US can still outplay formidable International side to keep Cup, says Woods

MONTREAL: Tiger Woods sees an impressive International squad poised for the Presidents Cup but likes the chance his US team can retain the trophy with a fun but focused atmosphere inspired by captain Jack Nicklaus.

Both teams arrived on Monday in Canada ahead of the seventh edition of the match-play event between American and non-European sides at Royal Montreal Golf Club, with the US squad owning a 4-1-1 edge in the rivalry.

South Africa's Ernie Els, Australian Adam Scott and South Korean K.J. Choi lead an Internationals lineup with nine of the top 18 players in the world.

“If you look on the international side, I think that everyone will be the first to admit that's probably the best lineup there is, including US or European Ryder Cup teams,” Woods said in a conference call on Monday.

“To be on the international team, you have to basically be in the top 20 in the world to make the squad. That's pretty formidable.”

As part of golf's global growth, the next Presidents Cups will be staged in new venues – San Francisco in 2009 and Australia in 2011, returning to the only nation where the Internationals won by 20 1/2-11 1/2 in 1998.

Woods, whose 61 PGA titles include 13 majors, cited the influence of Nicklaus, the man whose record 18 majors Woods wants to break, in keeping the US focused but also enjoying the event and each other.

“Jack has traditionally just let us play. He gets out of the way. He says go prepare how you normally prepare for an event,” Woods said.

In four Presidents Cups, Woods is 10-9 with one halved, 3-1 in singles and 5-2 with a half in foursomes but just 2-6 in four-ball.

Among this year's players with more than one prior Cup start, only Jim Furyk and Stewart Cink also have winning overall marks. And they, like Woods, have losing overall marks in the Ryder Cup against Europe's finest.

But while Europe has dominated the Americans, the US best have denied their global foes in the Presidents Cup. Woods has made a difference, including a night-halted playoff duel with Els that led to a 2003 draw at South Africa.

“Whoever plays Tiger Woods is in for a very difficult match,” Internationals captain Gary Player said. “But Retief Goosen played him and beat him. Nick O'Hern has played him twice and beaten him on both occasions.” – AFP

Woods breaks more records

TIGER Woods shot the lowest score of his illustrious career when he blew away the field to win the PGA Tour Championship in Atlanta by eight strokes today.

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Woods completes easy victory at Tour Championship

ATLANTA — He wasn't at his eye-popping best on Sunday, but Tiger Woods was plenty good enough to win both the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup.

Woods shot a final-round 66 to win by eight shots and claim the $1.26 million first prize at East Lake and the $10 million in deferred compensation for winning the inaugural FedEx Cup. It was his seventh victory of 2007 and the 61st of his career, moving him one behind Arnold Palmer and three behind Ben Hogan. Woods will almost certainly win the Vardon Trophy for low scoring average and finishes the season atop the money list at just under $11 million.

"Winning this week is pretty special," Woods said Sunday evening. "Winning the FedEx Cup is one thing, but I think as a player you always want to win the Tour Championship. There's history involved, and the players who have won it, these are basically the 30 hottest players for this year, and you know you're going to have your hands full coming into this week."

Steve Stricker, who played with Woods on Thursday and Friday, said: "He's just tough. Just when you think he's going to make a bogey, he holes it out of the bunker or makes a 30- or 40-footer."

Sunday's sacrificial lamb was Mark Calcavecchia, who tied Zach Johnson for second place at 15 under. Calcavecchia birdied the par-4 first hole to close the gap to two shots but would get no closer to his playing partner and pal Woods. Both bogeyed the par-3 second hole, and all the suspense was gone after Woods nearly aced the watery, par-3 sixth and made birdie.

The four-week FedEx Cup race was over before the final round began. None of the four players who had a realistic chance to catch Woods were in contention to win at East Lake, so the action Sunday came down to a battle for second. Stricker shot a three-under 67 to finish six under for the tournament and hold off Phil Mickelson (five under) for the second spot in the FedEx Cup. Stricker won $3 million in deferred prize money.

