The Top and Bottom Of The Fed-Ex Cup Point Standings: Time's Running Out

Ernie Els is still on top of the Fed Ex Cup Point Standings by a slim margin, as the playoffs for the big bucks get under way soon.

As you might know, the Fed Ex Cup Winner pockets $10,000,000 dollars.

That is not chump change, and the pressure leading up to that payoff must be pretty crazy for some guys that are not quite Tiger Woods/Ernie Els rich.

Steve Stricker holds down the number two spot currently, and is my A -player choice for fantasy golf in the upcoming PGA Championship at Whistling Straits next week.

Stricker has the game to stay hot through out the four tournament Fed Ex Cup elimination, much like the dreaded Q- school ,only with huge rewards for staying in the mix as the field is reduced from week to week.

The third spot is occupied by Jim Furyk, a steady proven player, year after year. Furyk can also stay in this field along time into this final countdown to riches and fame.

So far, all of these players have won twice this season on the PGA Tour.

Justin Rose is No. 4, but playing away from home week after week takes it toll, and I'm not feeling Rose for this prestgious title in 2010.

Still a wonderful season for the English player that first caught our attention in that Open some years past. Jolly good, Justin!

Position Five in the Fed Ex Cup race belongs to Phil Mickelson, always in the hunt to be noticed before Tiger Woods and doing a nice job of that this season. Mickelson has two wins also this season, I'm pretty sure.

The sixth spot belongs to Jeff Overton, finishing high week after week, but without a win on the PGA Tour yet in his career. Last week was close, but as you know he got zapped by Stuart Appleby with the fifth 59 ever in PGA history. 

Overton may be a sleeper to win the Fed Ex Cup with overall steadiness in every tournament he plays.

Tim Clarke is next at seventh, and won for the first time this season in the United States, plus he is playing well all year long. Very accurate and possibly a factor in the PGA Championship next week.

The eighth spot is held by Matt Kuchar, who has now played in 19 events with only two missed cuts. Kuchar has averaged 17th place in every tournament, has seven Top 10 finishes in addition to three finishes in the Top 3, with one second place.

Kuchar has been used by myself in fantasy golf a bit this season, and is on my team this week at Firestone.

In ninth would be Ben Crane, a winner this season, and steady pretty much most of the time. Crane was also used in fantasy golf a bit this season with success my myself, and I'm sure others.

If you sense a pattern here, I like choosing players in fantasy golf week to week that are on this Fed Ex Cup list. It gives you a decent team week to week if you go with that.

I do take some shots, however, with lesser knowns once in a while.

The last Top 10 spot on this list is taken by Anthony Kim, recovering from a thumb injury, but dangerous if he can get it going in time this year. A real threat to go low in the Fed Ex Cup chase.

Now we look at the other end of the scale. The last 10 spots, 115 to 125, are occupied by these players that have to have good finishes in the next few weeks to stay in the playoff tournament format.

Michael Sim, Bob Estes, Chris Stroud, Martin Laird, Robert Garrigus, Michael Letzig, Woody Austin, Justin Leonard, Jonathan Byrd, Mike Weir and Troy Matteson occupy the last 10 slots.

All these players need one good finish now to entrench themselves into the Fed Ex Cup race.

Jeff Quinney is at 126, but he has been playing very well the last two events, and I believe he will make it this season.

There are a ton of big name golfers under the 125-player bubble right now including the likes of Henrik Stenson, Lee Janzen, Trevor Immelman, John Daly, Billy Mayfair, Fred Couples and Rich Beem, to name just a few.

This Fed Ex Cup leaderboard has nine quality high profile stars of the PGA Tour and Jeff Overton.

After he got zapped, to not win for the first time in his career by a 59, that could be considered snakebit.

I say his game looks good and he gives the other nine guys a run for their money, or his money if things work out, and there really is Karma.

Root for Overton and show support for the underdog. He deserves it after that last round by Appleby.