Boston Tee Party

Scorecard

Deutsche Bank Championship
August 29-September 1, 2008
Tournament #39 of 48
TPC Boston [Norton, MA]
Par 36-35=71 - 7,207 yards
Years hosted: 2003-present
Purse: $7,000,000 (Winner-$1,260,000)
Field size: 115 (of a possible 120)
Cut: Top 70 & ties after 36 holes (if >78 golfers are tied, another cut of Top 70 & ties will occur after 54 holes)

Starter

I received precisely zero emails citing success stories on last week's trivia answer (the 1970 Dow Jones Open Invitational). I suppose the good news there is that no one cursed me out either. Nothing like stressing the absence of a negative to get through the day.

This week, I'm taking it easy on you . I think. Of the four PGA Tour members with the surname "Johnson," name the one that advanced to this week's Deutsche Bank Championship.

HINTS: He's the only Johnson to win on tour in the last 15 months. And, of the four, he started 2008 with the worst membership status.

Answer at the "The 19th Hole."

First Tee

Before we hit the Deutsche Bank, I'm taking a rare detour. This weekend is Patriot Golf Day in the United States. It runs Friday, August 29 though Monday/Labor Day, September 1, the same block on the calendar as this week's PGA Tour stop. Join me in contributing to the Folds of Honor Foundation, which supports families of soldiers that were injured or died while serving their country in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was set up by PGA Professional and USGA member, Major Dan Rooney. When you hand over your greens fee this weekend, think about tossing another buck over for a tremendous cause. Thanks.

Now, I don't know about you but the FedExCup was a roaring success in Week 1, no? Remember a year ago, when critics wanted to see those that missed cuts to lose points or get eliminated? Well, the new scoring system proved to be subtraction by addition. All 72 golfers that made the cut at The Barclays advanced. Even if Lee Janzen, who was 144th entering the week, would have finished 72nd, he would have made the cut for the Top 120. However, if Brad Adamonis and Nathan Green would have both managed Top 30s instead of missing the cut, Janzen would have bumped down two places and out of the Deutsche Bank. But hey, everyone's happy, right?

Not so fast. I suppose it's too late to advise Kenny Perry to stop complaining about the playoffs. If you're a regular here, you know that I was behind him 100 percent when he opted to forego U.S. Open qualifying and a trip to Royal Birkdale to shore up a spot on the Ryder Cup team. Mission accomplished. But it didn't take but one playoff event for Perry to wax negative over the new scoring system. Here we have a guy that fulfilled his goal by, in part, choosing not to play in majors at the top of his game, placing the FedExCup and its riches above them. (Somewhere, Tim Finchem is smiling out of one-half his mouth, no doubt the same side that bent upwards when Carl Pettersson bypassed the 2007 PGA Championship for the WGC-Bridgestone because of the guaranteed FEC points, even though it was held the same week his son was born.) And no doubt Perry would have played in the majors if it was required to make the Ryder Cup team, but did he have to make it so obvious that the FedExCup is nothing more than a money grab? Just when I was beginning the like the guy, he shows his true colors. Next thing we'll be told is that he and his fellow touring pros still alive in the chase are being treated like peasants, or worse - Ryder Cuppers.

Anyway, I think you have to like the volatility in the system so far. It certainly helps fill the TWV (Tiger Woods Void). Since its inception, I've been trying to connect the FedExCup with its future. Last year will go down as an experiment at best only because all Woods had to do to win the thing was not withdraw from all of the events. But this year's version has a much better taste to it. For starters, the victories will mean more (although I'm anxiously awaiting the potentially awkward trophy presentation at East Lake). And the term "playoffs" now has some context. Guys that didn't have realistic chances of making an impact have already done so. Good for the tour. Good for us. But apparently, bad for Kenny Perry.

The next test is TPC Boston, where Phil Mickelson will be defending his title. However, in an eerie coincidence considering their injuries, none of the three runners-up from 2007 will be in play this week - Tiger Woods, Arron Oberholser and Brett Wetterich. The 115 that will tee it up will be challenged to manage the course above everything else. Scoring isn't necessarily difficult but guys could get lapped by shooting par, which finished T-55 last year. From our perspective, it's a tough one to handicap because the set-up allows for all profiles to succeed and fail. The greens are large, which puts a premium on distance control. Hazards are abundant, which puts the emphasis on accuracy and, again, course management. Elite grinders should fare well as a whole.