"Tiger taking that week off allowed me to get up in there [in first place after winning the Barclays]," Stricker said. "Too bad he didn't take another one off, really."

The Tour Championship was supposed to be the crown jewel of the FedEx Cup, but it seemed hexed from the beginning. Perhaps it was the Halloween gods, who didn't appreciate the pile of expertly carved pumpkins placed just outside the East Lake clubhouse a month and a half before October 31.

First came trouble with the greens, which suffered heat damage and early in the week looked like they were on loan from an over-crowded muni.

Then came the weather, a rain storm that wasn't in the forecast led to a three-hour delay Thursday afternoon. Players could have been off the course had the PGA Tour moved the tee times up.

More than anything, the tournament suffered from a lack of competition. Almost without fail, every player with a mathematical chance to overtake Woods in the FedEx Cup played terribly. In fact, Woods had enough points to win golf's first playoff series even before the Tour Championship.

"Yeah, I wish Phil or I could've been up there and challenged Tiger a little more," Stricker said, speaking for many.

He may as well have been in the second flight while paired with Woods on Thursday and Friday. While Woods was shooting 64-63, Stricker was toddling along at 69-67, nowhere near good enough on a course made defenseless by torrential rain and ultra-receptive greens.

Mickelson came out similarly flat. He began the tournament by going three over for his first five holes while Woods was going three under through three, the equivalent of spotting Roger Federer the first set. Mickelson fought back for a two-under 68 in the first round and shot 66 in the second, but he was too far back to contend even if he played well on the weekend. (He didn't.)

By Cameron Morfit
Senior Writer, GOLF Magazine
Published: September 16, 2007

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Americans lead but Davies makes great escape to keep Europeans in it

HALMSTAD (Sweden): Tromping through the bushes, Laura Davies looked as lost as she'd ever been on a golf course.

Then, she made two shots that will go down in Solheim Cup lore to win the hole, save her match and turn a rough opening day for the Europeans into something much better.

The United States led 4 1/2-3 1/2 after a windy, wet and frigid day in Sweden – a good sign for a team that hasn't been ahead after the first day of this event since 1998.

But it was the Europeans who walked off the course with all the momentum. Davies was a big part of that.

Playing in the final fourball match of the day, she was the last player to hit on the tricky par-3 16th hole. She didn't learn a lesson by watching Americans Morgan Pressel and Paula Creamer and her own teammate, Trish Johnson, all hit to the wrong side of Backen – the creek that runs in front of and down the right side of the green.

In fact, Davies hit the worst shot of the foursome.

So bad, that she found herself climbing through the shrubbery simply to get to her ball.

Once there, she took a wild swing and a gash of underbrush, blasting the ball out to the fringe on the opposite side of the green. Still away, she chipped in her next shot from 50 feet to win the hole and draw even in a match she and Johnson had trailed all day.

Davies and Johnson played the last two holes to a draw – Creamer and Pressel both had decent looks at putts to win – and wound up with a tie that, in many ways, felt more like a win.

That, plus a rally by Annika Sorenstam and Maria Hjorth to salvage another half point, helped the Europeans split the afternoon matches after being behind in all four of them at one point about halfway through. – AP

Source - The Star

Westwood equals career-best 61 at Mercedes

PULHEIM, Germany (AP) — Lee Westwood found his old putter and shot an 11-under 61 Thursday in the first round of Mercedes-Benz Championship.

The Englishman took a four-stroke lead after finishing one shot short of Fredrik Jacobson's course record of 60 set in 2003. Westwood went 7-under on the last seven holes, shooting 29 on the back nine. The 61 tied his career best.

Soren Hansen was second with a 65, ahead of Nick Dougherty and Simon Dyson at 66. John Daly shared fourth place with a 67.

Daly eagled the par-5, 523-yard 15th hole, a feat duplicated by Westwood, who chipped in from 40 feet.

