5 Golfers Outside the Top 50 Who Could Steal the FedEx Cup

Martin Laird's drop of 10 spots last week makes him a longshot
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It would require one of those astrological rarities: the perfect alignment of the moon, sun and stars.

And all the 'I's would have to be dotted and all the 'T's crossed

And one player would have to win two of the biggest golf tournaments of his life .... in back-to-back weeks.

But it's mathematically possible a player who is ranked out of the top 50 could be holding the FedEx Cup trophy in a couple weeks.

The field for this week's BMW Championship is 70, all of whom will be trying to secure one of the 30 spots in the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club.

Take, for example, Martin Laird, No. 50 going into this week's event. He has 980 points going into the BMW, the last week to amass points. If he wins, his point total would jump to 3,480, a total that would definitely get him into the top 30 in Atlanta.

Even a third-place finish this week could gain the 50-somethings 1,000 points and a spot in the Tour Championship. The FedEx Cup points will be reset after this week and everyone in the field would have a chance to win it all.

Here's a list of five guys with a reasonable chance to pull this off.

Don't Be Surprised If Padraig Harrington Makes a Run

Padraig Harrington knows how to win on the biggest stages
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Padraig Harrington was one of the players on the periphery of the FedEx Cup inner circle who was looking like a good bet to make some noise.

He had put together seven top 20s in his last nine starts before finishing 59th last week. He's 56th in the point standings.

Harrington's the kind of guy who, if he can get into the final 30, can be dangerous.

Kevin Na Needs to Find His Swing to Win Again

Kevin Na's up-and-down season could take a big turn up
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Kevin Na's season started with three top-25 finishes in four starts.

But since a tie for eighth in early July at the Greenbrier Classic, Na (64th in FedEx Cup points), has been trending in the wrong direction: two missed cuts, a disqualification and ties for 63rd and 69th.

Between those two segments of the season, Na recorded three more top 25s.

Getting to Atlanta Would Be a Homecoming for Brian Harman

Brian Harman hopes to join another lefty in Atlanta
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Brian Harman's rookie season on the PGA Tour has been something less than the success he'd hoped it might have been.

He made over a million dollars and registered a tie for fifth at the Barclays, his best finish of the year. But then he followed that up with a tie for 74th in the Barclays.

He has the game, but has to show he can play under the pressure and heat of the biggest stages.

He's 51st on the FedEx Cup points list.

A Win by J.B. Holmes Would Be Cinderella-Like

J.B. Holmes has come a long way since last year
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After a slow start to his season, J.B. Holmes has made an amazing comeback from a September to remember a year ago.

Surgery to relieve pressure in the back of his brain could have possibly been a career-ending procedure, but Holmes has taken the long road back.

Since July, he's put together three top 20s in four events and was on a nice roll until a tie for 39th at Deutsche Bank.

Long John can power his way to Atlanta, if he can keep his tee shots on Crooked Sticks' fairways.

If Geoff Ogilvy Finds His Groove, He'll Be in Atlanta Causing Trouble

Geoff Ogilvy has the game to play with the game's elite
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Geoff Ogilvy won the U.S.Open in 2006 at Winged Foot, but really has not been a regular with the elite players since.

But his play in recent weeks has looked more like the Ogilvy of old with four top 20s leading up the Deutsche Bank.

The guy with the laser-like iron game could be very dangerous these next two weeks.