Power Ranking the 5 Best FedEx Cup Events

The FedEx Cup is an award that the PGA presents to its most consistent golfer of each competitive season.

The PGA first presented this award in 2007 with the idea that golfers would compete all year and then enter a series of playoff tournaments that would result in the FedEx Cup title and a $10 million prize to the winner. Tiger Woods was the initial winner of this event.

The FedEx Cup playoffs is a series of four tournaments at the end of the golf regular season in August and September. Those four tournaments—the Barclays, the Deutsche Bank, the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship—are clearly huge events.

But the last event of the regular season, the Wyndham, is the last chance to gain points to qualify for the FedEx Cup and deserves a spot in the power rankings as well.

Points are awarded in all PGA tournaments during the regular season. Points range from 250 to 600 for winners of each individual event. Most tournament winners earn 500 points per victory.

No. 5: Wyndham Championship

The Wyndham Championship is the last event of the PGA "regular season."

This tournament is the last chance to gain valuable points for a golfer who wants to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs.

A golfer needs to be in the top 125 of player rankings to enter the FedEx Cup playoffs. A golfer who is on the brink of making the top 125 or just on the outside can use points gained in the Wyndham Championship to clinch a spot in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

No. 4:Deutsche Bank Championship

This is the second of the FedEx Cup playoff tournaments.

The top 100 players on the PGA points list qualify for this event, and it takes place after the first playoff event, the Barclays.

On the surface, the Deutsche Bank Championship would appear to be more important than the Barclays. However, the first event of the playoff season requires golfers to turn up the intensity. If the qualifiers are able to do that, they just need to keep it going in the second event.

That's why the Deutsche Bank Championship does not have equal or better status to the Barclays.

No. 3: The Barclays

The first playoff event of the FedEx Cup playoffs is a vitally important event.

The Barclays, played at New York's famed Bethpage Black course, is one of the most demanding courses on the pro tour and a fitting place to start the playoffs.

The difficulty of the course demands accuracy and execution and is one of the most unforgiving courses for even the best golfers.

The top 125 golfers on the PGA point list qualify to play in the first of the FedEx Cup playoff events. Nick Watney won the Barclays in 2012.

No. 2: BMW Championship

Once golfers qualify for the BMW Championship in the FedEx Cup playoffs, they can see the finish line for the $10 million first prize.

The top 70 golfers on the points list following the Deutsche Bank Championship qualify for the BMW Championship, which will be held in 2012 at the Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind.

Once those golfers compete at the par-72, 7,516-yard course, the top 30 ranked golfers on the points lists will qualify for the FedEx Cup championship.

Eliminating 40 golfers after this tournament means pressure is extremely high for this prestigious tournament.

No. 1: Tour Championship

After the top 30 point list is finalized following the BMW Championship, the Tour Championship is played.

The top 30 qualifying golfers compete for a $10 million prize. The Tour Championship is played at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

In addition to the prize money, the winner gets a three-year exemption for all events on the PGA tour.