Westwood had 10 birdies to go with the eagle. On the last seven holes, he dropped two birdies from 18 feet, one from 12 and another from 20.

Westwood said poor putting cost him a chance to win his last two events. After finishing tied for sixth at last week's European Masters, he returned home Sunday and rummaged through a garage full of old putters.

"I sifted through a few and picked one out that felt nice and sat nice," Westwood said. "My putting has been dreadful for most of the year, and it was starting to irritate me, but I made more putts today outside of 15 feet than I have in the past two weeks."

The Mercedes-Benz is the only German tournament Westwood hasn't won.

Source - Golf.com

20 nations sign up for Fortis golf tourney

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 20 nations have signed up for the Fortis International Challenge at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club from Sept 27-30.

Two-man teams from Asia, Europe and Africa will chase for five tickets to the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in China in November.

The early favourites include Chinese Taipei, Holland, South Korea, New Zealand, Singapore and home team Malaysia, which will be represented by Airil Rizman and Iain Steel.

Lin Wen-tang, winner of the Brunei Open earlier this month, will spearhead Chinese Taipei alongside brother Wen-hong as they make a bid for their maiden World Cup appearance.

South Korean Lee-sung, who was born deaf, could complete a fairy-tale season with a successful campaign with partner Lee Seung-ho.

Lee-sung claimed his breakthrough Asian Tour triumph at the Bangkok Airways Open in June and his strong performance even caught the attention of South African star Ernie Els when they played together at the BMW Asian Open earlier this year.

The Fortis International Challenge will use the fourball (better ball) format in the first and third rounds and foursomes (alternate shot) in the second and final rounds.

A total of 18 teams will qualify automatically for the Omega Mission Hills World Cup through the Official World Golf Rankings.

Five qualifying places are available at the Fortis International Challenge and Nations Cup in South America respectively, which will bring the total number of teams for the World Cup to 28.

Source- The Star Newspaper

Amazing Ball

How to perform the perfect golf swing

Malaysian clean sweep in Brisbane

FOR the first time since the debut of the MercedesTrophy golf tournament, Malaysians made a clean sweep in all the categories, in addition to claiming the Nation Cup.

In the showdown staged in Brisbane, Australia, the Malaysian team topped the leaderboard with 244 Stableford points, and left Thailand (231 points) and Taiwan (229) to settle for second and third place, respectively.

Seven Malaysians qualified for the Nation Cup in this year’s MercedesTrophy Asian Final. And later this month, 23 teams from 32 nations will be battle it out at the World Final in Stuttgart, Germany.

The players who qualify for the World Final are those who win the tournaments in their national or regional finals. And with their recent proud victory, the Malaysian team has confidently secured a place in Stuttgart.

Five top Asian Tour players get Australian Open invite

SINGAPORE: Five of the Asian Tour’s top players will receive invites to the Australian Open for the first time this year, reflecting the growing stature of golf in the region.

The leading five available golfers from the top-25 on the Asian Order of Merit as of Nov 5 will earn their tickets Down Under for the tournament at the Australian Golf Club in Sydney from Dec 13-16.

“This is the first time that the Asian Tour has been accorded with such an invitation from Golf Australia and I believe this is a wonderful recognition of our rising stature in the world of golf,” said Asian Tour chief Kyi Hla Han.

“We are confident our five players will represent the Asian Tour well in Australia’s most prestigious golf championship.”

John Senden won the US$1.1mil event last year, ahead of Geoff Ogilvy, Stuart Appleby, and Adam Scott. – AFP