The Elements

Beautiful summer weather will usher in the Deutsche Bank Championship, with sunny skies and light winds accompanying a temperature in the mid-70s. The second round will have attached to it a nominal increase on the thermometer as well as a slight risk of rain on Saturday afternoon/evening/overnight. Whatever blows through will only help to soften TPC Boston for Sunday's action, which should be played in ideal conditions. The temp will struggle to break 80 on Sunday and again on Monday, when the final round will likely end under a cloudless sky. Winds won't be a major factor in the final three rounds. This is the one event when the weather has zero impact on a Monday finish.

Course Scoring Averages - 2007

Round 1 - 70.635
Round 2 - 70.844
Round 3 - 69.973
Round 4 - 71.493

Past Champions in the Field

YEAR: Winner (Cuts Made/Starts) - 2007 finish . Other Top 10s

2007: Phil Mickelson (1/1) - 1st
2004: Vijay Singh (4/4) - T-60 . 2nd (2006); 4th (2003)
2003: Adam Scott (4/4) - T-17 . 2nd (2004)

In Defense

Phil Mickelson (4th in points). He won the only Deutsche Bank in which he's ever played and then took the commissioner to task on the FedExCup format. If one of Mickelson's requests was to eliminate Tiger Woods from the competition, his wish was granted, although Tim Finchem can't take credit for it.
Projected Finish: Top 5

Back-2-Back

Vijay Singh (1st). Before his T-60 at last year's Deutsche Bank, the big guy had three Top 5s in as many starts at TPC Boston. Lately, he's either on or off, exhibited by two wins and a solo 5th sandwiching three missed cuts in six tournaments. But if there's a guy that plays as much for the money as he does the trophies, he has nothing on Veej.
Projected Finish: Top 5

Champion

Anthony Kim (6th). I think this is the first time all year that my partner, Ned, has shown early interest in my pick to win. It only took 38 events but I'm peaking at the right time. I, cough, lucked into Carl Pettersson's victory at the Wyndham two weeks ago. And Sergio Garcia had The Barclays en sus manos, eventually settling for a P-2. Kim has all sorts of local relationships that will make him feel at home but it's his return to form that has made me take notice. After a two-week breather following the PGA Championship, Kim finished T-12 at The Barclays, illustrating his usual above-average consistency.

Top 5

Sergio Garcia (2nd). Last two starts - P2-T2. Now sits 2nd in FedExCup points.

Mike Weir (18th). Don't forget about this guy. Had a very good week with his irons at Ridgewood, finishing T-7. Also placed T-5 at the Canadian.

Top 10

Justin Leonard (5th). Found his touch again at The Barclays, finishing T-7. Going back to the second half of 2007, his commitment has resulted in two victories, buckets of cash and an automatic berth onto the Ryder Cup team. There's just one Cup that's missing.

Ben Curtis (8th). Last week, I told you that the next time he follows a Top 10 with another Top 10 will be the first time. Lo and behold, he chased his runner-up at Oakland Hills with a T-4 at The Barclays. He's had such a torrid summer that this projection might be conservative.

Padraig Harrington (23rd). Has that innate ability to make a missed cut instant ancient history. And ignore the fact that he missed the cut at last year's Deutsche Bank.

Paul Casey (38th). Ian Poulter has assumed Casey's position in taking the heat for skipping the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles this week, but Casey isn't guaranteed a spot on the Ryder Cup team either. (See "The 19th Hole" at the end.) For our purposes at the Deutsche Bank, you gotta stick with Casey's consistency right now. He's placed inside the Top 10 in three of his last five starts, including the PGA Championship.

Aaron Baddeley (73rd). After his MC at The Barclays, you're probably going to be hesitant to have what I'm having but consider that Badds has a solo 5th and a T-7 in the last two Deutsche Banks. He also posted a T-13 at the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills. And he hasn't missed consecutive cuts in over two years.

Top 25

Jim Furyk (10th). I'm surprised that Furyk hasn't performed better at TPC Boston. His T-13 in 2003 remains his personal best in three starts. But he's so close right now and the track suits his game that he easily makes my Top 25.

Rory Sabbatini (34th). All of a sudden, Sabbs has put three paydays together. None have been astounding but he's grinding back. Finished T-6 last year in only career appearance at TPC Boston.

