FedEx Cup playoffs are wide-open

Associated Press

EDISON, N.J.

If the PGA Tour really wanted to put a positive spin on the playoffs, it could claim that three of the four FedEx Cup champions were voted player of the year.

That would be accurate, although it would require an asterisk.

Tiger Woods was so dominant in 2007 and 2009 that he virtually was a lock for player of the year before the playoffs even started. He already had won five times going into the FedEx Cup both those years, and no one was close to him.

In this era of parity, however, such a statement would no longer be misleading.

For the second straight year, the FedEx Cup is likely to decide who will emerge as the favorite for PGA Tour player of the year. Last season, there were five players who had two wins (no majors) going into the playoffs, and Jim Furyk wound up winning the FedEx Cup and player of the year on the strength of his one-shot victory at the Tour Championship.

This time, it’s more wide open than ever.

Five players again have two wins at the start of the playoffs — Nick Watney, Steve Stricker, Keegan Bradley, Bubba Watson and Mark Wilson — and picking up a third trophy, especially the FedEx Cup, would seem to provide an edge.

Bradley would have settled for rookie of the year at the start of his season. He suddenly has much more at stake after his playoff win at the PGA Championship two weeks ago. No one has ever been voted best player and rookie in the same season.

“You only get one shot at rookie of the year, and I really wanted to win it,” Bradley said. “I hope I’ve done enough but there have been a lot of great players. As far as player of the year, it’s just an honor to be even talked about in that category. I still feel like I have a little more to go to do that.”

He would seem to be a slam dunk for rookie of the year, unless Masters champion Charl Schwartzel were to win over the next month. That would give the South African a major and a win against one of the strongest fields of the year.

Not to be overlooked is Luke Donald, who happens to be No. 1 in the world.

Donald has won three times this year, but only once in a PGA Tour event — the Match Play Championship. Then again, he leads the money list by about $120,000 over Watney, and he has a slim lead over Stricker in the Vardon Trophy race for lowest scoring average. Donald has finished out of the top 10 only four times in 14 starts on the PGA Tour.

Throw in a FedEx Cup playoffs win and it might be difficult to ignore him.

“I’ve been working very hard the past week, and it’s nice to have certain things to chase after and focus on,” said Donald.