Veteren Lian-wei feels right at home at China Classic

Guangzhou - Chinese stalwart Zhang Lian-wei is feeling right at home at the Midea China Classic satrting today after adding his touch to the course earlier this year.
Lian-wei will be walking on familiar ground having renovated the Nick Faldo 18-hole course at the Royal Orchid International Golf Club.
The Chinese star will be flanked by an elite Asian field that includes compatriot Liang Wen-chong, Taiwan's Lin Wen-tang, big-hitting australian Scott Hend, and Thai heroes Thaworn Wiratchant and Chapcai Nirat.
The 42-years-old Lian-wei has no kept secret about the par-71 course as he believes that steady iron play coupled with solid putting will ensure a low round.
"The fairways here are wide and will provide ample room for a good approach shot. With accurate approach shots and steady putting, a low score is easy to come by," he said.
"We have added more bunkers and water hazards. The rough is not too long so the course is easy for long hitters such as Scott (Scott Hend ), but the bunkers will be waiting for him."
After having endured his first miss cut of the season in Brunei two weeks ago, Wen-chong will be inspired to make amends in the US$4000,000 event.
He has been on a hot streak before Brunei, chalking up a win in Singapore and seven other top-10 finishes.
"I took a short break after Brunei to recover from a slight injury but now I'm ready for the challenges," he said.
"I am glad to be coming into this event as th UBS Order of Merit leader but I think it will be really tight with the top players gathered here this week."
He also finished second at the Royal Orchid course here at a domestic event last year. - AFP

Tiger Woods

Born: December 30, 1975
Residence: Orlando, Fla.
Wife: Elin (10/5/2004)
Children: Sam Alexis (6/18/2007)
Parents: Earl and Kultida
High School: Western HS (Anaheim, Calif.)
College: Stanford University (Palo Alto, Calif.)
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 185 pounds


BIOGRAPHY

Record breaking pro golfer Eldrick 'Tiger' Woods was born on the 30th of December, 1975, the only child to parents Earl, retired lieutenant, and Kultida, of Thai descent. Earl Woods gave his son Eldrick the nickname 'Tiger', after a soldier and friend of his father who was also nicknamed Tiger in his days as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army. Tiger grew up in Cypress, California, where his future passion and talent was foreshadowed while he was only a baby. Tiger would watch his father hit golf balls and would mimic his father's swing while still in his crib. Even before becoming a graduate from Western High School in Anaheim, California, Tiger was appearing on television and winning golf tournaments. At the mere age of 2, Tiger played with comedian and golfer Bob Hope on a national televisor, the Mike Douglas Show. He was featured in Golf Digest at age 5, after having already succeeded in shooting 48 for nine holes while the same children his age were still playing with building blocks.

A six-time winner at the Optimist International Junior Tournament, Tiger won at the ages of 8 and 9, and consecutively from ages 12 to 15. While a student at Stanford University, Tiger won 10 collegiate events and held the NCAA title. Before his years at Stanford, Tiger had already played in a professional tournament when he was 16 years old, the Nissan Los Angeles Open in 1992. One year later, he participated in three PGA Tour events and in 1994, Tiger placed 34th in the 1994 Johnnie Walker Asian Classic in Thailand and appeared in three more PGA Tours that same year. After having won the 1994 Western Amateur and representing the United States in the 1994 World Amateur Team Championships in France and the 1995 Walker Cup Match in Wales, Tiger was ready for his first major championships in 1995 -- the Masters and The British Open. Tiger couldn't play in the US Open that year because he injured his wrist.

Even as an amateur in 1995 and 1996, Tiger was making and breaking records and it was for this reason (among many others) that he was named Sports Illustrated's 1996 Sportsman of the Year. In 1997, Tiger won the first Mercedes Championships of the season, the Masters and four PGA events. Tiger became the leading money winner, winning $2,440,831. Among the records Tiger has broken are:

* In 1997, the youngest ever No.1 golfer at age 21, 24 weeks.
* In 1999 alone, Tiger won 81.7 percent more than the runner up during the PGA Tour.
* In 1999, he had as many as 8 victories in one year.
* In 1999, he achieved the highest point average (20.61) in the history of the World Ranking.
* In 1999, earned a record setting 750 points.
* In 1999, achieved the lowest ever adjusted scoring average of 68.43 strokes.

Woods and Mickelson

Woods and Mickelson will play together Thursday and Friday at the Tour Championship.

