FedEx Cup tracking

Jim Furyk finally got his much-deserved victory at the Canadian Open. Now he stands third in FedEx Cup points, jumping over three guys with two wins this season thanks to his total of eight top-10 finishes. With his runner-up finish in Canada, Vijay Singh was able to solidify his second-place position in the standings. He holds a comfortable 2,000-plus point buffer over Furyk. But Singh still has work to do if he hopes to exceed Tiger Woods for the top spot. The world No. 1 enjoys a 1,800-point lead despite playing almost half as many tournaments as the industrious Singh.

Although there was a slight shakeup within the top 10, nobody broke into this elite company. Otherwise, there were some who made significant moves up the standings based on their performance at the Canadian Open.

These are the players who reached some critical thresholds in the standings:

Top 30: Brandt Snedeker
Top 50: Camilo Villegas
Top 70: John Mallinger
Top 120: George McNeill, Steve Allan and Tim Petrovic
Top 144: Glen Day, Ryan Palmer and Bob Heintz

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

Vijay Singh
	FedEx Cup position: 2nd place (19,070 points) Last three starts: T12 - T27 - 2 Chances to win the FedEx Cup: Must be among the favorites Checking the pulse: At the Canadian Open, Singh squandered a chance to match Tiger Woods' three wins this season and pull even with him atop the FedEx Cup standings. Nevertheless, he will certainly be among the highest seeds moving into the playoff series, and therefore he should be on equal footing with his chief rivals. Given his predilection for constant competition, he comes to the four-week, four-tournament post-season with a clear advantage. Tracking numbers: 2007 Scoring Average: 69.03 (2nd) 2007 Putting Average: 1.753 (11th) 2007 Par Breaking Percentage: 22.08% (2nd) Playoff prospects: Westchester: Three-time champion TPC Boston: Win in '04, also second and fourth Cog Hill: Five top-10 finishes East Lake: Win in '02, top-10 last three years
David Toms
	FedEx Cup position: 20th place (8,106 points) Last three starts: T5 - T6 - Cut Chances to win the FedEx Cup: Very good. Don't doubt it Checking the pulse: Toms missed the cut at Carnoustie, but he has never taken to links golf, and his record at golf's oldest major shows it. Otherwise, Toms' game looks to be in great shape coming down the home stretch. He had three straight top-10s heading into the British Open. While known for his ball striking prowess, Toms' putter is developing into one of his strongest assets. A win in the playoffs would be the most timely, but the Firestone title this week isn't out of question -- he has played well there. Tracking numbers: 2007 Scoring Average: 69.64 (8th) 2007 Putting Average: 1.761 (17th) 2007 Top-10 Finishes: 7 (2nd) Playoff prospects: Westchester: Four missed cuts and three top-20s TPC Boston: T13 in '04 Cog Hill: One top-10 in 11 starts East Lake: Third place in '02
Brandt Snedeker
	FedEx Cup position: 25th place (7,011 points) Last three starts: T8 - T32 - T7 Chances to win the FedEx Cup: The thought probably never crossed his 26-year-old mind, but he's looking very strong. Checking the pulse: He's probably the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year at this point in the season. His 61 at Torrey Pines back in late January still stands as the season's low round. Since early June, this Tennessee youngster has come on particularly strong -- earning four top-10s in his last six starts. With his happy-go-lucky attitude, he doesn't carry the extra mental baggage of the fretful go-getters he competes with on a weekly basis. He definitely putts like a FedEx Cup champ. Tracking numbers: 2007 Scoring Average: 70.06 (20th) 2007 Putting Average: 1.769 (27th) 2007 3-Putt Avoidance: 1.74% (2nd) Playoff prospects: Westchester: Missed cut in '04 TPC Boston: No career appearances Cog Hill: Missed cut in '04 East Lake: No career appearances
Pat Perez
	FedEx Cup position: 39th place (5,853 points) Last three starts: Cut - T20 - T10 Chances to win the FedEx Cup: Heating up at the right time, but remains unproven Checking the pulse: Perez's rookie season in 2002 -- when he finished 40th on the money list with two runner-up finishes -- was very promising, but in the years since he has failed to live up to the potential. Only this year has he started to show real effectiveness. He is still seeking his first PGA Tour title. His three top-10 finishes over the last two months indicate that he might be ready to make that move. He can only hope it comes at one of the playoff events. Tracking numbers: 2007 Scoring Average: 70.11 (26th) 2007 Driving Distance: 296.0 (31st) 2007 Top-10 Finishes: 5 (10th) Playoff prospects: Westchester: T2 in '02 TPC Boston: Two missed cuts Cog Hill: T5 in '05 is best in five starts East Lake: No career appearances
Steve Allan
	FedEx Cup position: 119th place (2,221 points) Last three starts: T32 - T13 - T7 Chances to win the FedEx Cup: Very slim Checking the pulse: This Aussie from Melbourne has made great strides up the FedEx Cup standings recently. A tie for 13th in Milwaukee moved him into playoff contention, while his seventh place last week in Canada bumped him up another 21 positions. In his five seasons on the PGA Tour, he has never finished inside the top 100 on the money list. A few more good starts this season will get him there. He tees it up at this week's Reno-Tahoe Open, where he has two top-10 finishes in his last two starts there. Tracking numbers: 2007 Driving Distance: 303.6 (6th) 2007 Par Breaking percentage: 21.02% (12th) Greens in Regulation (Last Two Starts): 72.9% Playoff prospects: Westchester: T19 is best in four starts TPC Boston: Two missed cuts Cog Hill: T58, T43, Cut East Lake: No career appearances

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.