Kevin Streelman (37th). The boy next door has forced his way into the mix, cashing in his last 11 starts, including a pair of Top 6s in his last two. You can't click anywhere without reading something on him right now. If he posts another Top 6 in this, his first Deutsche Bank, could it earn him a wild card pick on the Ryder Cup team? Gulp. We'll know on Tuesday.

Bill Haas (81st). Meanwhile, even if Haas claims his first PGA Tour trophy at TPC Boston, he won't be at Valhalla in September. So, no pressure. In two starts at the Deutsche Bank, Haas has a T-15 (2006) and a T-9 (2004). For someone that left college with as much promise, he's been lapped by others his age and younger, but you need to go with a guy that remains hungry for his first win and has proven results on a specific track. Solid end-of-roster filler here.

Angel Cabrera (93rd). His value increases as the fields shrink. In his only career appearance, he finished T-23 at last year's Deutsche Bank and comes in riding a pair of Top 20s. You could always substitute Mark Wilson, who has posted five straight Top 25s.

BONUS - Ian Poulter (89th). In his only career start, he missed the cut at last year's Deutsche Bank but needs to be aggressive and play with his greatest attribute this week - his heart. You can bet that he'll leave it all on the course.

26+

Stewart Cink (9th). Sigh. Two months ago, he'd be WAY up this list. Instead, since winning the Travelers, he's finished no better than T-38 (The Barclays) and has missed two of four cuts. Note that Cink missed the cut at last year's Deutsche Bank but the wind won't be howling this week like it was in the first two rounds last year.

K.J. Choi (11th). Has posted three Top 16s in his last four starts (MC - PGA) but has a spotty history at the Deutsche Bank, withdrawing with a sore back last year, missing the cut in 2005 and placing T-32 in 2003.

Robert Allenby (12th). If four Deutsche Banks, has never finished lower than T-19 (2003). Placed solo 8th last year and T-4 in 2006, and has had the most consistent year of his career in 2008. However, his finishes have grown consistently worse since a T-3 at the AT&T National, setting up a great week to bench him.

Billy Mayfair (29th). Has cashed in his last eight and 14 of his last 15 starts. Mayfair is one of 15 guys that have played in every Deutsche Bank Championship but he hasn't finished better than T-32 (and he's missed the cut in the last two). Therefore, give him the benefit of the doubt based on his recent play but stop short of making him a priority.

D.J. Trahan (42nd). He's 0-for-4 at the Deutsche Bank and comes off a MC at The Barclays but I'm hedging towards Trahan passing his final Ryder cup test. If he misses the cut again, he won't make the team. But I believe he needs to put up a Top 15 to help captain Paul Azinger take some of the spin off a wild card pick. As you see here, I don't see it happening.

Adam Scott (47th). After that 82 at The Barclays, I wonder if the Aussie's hand isn't bothering him more than he lets on. You should really take him off the board this week despite a wonderful history at the Deutsche Bank.

MC

Ernie Els (52nd). This is his first Deutsche Bank if you can believe it. The stars have to align for Els to feel comfy about giving it a go. With so much out of his control and new this week, especially after he missed the cut at The Barclays, I wouldn't touch him in any fantasy format. At the end of the day, the problem I have with that approach is that he has nothing else for which to play than the FedExCup. But we already know that golf is priority 1A behind his family, and right so, of course. But the start of school for his kids has always been a difficult time for The Big Easy to concentrate on his game.

Nick Watney (83rd). Has failed to cash in four starts at the Deutsche Bank. Has also missed three of his last five cuts and hasn't finished better than T-43 (Reno) during that stretch.

Patrick Sheehan (85th). I jumped on his bandwagon a few weeks ago but his history at the Deutsche Bank has bumped me off. He's made just one cuts in four starts at TPC Boston (T-47, 2003) but, in full disclosure, he's cashed in his last seven starts this season, capped by a pair of Top 25s in the last two. If there's a sleeper in the field that would normally get eliminated from your strategy based on past results, here he is.

Brett Quigley (90th). He's the only golfer to miss the cut in all five Deutsche Banks. And remember, it's not like his stress fracture has disappeared.

Matt Kuchar (107th). You know my philosophy - always weigh recent play over past results. Kuchar has cashed in his last three Deutsche Banks (DNP-2006) but has missed five straight cuts coming into this week. Don't even try to talk yourself into even a roster-filler start.

