Scotty and Sendo (re)set for FedEx Cup finale

Just what needs to happen for Adam Scott or John Senden to win the FedEx Cup?
The fourth and final FedEx Cup playoff event tees off this week with just two Aussies qualifying for the 30-man TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
Adam Scott picked up enough points throughout the regular season and first three playoff events to qualify in 21st spot. John Senden managed to scrape through in 29th spot despite a nasty finish to his last tournament. Thankfully a few other players also had nasty finishes at the BMW Championship and Sendo sounds happy to be playing this week.

East Lake GC in superb shape for @playofffinale . Going to be a great week for the @playofffinale . Race for #FedExCup.

#great to be back!!
— John Senden (@JohnSendenGolf) September 17, 2012

Both players are a mathematical (and highly confusing) chance of winning the FedEx Cup trophy and the $10 million prize thanks to a points reset before this week’s final event.

All 30 players have been assigned a points value based on where they finished which allows each player in the field to have some chance of winning. Given Rory McIlroy’s recent form, you would assume it’s unlikely anyone outside the Top-5 has a realistic chance of winning but it’s a chance nonetheless.
As an example, in order for Adam Scott to win the FedEx Cup, the following scenarios need to happen;
He needs to win this week, and…

• Rory McIlroy (No. 1) finishes 13th* or worse
• Tiger Woods (No. 2) finishes 5th* or worse
• Nick Watney (No. 3) finishes in a 6-way tie for 2nd or worse
• Phil Mickelson (No. 4) finishes 3rd* or worse
• Brandt Snedeker (No. 5) finishes T2 or worse
• Louis Oosthuizen (No. 6) finishes T-2 or worse
*Tie for the FedExCup

Doesn’t seem so hard does it? Don’t rule Scott out. If his putter works he can win. He won this event in 2006 and should feel confident.
Every year there is considerable debate about the transparency of the FedEx Cup points system. After the opening year when Vijay Singh has clinched the trophy before the final event. Following that, the points were reset before the final round leading to a little more confusion and the situation that occurred last year, when Bill Haas didn’t realise he’d won the trophy after his victory at The TOUR Championship.
Recently, Golf.com writer Gary Van Sickle put into writing a much clearer system that many of us have been wanting for years. Sickle recommends a system based purely on the number of shots the golfers have throughout the playoffs – profound huh?
Either way with two FedEx Cup playoff victories under his belt, it would be a travesty of justice if Rory McIlroy didn’t claim the overall prize this weekend. His golf has been majestic to watch and has an air of infallibility that we used to see from Tiger Woods.

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