FedEx Cup tracking

Padraig Harrington and Joe Ogilvie, the two winners last week, made the biggest moves in the FedEx Cup points standings. Harrington cracked the top 20 with his British Open triumph, while Ogilvie broke into the top 70. But they weren't the only ones making significant advances. Here's a look at the players who reached critical thresholds due to their performances last week.

Top 10: Steve Stricker knocked out John Rollins in the 10th position
Top 30: Padraig Harrington, Ernie Els, Stewart Cink
Top 50: Tim Clark
Top 70: Kenny Perry, Joe Ogilvie
Top 120: Charlie Wi
Top 144: Chris Couch, Steve Allan, Steve Flesch

Here are some players to keep an eye on as the FedEx Cup regular season nears its conclusion:

Current FedEx Cup points standings | FedEx Cup explained

Steve Stricker
	FedEx Cup position: 10th place (10,300 points) Last three starts: T13 - 2 - T8 Chances to win the FedEx Cup: Quite good considering the way he's playing now Checking the pulse: Bolstered by a pair of second-place finishes, Stricker is enjoying the most lucrative season ($2.5 million) of his 14-year career. In Sunday's final group at Carnoustie, he didn't come through in the clutch, but he did earn his finest Open finish (T8). Stricker continues to be one of the best putters on the PGA Tour, but the real difference this year has been more consistency from tee to green. Tracking numbers: 2007 Scoring Average: 69.64 (8th) 2007 Putting Average: 1.754 (11th) 2007 Putts per Round: 28.50 (13th) Playoff prospects: Westchester: T60 in sole appearance in '95 TPC Boston: T7 last year, but missed cut in three prior Cog Hill: Win in '96 and two other top-10s East Lake: T5 in '98 What he can do with $10 million prize: How about retirement at the age of 40
Sergio Garcia
	FedEx Cup position: 11th place (10,219 points) Last three starts: T55 - Cut - 2 Chances to win the FedEx Cup: He has the goods, but will he ever get over Carnoustie? Checking the pulse: Garcia's runner-up finish at the British Open was his second of the season. He also took the silver at The Players Championship. Indeed, he has shown flashes of absolute brilliance on numerous occasions, but it hasn't translated into any wins. Looking forward, Sergio's biggest challenge will be exorcising the demons in his head. The PGA at Southern Hills will tell us a lot about his mental strength. Tracking numbers: Greens in Regulation Percentage (British Open): 70.8% Driving Accuracy Percentage (British Open): 71.7% 2007 Scoring Average: 69.60 (7th) Playoff prospects: Westchester: Two wins in 2001 and 2004, also two top-fives TPC Boston: No career appearances Cog Hill: No career appearances East Lake: T15 is best in three starts What he can do with $10 million prize: Maybe the only thing of real value would be a do-over of that putt on the 72nd hole to win the Claret Jug.
Padraig Harrington
	FedEx Cup position: 19th place (8,261 points) Last three starts: Cut - T54 - Win Chances to win the FedEx Cup: Decent chance, but first-time major winners are always unpredictable Checking the pulse: With his Open victory, Harrington jumped 60 spots in the FedEx Cup standings to 19th. But there is no telling how he will play for the remainder of the season. Many first-time major winners take a long time to come off the high. How does he stay motivated after accomplishing one of his highest goals? He has been posting some of the best putting numbers of anyone on the PGA Tour. Tracking numbers: 2007 Putting Average: 1.741 (4th) 2007 Putts Per Round: 28.16 (2nd) Putts Per Round (British Open): 27.75 Playoff prospects: Westchester: Win in 2005 and runner-up in 2004 TPC Boston: No career appearances Cog Hill: No career appearances East Lake: T7 in 2005 and 14th in 2004 What he can do with $10 million prize: A pint of Guinness for every Irishman of drinking age.
Tim Clark
	FedEx Cup position: 41st place (5,463 points) Last three starts: T17 - 2 - T2 Chances to win the FedEx Cup: Remote, but he's a solid sleeper pick Checking the pulse: Back-to-back second-place finishes have gotten our attention. Sidelined for much of the year due to nagging ailments, Clark has been coming on strong since late May. His short game is first-rate, but he has always lagged with his irons. Surprisingly, he ranked first in the U.S. Bank Championship field in greens in regulation percentage. His season won't be real success unless he collects his first title on the PGA Tour. Tracking numbers: 2007 Putts Per Round: 28.33 (6th) 2007 Sand Save Percentage: 60.32% (6th) Greens in Regulation (U.S. Bank Championship): 79.2% (1st) Playoff prospects: Westchester: Best showing in four starts -- T9 in 2004 TPC Boston: T11 in 2003 and T48 in 2004 Cog Hill: T4 last year East Lake: T22 in 2005 What he can do with $10 million prize: As a single guy in his early 30s who likes to spend his free time in bars playing darts and pool, Clark loses money faster than he spends it.
Mike Weir
	FedEx Cup position: 80th place (3,437 points) Last three starts: T20 - T8 - T8 Chances to win the FedEx Cup: Not realistic. Sorry Canada Checking the pulse: Although he's no longer the top-10 talent he used to be earlier in this decade, Mike Weir remains a very good player who can win any week he tees it up. More often than not, poor ball striking limits his results. He hasn't won since early 2004, but recent signs point to happier days ahead. He comes off two top-10 finishes and tees it up this week in his native Canada where anticipation of a Weir run is high. Tracking numbers: Putts Per Round (British Open): 28 2007 Sand Save Percentage: 60.20% (7th) 2007 Greens in Regulation Percentage: 60.82% (156th) Playoff prospects: Westchester: T12 is best showing in five starts TPC Boston: No career appearances Cog Hill: Second place in '99 and third place in '01, '03 East Lake: T4 in 2004 What he can do with $10 million prize: NHL franchises are running at a discount price these days.

The top 144 in FedEx Cup points gets a player to the post-season, which starts at Westchester Country Club in late August. But positioning will be crucial once in the playoffs.

There are a number of critical thresholds in the FedEx Cup points mix. Where a player stands entering the playoff dictates a certain competitive scenario.

The thresholds are something like this:
Top 5: A win in a playoff event could very well seal the deal. Although not an absolute lock.
Top 10: A couple top-10 finishes could do the trick.
Top 30: Need to bring your 'A-game' every week to have a shot.
Top 50: Winning one of the tournaments or a pair of runner-up finishes will get you in the hunt.
Top 70: Winning one of the tournaments is an imperative. Chances are very slim otherwise.
Top 120: Your survival in the playoffs is a week-to-week matter. A win and a top-10 could get you to Atlanta.
Top 144: Start praying. You must play the greatest golf of your life to make it through each stage. High improbability that you'll win the whole thing.