FedExCup profiles: Running down Nos. 25-21 at the Tour Championship
The Tour Championship is here, and 30 players still have a shot (mathematically, anyway) at one of sports' richest single prizes. In the run-up to the tournament, we'll run down each of the players. For each player to win the FedExCup, multiple other players have to finish below certain levels; we didn't run down all those possibilities, just the most notable ones. We continue with some heavy hitters.
25. Webb Simpson: Like another guy in this particular post, Webb could show up, putt with a yardstick, finish 50 strokes back and it wouldn't matter. He's got the US Open, and for 2012, nothing else matters. Still, he'd like to redeem himself for last year, when he fell off the map and saw his first-place ranking entering the Tour Championship vanish. He'll need to win the Tour Championship and see Rory McIlroy finish 19th or worse, among other scenarios.
24. Justin Rose: It's been a solid year for Rose, who won the Cadillac Championship along the way to seven top-10s. Still, he's started to slide; he entered the playoffs ranked 12th but has steadily shed positions since then. He'll need to win the Tour Championship and see Rory finish worse than 17th in order to have his shot.
23. Hunter Mahan: Sad days for Mahan, who didn't make the Ryder Cup team despite two wins this season. And this is where he lost the Tour Championship to Bill Haas last year despite Haas ending up in the water on a playoff hole. Still, Mahan is one of only two players (Steve Stricker is the other) to compete in all 23 playoff events. That's not bad. To win, he'll have to win the Tour Championship and Rory will have to finish 15th or worse.
22. Ernie Els: He won his fourth major. What else do you need to know? Sure, he's slid a bit coming into the Tour Championship, but whatever. He's Ernie. His 16th Tour Championship matches Davis Love III, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson for the most appearances in the event. He'll need to win and hope Rory finishes 14th or worse.
21. Adam Scott: Oh, this is just cruel, placing Scott right in front of Els yet again. Then again, last year Mahan was in 21st place coming into the Tour Championship and came within one shot of a victory. So, it could happen. He'll need to win and see Rory finish 13th or worse.
Next: A local product and a recent FedExCup winner.
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