September

Sep 6-9

BMW Championship
Cog Hill G&CC
Lemont, Illinois

Sep 13-16

THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola
East Lake GC
Atlanta, Georgia

August

Aug 2-5

World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational
Firestone CC (South Course)
Akron, Ohio

Aug 2-5

Reno-Tahoe Open
Montreux G&CC
Reno, Nevada

Aug 9-12

PGA Championship
Southern Hills CC
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Aug 16-19

Wyndham Championship
Forest Oaks CC
Greensboro, North Carolina

Aug 23-26

Barclays Classic
Westchester CC
Rye, New York

Aug 31-Sep 3

Deutsche Bank Championship
TPC Boston
Norton, Massachusetts

July

Jul 5-8

AT&T National
Congressional C.C.
Bethesda, MD

Jul 12-15

John Deere Classic
TPC Deere Run
Silvis, Illinois

Jul 19-22

The Open Championship
Carnoustie GC
Angus, UK

Jul 19-22

U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee
Brown Deer Park GC
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Jul 26-29

Canadian Open
Angus Glen Country Club
Markham, Ontario, Canada

June

Jun 7-10

Stanford St. Jude Championship
TPC Southwind
Memphis, Tennessee

Jun 14-17

U.S. Open
Oakmont CC
Oakmont, Pennsylvania

Jun 21-24

Travelers Championship
TPC River Highlands
Cromwell, Connecticut

Jun 28-Jul 1

Buick Open
Warwick Hills G&CC
Grand Blanc, Michigan

May

May 3-6

Wachovia Championship
Quail Hollow CC
Charlotte, North Carolina

May 10-13

THE PLAYERS Championship
TPC Sawgrass
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

May 17-20

AT&T Classic
TPC Sugarloaf
Duluth, Georgia

May 24-27

Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
Colonial CC
Ft. Worth, Texas

May 31-Jun 3

the Memorial Tournament Presented by Morgan Stanley
Muirfield Village GC
Dublin, Ohio

April

Apr 5-8

The Masters
Augusta National GC
Augusta, Georgia

Apr 12-15

Verizon Heritage
Harbour Town Golf Links
Hilton Head, South Carolina

Apr 19-22

Zurich Classic of New Orleans
TPC Louisiana
Avondale, Louisiana

Apr 26-29

EDS Byron Nelson Championship
TPC Four Seasons Resort
Irving, Texas

March

Mar 1-4

The Honda Classic
PGA National gc (Champion Course)
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Mar 8-11

PODS Championship
Westin Innisbrook -Copperhead
Palm Harbor, Florida

Mar 15-18

Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard
Bay Hill Club & Lodge
Orlando, Florida

Mar 22-25

WGC-CA Championship
Doral Golf Resort & Spa
Miami, Florida

Mar 29-Apr 1

Shell Houston Open
Redstone GC (Tournament Course)
Humble, Texas

February

Feb 1-4

FBR Open
TPC Scottsdale
Scottsdale, Arizona

Feb 8-11

AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
Pebble Beach Golf Links
Pebble Beach, California

Feb 15-18

Nissan Open
Riviera CC
Pacific Palisades, California

Feb 21-25

WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship
The Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain
Tucson, Ariz.