Ned Said, ".

YAHOO!
Group A
Phil Mickelson . Outside a missed cut at the AT&T Pebble Beach, Mickelson really hasn't had a bad tournament this year. He has won twice this season and is returning to a golf course where he won last year by two strokes over Tiger Woods in one of the most watched matches of the season. It's pretty hard not to use him this week.
Vijay Singh . He has been striking the ball well for the last month but everything right now seems to center around his putting. He putted reasonably well in victories at the WGC-Bridgestone and last week's Barclays. Meanwhile, poor putting resulted in missed cuts at the PGA and the Wyndham.
OTHERS TO CONSIDER:
Sergio Garcia . He is playing his best golf of the season right now. It looked like he had the victory last week when he dropped in a 25-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole but Singh was able to make his own 25-footer and then capitalize on Garcia's poor tee shot on the second playoff hole. Garcia played in his first Deutsche Bank last year, finishing in a tie for 17th place.
Steve Stricker . He had the second round lead by three strokes last week at The Barclays but a poor third round sank any chances of defending his title. He has played well in the last two times at the Deutsche Bank, with a T-7 in 2006 and a T-9 last year.
GOING DEEP:
Aaron Baddeley, Geoff Ogilvy, Jim Furyk, K.J. Choi, Padraig Harrington, Adam Scott, Rory Sabbatini, Carl Pettersson and Boo Weekley.

Group B
Robert Allenby . He has played well for most of the year but his last couple of outings have been disappointing, with a T-31 at the PGA and a T-38 at The Barclays. His recent record at the Deutsche Bank has been very good, with a T-4 in 2006 and an eighth place last year.
Mike Weir . He has been playing well recently and was in the hunt for The Barclays title last week until a couple of bogeys on the back nine dropped him down to a tie for seventh place. He played in his first Deutsche Bank last year, finishing in a tie for 30th place.
Camilo Villegas . He looked great at the PGA Championship where he tied for fourth place, so it was disappointing to a lot of fantasy managers that he missed the cut last week at The Barclays. He has a good record at the Deutsche Bank, with a 12th place in 2004 and a T-9 last year.
Anthony Kim . He hadn't played well in a couple of events prior to The Barclays but he played well last week, finishing in a tie for 15th place. He played in his first Deutsche Bank last year but he missed the cut.
OTHERS TO CONSIDER:
Paul Casey . Casey has been playing some great golf since the British Open. He had his third Top 8 finish in five starts when he tied for seventh place at The Barclays. This will be his first start in the Deutsche Bank Championship.
Nicholas Thompson . Last week, he opened with a round of 4-over-par 75 and I figured he would be lucky to make the cut. All he did was go 10-under-par for the next three rounds and finish in a tie for seventh place. He has played in the Deutsche Bank Championship once, finishing in a tie for 61st place in 2006.
Kevin Streelman . He is an interesting young player because he keeps on getting himself in a position to succeed. Right now, he is playing very well, with a T-6 at the Wyndham and a T-4 last week at The Barclays. Streelman hasn't played at the Deutsche Bank but he is on such a roll that he deserves consideration this week.
Sean O'Hair . He has cooled after playing well at the end of July. He has played three times in the Deutsche Bank. Last year, he had his best finish, a tie for 10th place.
GOING DEEP:
Stewart Cink, Justin Leonard, Briny Baird, Kevin Sutherland (based on last week), Charlie Wi, Retief Goosen, John Senden, Lucas Glover and John Mallinger.

Group C
[NOTE: It's a really tough week for Group C players. Either they are playing well now and have a poor history at TPC Boston, or they have a fair-to-good history at TPC Boston and are in a slump right now. Kenny Perry will be on my bench until the Tour Championship because he's had nine starts and might be the only Group C player to make it that far.]

Kenny Perry . He has cooled from the unreal pace of three championships in five starts but it wouldn't be surprising to see him start playing well again. Perry has an OK record at the Deutsche Bank, with made cuts in both of his starts at the event.
Ben Curtis . Curtis has played some great golf recently, with a T-7 at the British Open, a T-2 at the PGA Championship and a T-4 at The Barclays. His record at the Deutsche Bank isn't good, with three missed cuts in as many starts.
OTHERS TO CONSIDER:
Dudley Hart . Hart has played well at times this summer, including a tie for 12th place at The Barclays. Hopefully, that momentum continues because he has a record of two missed cuts and a withdrawal in his three starts at the Deutsche Bank Championship.
Tim Clark . Recently, he has played well in spots and has been making his cuts on the tour. He missed the cut at last year's Deutsche Bank but he has played well at TPC Boston in the past, including a tie for 11th place here in 2003.
GOING DEEP:
Fred Couples, Mathew Goggin, Steve Marino, John Rollins, Trevor Immelman and Andres Romero.

