Tiger Woods a favorite as FedEx Cup playoffs begin

All the disappointment that Tiger Woods has suffered at recent major championships cannot change the fact that he has dominated on the PGA Tour this season with five victories and seven top 10 finishes in a dozen starts.

That places him squarely among the favorites to win the FedEx Cup with the playoffs beginning Thursday with The Barclays at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J.

The oddsmakers currently rank him ahead of Phil Mickelson, Matt Kuchar and defending champion Brandt Snedeker.

“Obviously he’s separating himself as No. 1 in the world right now again,� fellow golfer Jordan Spieth said. “Just like he was when I was growing up.�

Former champ Bill Haas also figures to be in the running with a slew of top 10 finishes this year.

For those who have forgotten how the FedEx Cup works, players earn points throughout the season. Woods currently stands in first place by 766 points, a relatively wide margin over the rest of the pack.

Now come four playoff tournaments, with the field narrowed each time. The top 125 in the standings qualify for The Barclays, the top 100 for the Deutsche Bank Championship and the top 70 for the BMW Championship.

Only 30 make it to the final event, the Tour Championship. The leading players still hold a points advantage, but the numbers are reset so that even the 30th golfer has a chance at the cup.

Woods is seeking to win his third title since the playoffs were created in 2007.

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