Feb 22-25

Mayakoba Classic at Riviera Maya
El Camaleon
Riviera Maya, Mexico

January

Jan 4-7

Mercedes-Benz Championship
Kapalua Resort, The Plantation Course
Kapalua, Hawaii

Jan 11-14

Sony Open in Hawaii
Waialae Country Club
Honolulu, Hawaii

Jan 17-21

Bob Hope Chrysler Classic
The Classic Club
Palm Desert, California

Jan 25-28

Buick Invitational
Torrey Pines (South Course)
San Diego, California

Golf Tips 5-6

05 HOW TO PLAY OUT OF A DIVOT
BY SHELBY FUTCH

When hitting out of a divot, the worst thing you can do is scoop the ball--the clubhead getting ahead of the hands at impact. But that's exactly what the lie makes most golfers do. Scooping exposes the leading edge and leads to skulls or drop-kicks. What you need is a descending blow, and there are two ways to get it: (1) Play the ball back slightly in your stance, and lean left, which sets up a steeper swing plane and a downward hit. With this method, the ball will come out lower, so allow for some chase when it lands. (2) This technique is tougher to execute, but allows you to hit the ball higher and stop it faster: Take one extra club, play the ball farther forward than you normally do and open your stance and the clubface slightly. Swing across the ball from out to in, like you would for a bunker shot. You'll hit it high and stop it on the green.

06 HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR GOLF MUSCLES
BY RANDY MYERS

The latest studies indicate that golfers need to focus on three areas: flexibility, balance and symmetry. Before a round, you should concentrate on flexibility--stretching the entire back and shoulders and the rotary muscles of the hips, torso and rotator cuffs. After a round or on days when you aren't playing, focus on strength- and balance-training. Things like mimicking the golf swing with a weighted club or using resistance bands to improve range of motion are great, but they have to be performed in both directions to improve the body's symmetry. For a right-handed golfer, that means swinging the weighted club as a lefty would. Otherwise, a right-handed golfer would have a strong right side and a flexible left side. Sooner or later, injuries will develop from this asymmetry.

Performing exercises while standing on one leg instead of two (don't forget to switch legs between sets) will help improve balance. So will assuming a golf-swing posture as you go through your routine. The final element to improving your golf muscles is to do cardiovascular exercises such as running, swimming, etc. They will strengthen your legs and improve your stamina, making it much easier to perform the golf swing as you get tired.

Golf Tips 3-4

03 HOW TO GET OUT OF JAIL

BY TIGER WOODS

There are no get-out-of-jail-free cards in golf. When faced with a shot from trees so thick you need a flashlight or a lie in rough so deep you can't see your shoes, you need two things: an active imagination and a total absence of fear. I've always been taught that bad lies are part of the game and certainly nothing to fear if you're prepared physically and mentally to deal with them. That's the rub: You must have the strength to hit from the hay and the concentration to execute the shot under the most extreme pressure. Several years ago, I decided to bulk up and add muscle mass to handle difficult lies without injuring myself. When I dig the ball out of the deep stuff, I really fire my right side through the shot toward the target. That takes pressure off my left side through impact and allows me to get a lot of force behind the ball.

In the trees, you have to be creative, which is the fun part of practice and competition. It helps to have a mental picture of the ball flight, trajectory and how the ball will react when it lands, and the best way to achieve that is through practice. I rehearse this by practicing huge cuts, low hooks, flop shots and hitting from buried lies. Make a game of it on the range. You'll be surprised how much your confidence will grow when you're prepared for almost any situation.

But if you don't have the courage to play the shot, you'll fail every time. That's the difference between those who execute difficult shots successfully with amazing regularity and those who don't. After weighing the odds, have the guts to go for it.


04 HOW TO HOLE A DOWNHILL-LIE EXPLOSION SHOT

BY PAUL AZINGER

Lee Westwood called it the best bunker shot he’d ever seen. All I know is I had to hole it. It was the 18th at The Belfry in the 2002 Ryder Cup, I was 1 down to Niclas Fasth, and if I lost my match, we’d lose the Ryder Cup. The ball was on a little downslope, sitting kind of heavy in the sand, and I was into the wind. My technique is to let the club release. You don’t want to guide it, which is the biggest faux pas the best players make under severe pressure. I knew if I hung on to it, the ball wouldn’t get there. I read the green like on a putt. The ball just came out great, trickled down the slope and into the hole. Even though we still lost, it was a thrilling moment.

Golf Tips 1-2

01 HOW TO GAIN 10 YARDS OVERNIGHT

BY DAVID LEADBETTER

Make a fuller turn, and maintain a relaxed grip pressure throughout the swing. You must be sure to complete your backswing to maximize your coil. And the relaxed grip pressure ensures good clubhead release for increased clubhead speed.