PGATour.com
Group 1: Phil Mickelson . Last year, he won here in his first try and beat Tiger Woods by two strokes for the championship.
Group 2: Vijay Singh . Hopefully, his putting problems are behind him because he has a good history at TPC Boston.
Group 3: Ben Curtis . It's a bit of a gamble given his past history at TPC Boston but he is playing very well right now.
Group 4: Geoff Ogilvy . He has a great history at the Deutsche Bank but Steve Stricker would also make a good choice because his history is almost as good.
Group 5: Mike Weir . Weir is playing well right now. That should carry over to this week.
Group 6: Nicholas Thompson . Last week he looked great at The Barclays, where he tied for seventh place.
Group 7: Aaron Baddeley . He missed the cut at last week's Barclays but has a good record at the Deutsche Bank in recent years.

ESPN.com
[NOTE: My team has gone up $2.40 and is now $2.30 over the $50 cap. So, to avoid the issue of the $50 cap, I'm not changing players this week.]

Phil Mickelson . A carryover player. He is the defending champion and is playing well right now.
Carl Pettersson . A carryover player. Pettersson won at the Wyndham two weeks ago and has had some success at TPC Boston.
Paul Casey . A carryover player. He is playing well right now and would make a good captain's pick for the European Ryder Cup team.
Andres Romero . A carryover player. Romero tends to play well at the big events.

RESHUFFLE - Q School/Nationwide Tour

The next reshuffle will occur following the Viking Classic (September 21). Until then, golfers will rank in order of their current "number." The "projected gain/loss" reflects how many spots each golfer stands to gain or lose in this pecking order

after the next reshuffle

. Full-season earnings determine the ranking.

From the fantasy perspective, this list provides non-weekly formats a projected value (i.e. ability to set schedule, more opportunities to play, likelihood to improve number) of golfers playing out of this category. Because of the preset format of the playoffs, the only event where the list below plays a role in determining a field until the next reshuffle is for next month's Viking Classic.

Current "number." Name, 2008 earnings (gain/loss since last reshuffle)

* - In the field at the Deutsche Bank Championship

CURRENT RANK

1. *Nicholas Thompson, $1,555,363 (-)
2. *John Merrick, $1,218,197 (-)
3. Tim Wilkinson, $757,964 (-2)
4. Brad Adamonis, $729,156 (-2)
5. *Michael Letzig, $851,385 (+1)
6. Matt Jones, $703,000 (-2)
7. Dustin Johnson, $621,605 (-3)
8. *Patrick Sheehan, $704,374 (+1)
9. *Kevin Streelman, $1,045,082 (+6)
10. James Driscoll, $570,630 (-2)
11. *Jason Day, $575,235 (-)
12. Jon Mills, $489,510 (-1)
13. *Frank Lickliter II, $474,740 (-1)
14. Roland Thatcher, $445,212 (-1)
15. Tag Ridings, $390,599 (-2)
16. Brett Rumford, $373,579 (-3)
17. Y.E. Yang, $384,956 (-1)
18. Carlos Franco, $316,340 (-2)
19. *Justin Bolli, $406,902 (+3)
20. Omar Uresti, $279,110 (-2)
21. *Martin Laird, $693,800 (+12)
22. Marc Turnesa, $263,252 (-1)
23. Brenden Pappas, $247,934 (-1)
24. Kenneth Ferrie, $222,398 (-1)
25. Jin Park, $227,102 (-1)
26. Scott Sterling, $300,832 (+5)
27. Jimmy Walker, $173,759 (-3)
28. Chad Collins, $161,117 (-3)
29. Kent Jones, $215,671 (+2)
30. John Riegger, $205,918 (+2)
31. Alejandro Canizares, $125,539 (-2)
32. Chris Stroud, $121,853 (-2)
33. Todd Demsey, $132,694 (+1)
34. Jim McGovern, $114,843 (-2)
35. Kyle Thompson, $109,930 (-2)
36. Paul Claxton, $93,323 (-2)
37. David Lutterus, $120,088 (+2)
38. Michael Bradley, $77,584 (-1)
39. Jason Allred, $71,953 (-1)
40. Bob Sowards, $189,637 (+11)
41. Tom Scherrer, $60,531 (-)
42. Brad Elder, $52,461 (-)
43. Jonathan Kaye, $41,375 (-1)
44. Travis Perkins, $36,583 (-1)
45. Cody Freeman, $46,342 (+2)
46. Ron Whittaker, $34,177 (-)
47. Tommy Gainey, $30,185 (-)
48. Duffy Waldorf, $7,350 (-)
49. Carl Paulson, $0 (-)

