Week 36 Power Rankings: BMW Championship

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EDITOR'S NOTE: Mike Vitti is a stats guru who analyzes all kinds of data from our ShotLink numbers. Vitti will size up the field each week and provide his top 10 players going into the tournament, based on factors such as the player's strengths, the course setup, recent performances, etc. MORE RANKINGS: PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup

LISTEN: Brian Wacker discusses this week's rankings on the PGA TOUR Network. Click to listen

With the renovation to Cog Hill Golf and Country Club, it is not certain that the course will play the same as it has over the years.

Also, this is only the second time the pros will be playing it in September, so the past stats may not be very relevant to future performance.

What is relevant is the points race for the FedExCup. There has been a lot of movement, and last year's champion, Vijay Singh, has been eliminated.

With only one event left before the finale, many of the spots in Atlanta are already filled, but players need to get to the top of the standings to have a real shot at winning it all at THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola.

Power Rankings: BMW Championship

Rank Player   Comment Steve STRICKER With his third win and 10th top-10 of the season, Stricker is once again rising to the top of the standings. He ranks first in putts per greens in regulation and scrambling, third in proximity to the hole on approach and second in scoring average. Tiger WOODS Woods' run of first- or second-place finishes ended with his tie for 11th at the Deutsche Bank Championship. He has finished first four times in the Chicago area and in the top 10 eight times in 12 starts, so look for him to start a new streak this week. Padraig HARRINGTON After not recording a top-10 finish in his first 14 starts of the season, Harrington has found his game and has posted top-10s in each of his last four starts. In the first eight rounds of the Playoffs, he has recorded five rounds of 67 and one round of 68. Scott VERPLANK Verplank is only one of three players to finish in the top 10 in each of the first two Playoff events, and five of Verplank's six top-10s in '09 have come in his last eight starts. He's fifth in driving accuracy and seventh in putts per green in regulation. Angel CABRERA Despite winning a major in two of the last three years, Cabrera's still looking for his first trip to Atlanta. His opening- and closing-round 65s at TPC Boston moved him to 22nd in points, but he'll need a good finish at Cog Hill to move on to the finale. Jim FURYK Furyk posted another top-10 in a Playoff last week, and he should be in Atlanta for the third straight season. He really needs to win the BMW to have a chance at the FedExCup, though. He has a good record at Cog Hill: One win, eight top-10s. Retief GOOSEN Goosen is making his first career start at the BMW Championship, and although he is most likely headed to Atlanta, he really needs a win to get himself into serious contention. He is ninth in total putting and second in putting inside of 10 feet. Camilo VILLEGAS A September stalwart the last two years, Villegas now has an injury to his wrist that may be bothering him more than he admits. The defending champ will need a top-three this week to have a chance of reaching Atlanta for the third year in a row. Sean O'HAIR After posting six top-10s in his first six '09 starts, it took O'Hair another 11 to get his seventh last week in Boston. His Regular Season performance earned him a trip to Atlanta, but he'll likely need a top-five to get in contention for the FedExCup. Y.E. YANG Yang's run of top-25 finishes came to an end at a bad time in Boston, as he fell from sixth in the FedExCup standings to 15th. He will still make it to Atlanta but will need a strong finish to get back into contention for the FedExCup.