FedEx Cup Standings 2012: Golfers That Must Improve to Make Tour Championship

The first leg of the PGA Tour playoffs are over as Nick Watney took home the Barclays on Sunday with a three-stroke victory over Brandt Snedeker. It vaulted Watney from 49th to first in the updated FedEx Cup Rankings.

Tiger Woods drops from first to third in the standings after a final-round 76 left him tied for 36th at the Barclays. Rory McIlroy moves down a spot to fourth after shooting one under for the tournament. 

As the playoffs continue, the field will be cut after every event. It was decreased from 125 to 100 after the Barclays, and will end up at 30 for September's Tour Championship.

With only two events separating golfers from the main event, there are several golfers that have some work to do in order to ensure their spot at East Lake Golf Course in Atlanta. 

Lee Westwood (27th)

The No. 4 player in the world made up significant ground with a great showing at the Barclays. Coming into the weekend, Westwood was 51st in the FedEx standings, but he moved all the way up to 27th after his fifth-place finish at five under. 

Despite the great finish, Westwood is far from securing his spot for the Tour Championship. He will have to have two solid performances at the Deutsche Bank and BMW Championships in order to stay alive.

Graeme McDowell (33rd)

The 2010 U.S. Open champion moved down from 27th to 33rd after missing the cut over the weekend. The 33-year-old has played wonderfully on the big stage this year, finishing in the top five at the U.S. Open and British Open while just missing the top 10 at the PGA Championship and Masters. 

Another missed cut may mean the end for McDowell.

Adam Scott (34th)

Ranked No. 6 in the world, Adam Scott may finish on the outside looking in as the Tour Championship approaches. His epic collapse at the Open Championship was one for the ages, and a spot in the top 30 for next month's big purse may ease the pain.

Scott began the Barclays in 32nd, but he moved down two spots after shooting a disappointing four over for the weekend. He will have work to do in order to avoid another potential heartbreak.

FedEx Cup Standings

Rank—Golfer—Points

1. Nick Watney, 3,226

2. Brandt Snedeker, 2,694

3. Tiger Woods, 2,417

4. Rory McIlroy, 2,299

5. Zach Johnson, 2,166

6. Jason Dufner, 2,110

7. Bubba Watson, 2,080

8. Dustin Johnson, 1,972

9. Carl Pettersson, 1,898

10. Sergio Garcia, 1,810

11. Matt Kuchar, 1,747

12. Hunter Mahan, 1,739

13. Keegan Bradley, 1,670

14. Luke Donald, 1,597

15. Justin Rose, 1,534

16. Steve Stricker, 1,523

17. Phil Mickelson, 1,520

18. Ernie Els, 1,514

19. Rickie Fowler, 1,453

20. Webb Simpson, 1,424

21. Louis Oosthuizen, 1,409

22. Bo Van Pelt, 1,382

23. Scott Piercy, 1,304

24. John Huh, 1,295

25. Jim Furyk, 1,284

26. Bud Cauley, 1,204

27. Lee Westwood, 1,194

28. Johnson Wagner, 1,181

29. Bill Haas, 1,181

30. Kyle Stanley, 1,177