Power Rankings: PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup

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The fifth annual FedExCup Playoffs begins this week at Plainfield Country Club in Edison, New Jersey. It will be the first time the PGA TOUR has ever visited the Donald Ross design. And therein lies the first hook.

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There are no comfortable surroundings at the lid-lifter. For all intents and purposes, Plainfield is a neutral site, a dynamic that has already proven extremely valuable since the Playoff format was last modified in 2009. That was the same year that Heath Slocum emerged from the 124th position to win The Barclays at Liberty National, which was also making its debut on the PGA TOUR schedule. Slocum climbed to third in the standings with the win and eventually finished eighth overall.

Other facts involving those that qualified for THE TOUR Championship in the last two years that will help maintain high levels of motivation for all 125 that qualified for this year's postseason:

• In 2009, seven started the Playoffs ranked outside the top 30 in FedExCup points, including four outside the top 60.

• In 2010, eight started the Playoffs ranked outside the top 30 in FedExCup points, including three outside the top 75.

• In both years, nine missed at least one of the first two cuts in the Playoffs.

• In 2009, four survived after having started a tournament on the outside of a bubble to advance. This included eventual Rookie of the Year, Marc Leishman, who started the Deutsche Bank Championship ranked 93rd. A share of 15th place at TPC Boston boosted him to 67th overall, just inside the top 70 that qualified for the BMW Championship, where he then shared second place to climb to 16th and into the finale. (Leishman is the only rookie since '09 to advance all the way to East Lake.)

• In 2010, five survived after having started a tournament on the outside of a bubble to advance. Most notably, Kevin Streelman entered the postseason ranked 102nd, and then finished T3 at The Barclays to rise to 18th overall. He didn't crack the top 40 at the next two events, but snuck into THE TOUR Championship as the 29th-ranked golfer.

If those facts don't provoke a postseason push, one should merely peek at the bottom line. Limited and shrinking fields will be chasing a purse worth $8 million at every stop. On top of that, everyone that qualifies earns bonus prize money. The overall champ will pocket a cool $10 million to lead the way, but even guys finishing 101st-125th will earn $70,000 each. (And those that place 126-150 and don't qualify for the Playoffs receive $32,000 apiece.)

Last year, Jim Furyk was ineligible to play in The Barclays after missing his pro-am tee time when his alarm failed and he overslept. That bumped him from third to eighth in the standings. However, he wound up winning at East Lake as an 11-seed and displaced Matt Kuchar for the overall rank and grand prize. Furyk's victory at East Lake extended the record that every FedExCup champ has won at least once in the Playoffs en route to his overall title.

Below are 30 guys that have played well of late, possess proven track records at the final three destinations and/or offer other possibilities as to why they deserve inclusion at THE TOUR Championship. To honor aforementioned trends, eight will tee it up at Plainfield having entered the Playoffs ranked outside the top 30; four begin sitting 60th or worse.

