FedExCup: The Top 10 Players

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