FedEx Cup Standings 2014: Points, Playoff Predictions Before Tour Championship
It’s crunch time in the FedEx Cup playoffs, as PGA players are competing for the prize money and the honor of being seen as one of the best golfers in the world.
Here is a look at the current standings as we head into the Tour Championship in Atlanta.
| 1 | Chris Kirk | 4,314 |
| 2 | Billy Horschel | 4,305 |
| 3 | Bubba Watson | 4,058 |
| 4 | Rory McIlroy | 3,735 |
| 5 | Hunter Mahan | 3,363 |
| 6 | Jimmy Walker | 3,073 |
| 7 | Jim Furyk | 3,073 |
| 8 | Matt Kuchar | 2,376 |
| 9 | Rickie Fowler | 2,631 |
| 10 | Jason Day | 2,549 |
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Before we dig into a couple of predictions, it is worth going over some of the basics about how the playoff system works. A more in-depth explanation can be found courtesy of the PGA Tour’s official website.
The FedEx Cup playoffs began in 2007, and Tiger Woods won the inaugural FedEx Cup. This season, the four playoff events featured a progressive cut, starting with 125 players advancing to the playoffs at The Barclays in New York.
From there, play moved to the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston (100 players), to the BMW Championship in Denver (70 players) and then to the Tour Championship in Atlanta, where the FedEx Cup champion will be crowned.
My first prediction is that underdog Morgan Hoffmann will continue his magic.
The underdog didn't have a top-10 finish in 28 starts during the regular season and barely snuck into the playoffs at No. 124 in the standings. However, he finished ninth at The Barclays, 35th at the Deutsche Bank Championship and an incredible third at the BMW Championship.
That got him to 21st in the FedEx Cup standings and into the Tour Championship.
He commented on his run Monday: "Nothing to lose, carefree, and just go out and fire at pins. That's basically how I was playing and pretty much the whole time during these playoffs."
With so much momentum on his side, it is difficult to bet against Hoffmann at this point. He is playing with nothing to lose, and that will carry over into the first couple of rounds in Atlanta.
I don't think Hoffmann is going to complete his miracle run and win the FedEx Cup, but he will finish near the top of the standings. A couple of low scores to start the tournament will take any lingering pressure off, and he will respond accordingly with a solid tournament.
While Hoffmann will impress, Rory McIlroy will ultimately take home the FedEx Cup.
He may be in fourth place now, but he has completely dominated throughout the year and has to be considered the favorite to finish atop the standings. He has made every single cut and has 11 top-10 finishes under his belt.
What’s more, McIlroy won The Open Championship, the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational and the PGA Championship in an incredible run.
Statistically, McIlroy currently ranks first in scoring average, birdies, strokes gained tee to green, strokes gained total and driving distance. It has truly been a remarkable season, and it’s difficult to envision anyone else winning the FedEx Cup with everything on the line.
Look for him to get off to a quick start in Atlanta and gradually pull away from the rest of the field. He has two major titles and the No. 1 world ranking on his side this year.
Now it’s time to add a FedEx Cup.
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