Power Rankings: Charles Schwab Cup Championship

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Editor's note: Vartan Kupelian is the Champions Tour Insider and a PGATOUR.COM Contributor. Each week, Kupelian will size up the field and provide his top 5 players going into the tournament, based on factors such as the player's strengths, the course setup, recent performances, etc.

CHARLES SCHWAB CUP CHAMPIONSHIP: Field Study | About the course | Memorable Moments

The 2011 Champions Tour season ends this week with the Charles Schwab Cup Championship at TPC Harding Park, the renowned San Francisco course.

John Cook is the two-time defending championship, claiming his second straight victory at Harding Park last year after winning for the first time at Sonoma Golf Club. Cook's successful defense on a different golf course was the first time the feat was achieved since Bernhard Langer won the 2007 and 2008 Administaff Small Business Classic at Augusta Pines Golf Course and The Woodlands Country Club.

Cook opened with a 64 last year at TPC Harding Park and closed with back-to-back 67s to win by two shots over Michael Allen's 269 total. Allen's third-round 61 gave him the 54-hole lead after Cook led following the first two rounds.

If this week's Champions Tour Power Rankings look familiar, they should. The top five players in the season-long race to the Charles Schwab Cup are ranked in that order. They earned the distinction over a long season of outstanding golf, and there's no reason to revise history. These five are the only players with a chance to win the Charles Schwab Cup and the $1 million bonus that goes with it.

Power Rankings: Charles Schwab Cup Championship

Rank Player   Comment Tom LEHMAN The season-long leader on both the Schwab Cup points list and money list, Lehman has built a solid 382-point lead that won't be easy to overcome. Harding Park requires solid ball-striking, and that's what Lehman does best. Mark CALCAVECCHIA If anybody is likely to catch Lehman, it's Calc, who has piled up top-10 finish after top-10 finish this season. His breakthrough win came at the Boeing Classic late in the season and set up this challenge. First in scoring average. Peter SENIOR A remarkable story, given that he's ranked No. 3 without a win. It speaks to Senior's consistency and perseverance. He's a grinder of the highest order. Ranks 14th in greens hit and 17th in putting. Needs a putt to drop at a key time. John COOK The only other three-time winner (joining Lehman) has had some very good weeks, and there's nothing to suggest he won't be in top form as he goes for a three-peat this week. It would cap a tremendous season, and could mean a tidy bonus. Russ COCHRAN His chances of winning the Charles Schwab Cup are remote, but a win at TPC Harding Park, to go along with his major title at the Senior British, would mark quite an achievement for the left-hander. He was runner-up to Cook in the '09 finale.