02 HOW TO MAKE A WEDGE BACK UP

BY PHIL MICKELSON

It's harder than before to make a shot back up a ton. The old wound balata balls used to spin more. However, manufacturers have done a tremendous job with ball technology, making something that has great trajectory off the driver and spins enough to stop pretty dead with the irons.

Still, if you're determined to really spin one, use a wedge with extra loft, and hit the ball with a descending blow. When average players try this, they usually hit the ground before the ball. That makes a big divot, but doesn't make the ball spin. You've got to hit the ball first, then make the divot, so play the ball well back in your stance. You need some clubhead speed to make it spin, so swing hard while staying under control.

This Week in Golf

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - PGA TOUR - THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP, East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Georgia - The FedEx Cup system was constructed to give each of the 144 players who qualified for the playoffs a mathematical chance of winning the top $10 million prize.

Heading into the Tour Championship this weekend -- the last of the four playoff events -- only five players remain with a shot: Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker, Phil Mickelson, Rory Sabbatini and K.J. Choi.

They hold the top five spots on the playoff points list, in that order, with Stricker, Mickelson and Woods having won the first three events, also in that order.

Aaron Baddeley is sixth on the list, but even if he wins this week, he would still fall short of claiming the $10 million windfall. That is because Woods can receive no fewer than 395 points at East Lake (which he would get for last place) and Baddeley can receive no more than 10,300 (for a win).

In that scenario, Baddeley would end up 28 points shy of Woods.

Another interesting scenario would be a first-place finish by Mickelson, and a runner-up for Woods. If the weekend played out like that -- Can you hear NBC begging? -- Woods would still beat Mickelson for the $10 million.

More news

Rumford wins Euro Masters with playoff chip-in

CRANS-SUR-SIERRE, Switzerland(AP) Brett Rumford holed a 30-foot chip from the fringe on the first playoff hole Sunday to beat Phillip Archer at the European Masters.

The 30-year-old Australian, who shot a 3-under 68 in the final round for a 16-under 268 total, was surprised his final shot went in.

``It was tracking the hole all the way but I thought it was coming up short. But the breeze took it in,'' said Rumford, who last won at the 2004 Irish Open. ``My short game has pulled me through this week.''

Archer, who shot a 65, had a shorter chip in the playoff but left it wide.

``Brett played well all week and is a worthy winner,'' said Archer, who has never won on Tour. ``He has one of the best short games out there and I knew his chip would be close and it went straight in the middle.''

Archer is known for missing a 7-foot putt on the last hole of the 2006 Wales Open that would have given him the first 59 in European Tour history.

Defending champion Bradley Dredge shot a 69 to finish third, one shot behind Rumford and Archer. Sion Bebb had a 68 and was fourth, another stroke back.

``It had been a pretty tough year,'' Rumford said. ``I just had to have five minutes alone and it has just hit me. I have been trying hard, grinding week in, week out for not much and it has all come together this week.''

The tournament was the first qualifying event for the 2008 European Ryder Cup team. Of the five 2006 team members playing, Lee Westwood was the highest finisher in a tie for sixth.

Robert Karlsson was 12th and Paul Casey was 37th, while Darren Clarke and David Howell missed the cut.

Woods earns his ninth trip to PGA Grand Slam of Golf

Thanks to his victory in the 89th PGA Championship at Southern Hills, Tiger Woods has nailed down the final spot in the 25th PGA Grand Slam of Golf. Woods, who won the 2006 PGA Grand Slam, is seeking his eighth PGA Grand Slam title.

BMW Championship

Tiger Woods reclaimed the top spot in the PGA Tour Playoffs for the FedExCup Sunday with a two-shot victory over Aaron Baddeley at the BMW Championship. Woods, Steve Stricker, Phil Mickelson, K.J. Choi and Rory Sabbatini are the only players who can win the FedExCup next week at the Tour Championship.