PLAYOFFS: Field Study | Guidebook | Who's up, who's down

Power Rankings: PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup

Rank Player   Comment Luke DONALD Fourth in FedExCup points. Only TOUR victory was WGC-Match Play, but has nine top 10s in 13 stroke-play starts. First in adjusted scoring; second in strokes gained-putting. Runners-up at 2010 Deutsche Bank and TOUR Championship. Steve STRICKER Arguably most consistent on TOUR. Starts Playoffs with 11 consecutive top 20s, including two wins. Leads TOUR in strokes gained-putting, scrambling, birdie average, par-4 scoring and much more. Starts second in FedExCup points. Matt KUCHAR Last PGA TOUR win was at last year's Barclays at Ridgewood County Club. Enters this year's postseason ranked 12th in FedExCup points. Eight top 10s in 19 starts. Fourth in the all-around ranking. Tops 10s the last two years at Cog Hill. Adam SCOTT Starts 13th in FedExCup points, but no one inside top 20 has made fewer than his 14 starts (Donald also has 14). Top-seven finishes in three of his last four, including his first WGC win. Three top fives at TPC Boston, including 2003 victory. Jason DAY Ranks 14th in FedExCup points. Four top-five finishes this year, including runners-up at first two majors. Sits eighth in the all-around and leads the TOUR in par-3 scoring. Co-runner-up at last year's Deutsche Bank. Still only 23 years young. Nick WATNEY FedExCup leader. Two wins this season. Enters "the zone" more often than anyone else, but has shown some trouble in adjusting at other times. Putter will likely determine his postseason. Forgettable records at TPC Boston and Cog Hill. Webb SIMPSON Enters the Playoffs on the heels of his first PGA TOUR victory; ranks third in FedExCup points. Seven top 20s in his last eight starts. Leads the TOUR in the all-around. Only weakness is relative inexperience in the postseason. Phil MICKELSON Sixth in FedExCup points. Finished 13th in the 2010 Playoffs, his first time outside the top seven. Five top 10s this year, including a win and two runners-up. Former winner at TPC Boston (2007) and East Lake (2000, 2009). Dustin JOHNSON Ended regular season 19th in FedExCup points; fourth straight year outside the top 10. Five top 10s this year with two seconds but no victories. Second on TOUR in birdie average. Will be defending at the BMW Championship. Robert KARLSSON PGA TOUR rookie begins the Playoffs ranked 45th in FedExCup points. Three top fives in his last seven starts, including a T4 at the PGA Championship. Ranks 24th in adjusted scoring. Still chasing first TOUR victory. Gary WOODLAND Cracks his first postseason 10th in FedExCup points. Posted a top 15 in every month but one (May). Five top fives on the year. Relies on power off the tee and precision with his irons. Could crush Cog Hill. Rickie FOWLER Starts 28th in FedExCup points. Recorded his fourth runner-up finish on TOUR recently (WGC-Bridgestone). Two top fives in his last four starts. Sits 18th in strokes gained-putting, fourth in birdie average and 12th in the all-around. David TOMS Ninth in FedExCup points. Has posted one first, one second, one third, one fourth and one fifth this season. Inside the top five on TOUR in fairways and greens hit; also second in the all-around. No top 10s in 11 Playoff starts. Keegan BRADLEY Rested after PGA Championship victory. Ranks fifth in FedExCup points, highest ever for a rookie at the end of the regular season. Sits 28th in the all-around. New England native will hear support at TPC Boston. K.J. CHOI Begins seventh in FedExCup points. Only top 20 in his last seven starts is a solo second at Aronimink in early July. No top 20s in five starts at TPC Boston, but posted top 10s at both closing venues last year. Bubba WATSON Eighth in FedExCup points despite no top 20s in his last eight starts. Forrest Gump's best friend's name was also Bubba, which is fitting since Watson's game is a lot like a box of chocolates. Just enjoy the show: second in distance, first in GIR. Sergio GARCIA Enters postseason ranked 59th, but he's been in the conversation all year with eight top 25s in 13 starts. Currently fifth in adjusted scoring. Placed T6 in his last visit to Cog Hill (2009); top fives at East Lake his last two trips (2007, 2008). Charl SCHWARTZEL The PGA TOUR rookie starts 21st in FedExCup points, but is taking a pass on The Barclays. He hasn't missed a cut in all 13 starts this year. Nine top 25s include Masters' victory. Ranks sixth in adjusted scoring average. Retief GOOSEN At 101st, he's the only golfer in this feature starting postseason outside the top 85. Top 25s in two of his last three starts despite lingering back injury. One top 10 and one top 25 each at TPC Boston, Cog Hill and East Lake since 2009. Bill HAAS Starts 15th in FedExCup points. Made the cut in all four majors, including a T12 at the PGA. Six top 10s, including a pair of playoff losses. Ranks 13th on TOUR in total driving and eighth in greens hit. Four top 25s in five starts at TPC Boston. Charles HOWELL Refined swing has him 26th in FedExCup points. Just one top 25 in 11 Playoff starts (T17, 2007 BMW) but he's posted top fives in four of his last seven starts this summer. Ranks 23rd in both GIR and strokes gained-putting. Brandt SNEDEKER Current rank at 18th in FedExCup points buoyed by playoff victory at Harbour Town and four other top 10s. Struggled of late, but ranks sixth in strokes gained-putting. One top 10 each at TPC Boston and Cog Hill since 2009. Fredrik JACOBSON Sits 16th in FedExCup points on the strength of his first PGA TOUR win (Travelers) and nine other top 25s. Fifth on TOUR in strokes gained-putting and 10th in adjusted scoring. Has never competed in THE TOUR Championship. Zach JOHNSON Kicks off postseason ranked 32nd in FedExCup points. Enjoyed a recent run of three straight top 20s, including a pair of top-six finishes. Eighth in strokes gained-putting, ninth in the all-around. Above-average success at Playoffs' final three sites. Hunter MAHAN Although 20th in FedExCup points, he might not have made this feature without a T19 at the PGA, his first top 25 in seven starts. Superb splits across the board, but no top 30s in his last two starts at both TPC Boston and Cog Hill. Mark WILSON At 11th in FedExCup points, he's slotted lowest of the top 13. Since 2009, all of the top 13 entering the postseason have advanced to East Lake. He plays out of Cog Hill, where he's posted top 25s in his last two visits (2007, 2009). Jim FURYK Beginning 60th in points, he's a flier, but he's also the reigning FedExCup champion. His share of ninth at the Wyndham ended a drought of 13 straight starts without a top 20. He ranked inside the top five in both fairways and GIR at Sedgefield. Ryan PALMER Never too far from the spotlight, but rarely the focus. Enters 37th in FedExCup points. Made cut in every major, with three top 25s. Forgettable splits, but seems to know more than his game lets on. Perfect spoiler candidate. Davis LOVE Begins ranked 81st in FedExCup points, but tallied over 75 percent of his total after May 1 thanks to six top 20s, including THE PLAYERS and U.S. and British Opens. Sits 19th on TOUR in greens hit. Hasn't played East Lake in FedExCup era. Chez REAVIE Why not? While he starts the Playoffs ranked 76th, few if any outside the top 60 have been as consistent since Independence Day. He's posted five top 20s in his last six starts, and sits inside the top 20 in both fairways and GIR. Ball in play survives.