: 1

Contender: Tiger Woods
Tiger's in the midst of the least celebrated three-win season in history, but a PGA Championship win could turn a solid season into a career renaissance. Tiger's major drought now extends to a once-unimaginable 17 majors, and Nicklaus' total of 18 is starting to look more remote. All that does, though, is make Woods hungrier than he's been in a long time.

Best Career PGA Finish: 1 (4 times)
Last Year: Cut

Contender: Matt Kuchar
Kooch comes straight from central casting for PGA contenders: a consistent ballstriker looking for his major breakthrough. He's knocked on the door twice this season with top 10s at The Masters and British Open, and his win at The Players proves he can outlast an elite field.

Best Career PGA Finish: T10
Last Year: T19

Pretender: Lee Westwood
The world's No. 3 player has seen the bottom drop out of a once-promising season thanks to sloppy play around the green, and the PGA is historically his worst major. Not a favorable combination.

Best Career PGA Finish: T3
Last Year: T8

Pretender: Phil Mickelson
Lefty hasn't posted a top 10 since May, and he's lost it off the tee (168th in driving accuracy). Normally for Mickelson, how he's playing leading into a major is not a reliable indicator, but it's hard to overlook his struggles this season.

Best Career PGA Finish: 1
Last Year: T19
 

Pretender: Adam Scott
Scott's mental scars following his epic British Open collapse are bound to run deep. His attempt to jump back on the horse at the Bridgestone resulted in some lackluster play. His confidence with the belly has to be a little shaken right now.

Best Career PGA Finish: T3
Last Year: 7

Tiger Woods made headlines this week when he uttered the word "unplayable" in reference to some of the rough at Royal Lytham. So how tough is the course? An unusual amount of rain — even for England — has added extra thickness and gnarliness to the deep stuff, and when you throw in the penal pot bunkers, players will need an extra level of precision, particularly from the tee. Bottom line: As one writer described it, Royal Lytham is a beast, but a just beast, and will produce a worthy champion.

For the first two rounds, Tiger Woods (No. 4 in the world) will be playing with Justin Rose (No. 9) and Sergio Garcia (No. 23). Tiger has called the British Open his favorite major, and there's no doubt that he wants this tournament desperately, having gone more than four years without a major title. But Sergio is the wild card. His game has shown signs of life — he hasn't missed a cut in more than a year — and the British Open has historically been his best major (seven top 10s, including a second). Maybe the golf gods will finally smile on him. Doubtful, but possible.

The last time the Open Championship came to Royal Lytham & St Annes, David Duval won the first and last major championship of his career. For a guy who was once the No. 1 player in the world, that lone major title seems a long time ago. The winner of the 1999 Players Championship, Duval ascended to the No. 1 ranking, then two years later won the British Open at Royal Lytham. That happens to be the last of his 13 PGA Tour titles. Duval will be at Royal Lytham again, a perk of hoisting the Claret Jug. But will he even make the cut? This season alone, Duval has missed 10 cuts in 13 events; in Tiger Woods' entire career, Woods has missed nine. Signs for Duval aren't trending in the right direction.

The last Englishman to kiss the Claret Jug: Nick Faldo, in 1992. Coming into this year's Open, two of the top three golfers in the World Golf Rankings will carry the banner of St. George's Cross, and they'll feel the considerable weight of their countrymen's expectations. World No. 1 Luke Donald will be feeling the most pressure; his lack of success in majors, particularly his nation's championship (he has one top 10 in 11 appearances and missed the cut last year), has fans questioning his major mettle. Lee Westwood, meanwhile, has many more close calls on his resume, but like Donald, he missed the cut at the Open in 2011.

It's tempting to pick a wild card, like Dustin Johnson, who was a wayward 4-iron from challenging for the win last year; Zach Johnson, the game's best putter right now; or Rickie Fowler, who has the talent and also has that elusive first win under his belt. Then there are the resurgent veterans, like Padraig Harrington; the perennial short-listers, like Phil Mickelson; and those seeking that career-defining win, like Westwood, Donald, Garcia, Steve Stricker, Paul Casey and Ian Poulter. But we'll go with the bookmakers' choice and pick Tiger, who is taking a thoughtful, veteran approach this week and looks ready to return the major winner's circle.

Follow me on Twitter @AthlonDoster