Medical Extensions

Name (PRIORITY RANKING) - has: # of events played/$ earned . remaining: # of events remaining under extension/$ remaining unearned

*- In the field at the Deutsche Bank Championship

*Ben Crane [MAJOR) - has met his requirement and will retain this status for the remainder of 2008
Jason Bohn (MAJOR) - has met his requirement and will retain this status for the remainder of 2008
*Brett Quigley (MAJOR) - has met his requirement and will retain this status for the remainder of 2008
*Dudley Hart (MAJOR) - has met his requirement and will retain this status for the remainder of 2008
Chris Perry (MAJOR) - has: 0/$0 . remaining: 18/$515,445
Joey Snyder III (MAJOR) - has: 0/$0 . remaining: 25/$647,466
Brandt Jobe (MAJOR) - has: 17/$254,114 . remaining: 6/$520,050
David Berganio, Jr. (MAJOR) - has: 1/$0 . remaining: 5/$346,345
Hank Kuehne (MAJOR) - has: 0/$0 . remaining: 18/$636,221
Shane Bertsch (MAJOR) - has: 23/$686,676 . remaining: 5/$58,744
Paul Azinger (MAJOR) - has: 8/$42,590 . remaining: 6/$568,521
Wes Short, Jr. (MAJOR) - has: 0/$0 . remaining: 15/$743,061
David Duval (MAJOR) - has: 15/$46,287 . remaining: 5/$666,948
Patrick Moore (NATIONWIDE/3 WINS) - has: 0/$0 . remaining: 12/$452,636
Jonathan Kaye (Q SCHOOL/NATIONWIDE) - has: 8/$41,375 . remaining: 13/$743,805
Michael Bradley (Q SCHOOL/NATIONWIDE) - has: 9/$77,584 . remaining: 5/$675,707
Carl Paulson (Q SCHOOL/NATIONWIDE) - has: 0/$0 . remaining: 15/$428,522
Kris Cox (NON-EXEMPT) - has: 7/$0 . remaining: 1/$748,451

Birthdays - August 27-September 2

8/27 . Doug Tewell (59); Don Pooley (57); Bernhard Langer (51); Michael Long (40); Richard Sterne (27)
8/28 . Lee Janzen (44); Joakim Haeggman (39)
8/29 . Carl Pettersson (31)
8/30 . none
8/31 . Isao Aoki (66); Padraig Harrington (37); Charl Schwartzel (24)
9/1 . Al Geiberger (71); Keith Clearwater (49)
9/2 . none

The 19th Hole

After the early runs that Hunter Mahan and Steve Stricker made at The Barclays, it seemed that they were going to lock up Ryder Cup bids. Both tailed off on the weekend, Mahan finishing T-31 and Stricker T-19. Instead, the Kevins - Sutherland (P-2) and Streelman (T-4) - were the top two among Americans not already on the team. Although neither has won, consistency is going to play a larger role in determining Paul Azinger's wild card selections. In other words, with another strong week, either guy will make Azinger's short list if they aren't already on it.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Nick Faldo will be on hand at this week's Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles. As it stands right now, Padraig Harrington, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson are locked in from the world points list while Miguel Angel Jimenez has the breathing room to take this week off. Just below MAJ sits Graeme McDowell, who will be at Gleneagles and will join Karlsson as a rookie at Valhalla. That's seven.

