Cink Gets Right To The Point

Stewart Cink, ranked 26th in the FedEx Cup playoffs: “When they say you have a mathematical chance, it means you have no chance.”

He’s referring to the points system in the FedEx Cup that puts the top five in the driver’s seat. If any of those guys win the tournament, they take home the $10 million check.

But those outside the top five all have a mathematical chance. As I noted in an earlier post, last place John Senden can win if he finishes first, Tiger finishes last and Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, Heath Slocum and Padraig Harrington finish worse than sixth.

A New York Times article also has computed a scenario—not unlikely—in which Jim Furyk can win even without finishing first this weekend:

All that would have to happen would be for someone from outside the top eight seeds to win the event — a list that includes but is not limited to Kenny Perry (No. 9), Dustin Johnson (No. 11), Phil Mickelson (No. 14), Ángel Cabrera (No. 24) — and for Furyk to finish second and for Woods to finish fourth or lower.

The permutations are endless, and pointless. Tiger will lap the field and take it all home.