Of the next 10 guys vying for final three automatic bids, only Ian Poulter (currently 7th) and Paul Casey (11th) are playing somewhere other than at Gleneagles. Casey made it known a couple of weeks ago that he was going to play for a wild card spot in the U.S., a risky decision but he's putting together one strong finish after another, forcing Faldo to take a long look. On the other hand, it was just over five weeks ago that Poulter took home runner-up honors at the British Open, but he's been taking lumps from the media and his potential Ryder Cup teammates by electing to stay in the U.S. instead of make an attempt at a Top 5 finish at the Johnnie Walker, which would automatically qualify him for the team. The problem is not with Poulter's decision or even his inability to qualify sooner. The problem is the timing of all of this. This is the first Ryder Cup year during the FedExCup era. Poulter, who will reach his PGA Tour membership requirement of 15 starts this week but could always tee it up in the Fall Series, as inconceivable as that sounds, has been forced to make a decision based in a perfect storm of variables. If the Deutsche Bank finished on Sunday instead of Monday, he wouldn't be the target of as much flak as he's getting. (Aside . I wonder what would happen if Faldo actually refused to announce his picks and went into hiding until the Deutsche Bank is in the books. I wouldn't be surprised if he's thought of it. He asked for a one-day extension but it must have been denied.)

So . with one event to go, Justin Rose, Soren Hansen and Oliver Wilson currently occupy spot 3, 4 and 5, respectively in the automatic qualifying. Martin Kaymer is less than 17,500 points below Wilson and has the best chance of wedging his way onto the team but two of the aforementioned trio should make it without much drama. After Poulter, Ross Fisher (Wilson minus 92,330.23 points), Nick Dougherty (Wilson minus 178,019.37) and Soren Kjeldsen (Wilson minus 306,345.86) trail Kaymer. Immediately below Kjeldsen is Casey, then Darren Clarke, who would need a wild card to make the team. Ideally, Faldo would want Rose to qualify on his own, which is all but a certainty. Then, in terms of dynamic value, Kaymer comes next, but if the standings remain as they are, Kaymer is probably left on the outside looking in, where rookies are often parked. So that leaves a choice between Poulter, Casey, Clarke and, dare I say, Colin Montgomerie? No. Scratch that, Monty will not make the team. It's time to turn the page and Faldo is the perfect guy to do exactly that. After one day of whining from the Scot, we'll all move on.

Clarke's KLM victory is the wrench in the works, creating the "problem" for Faldo. He could team with just about anyone and his record speaks for itself. Therefore, barring an extraordinary series of events this week, I believe Clarke makes the squad, leaving Poulter and Casey to duke it out south of Boston. At this point, Casey probably has the edge but if Poulter makes the cut and Casey doesn't, it might even up. Still, I can't imagine that Faldo will change his mind on either guy no matter what happens in two or three rounds of the Deutsche Bank.

The one guy Faldo would love to see crank it up this week is his prot‚g‚, Dougherty. However, the younger Nick has already been quoted as thinking that Poulter was granted a dispensation (from Faldo) from Gleneagles and been promised a wild card pick. That's chippy talk considering what Faldo has done for the kid. For that reason, I don't believe Faldo would select Dougherty. (Plus, aside from a T-2 at the SAS Masters, Dougherty has not played well, with just that one Top 50 in his last nine starts. So, let's not forget about execution.)

Bottom line, unless someone like SAS champ, Peter Hanson, or Paul McGinley wins the Johnnie Walker, Faldo is likely to spend his wild cards on Clarke and Casey. You gotta hand it to the Euros though, there's never a shortage of angles and storylines.

None of this says anything about the chatter that once occupied our time for Daniel Chopra, Carl Pettersson or even Richard S. Johnson, all PGA Tour winners this year. And I'll pretend that I never read that article that included Martin Laird's chances, albeit quite remote, about making the team.

"Starter" ANSWER: Diminutive Swede, Richard S. Johnson, is the lone playoffs survivor of the Johnson Four. Zach and Dustin were eliminated after missing the cut at The Barclays. And Welshman namesake, Richard (no "S."), failed to qualify for the playoffs after finishing 203rd in FedExCup points. Richard S. claimed the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee last month, the first victory since Zach's AT&T Classic triumph on May 20, 2007. Richard S. also began 2008 ranked 36th in the Q School/Nationwide Tour reshuffle, two spots below Dustin. Zach has a tour card through 2012 (for winning the 2007 Masters) and Richard (no "S") sits in his own category above the reshuffle as the leading money winner on the 2007 Nationwide Tour. The lone surviving Johnson is currently 95th in FedExCup points and needs to have another good week to advance to the BMW Championship.

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