We are now embarking on round two of the FedEx Cup and this week’s version of the playoffs will start with only 120 golfers.  Last week at The Barclays, Steve Stricker won in impressive fashion and that victory vaulted him into the number one position in the FedEx Cup standings.

24 players less, the tour now stops at TPC Boston for the Deutsche Bank Championship.  The TPC Boston is a par 71 and tips out at 7415 yards, a rather daunting task for this weeks participants, especially the ones that are sitting in the 71-120 positions in the standings.  Only 70 players will move past this week and onto the third round of the playoffs.  Be prepared for the drama to continue to unfold as we continue on this new path of the unknown, the 2007 FedEx Cup. What is going to happen?  Who is going to make it to Chicago? Atlanta and the Tour Championship?  Only time will tell, but I can assure you that it is getting more interesting and more stories will continue to develop as the weeks unfold.

Defending champion Tiger Woods, fresh off of a week respite will look to not only defend his crown at the Deutsche Bank Classic, but regain his top position on the leader board of the playoffs.  Steve Stricker who has overtaken the number one position in the standings knows full well what is ahead of him, "I’m in a great position now but there’s still a long way to go and we all know who is coming back this week," he told reporters smiling as he referred to Woods.  Coming off of an impressive win at the Barclays Stricker seems to have things in check, "You need to prepare yourself and you need to get ready and you need to play as best as you can, and let the points fall where they may, I guess."  That will be an understatement as the return of Woods adds a little more spice to an already interesting and the highly debated “playoffs”.

There have also been a couple of notable withdrawals this week at the Deutsche Bank Classic.  Ernie Els, and Scott Verplank both have withdrawn from the event sighting family reasons and fatigue.  I have been on the road now for almost eight weeks and it is important that I return home where my children will be preparing for their return to school,” Els said. “I regret having to miss such a prestigious and important tournament and I wish everybody there an enjoyable and successful week.” Ernie will be sorely missed but will return in Chicago because his point total will automatically grant him passage into next week’s event. Verplank put a slighty different spin on it than Els, speaking to reporters in August at the PGA Verplank said, "I know me better than anyone else, and I can tell now you my body is not going to hold up for four weeks in a row.” “I’m probably stupid, but I’d rather win the Tour Championship than the FedEx Cup,” wanting to make sure he is fresh enough to do so it is no wonder that he opted to drop out at Boston gearing up for the final stops in Chicago and Atlanta.  Verplank like Els has the luxury of having enough points to skip the event and not worry about making it past the next round, even possibly into the Tour Championship.

 Players to watch this week should include Reteif Goosen, K.J. Choi, Vijay Singh, Rich Beem , and Rory Sabbatini, all for different reasons.  Goosen and Beem are the two that are looking in from the outside.  Goosen is in 86^th position and Beem is in 113th, moving 23 places last week to gain entrance into the event this week.  He will need yet another amazing week to be able to continue, Goosen on the other hand needs to only move up 16 places to advance, then needs to figure a way to move up 40 more spots to get to the Tour Championship, a hefty task to say the least.  K.J. Choi has been one of the most consistent performers this year on tour, and finds himself in second place in the standings, just 2,050 points behind Stricker.  Vijay Singh, who has missed two consecutive cuts, looks to regain his form and put himself in position to win the FedEx Cup.  Singh owns the course record of 61 at TPC Boston and is also a winner at the course.  Sabbatini who has been a critic of Tiger and his ability to be had this year, on several occasions, is now ahead of Woods in the standings and has a chance to back up what he stated earlier in the year.  Although he has had some chances to beat Woods, he has failed to do so yet, and this is yet another chance for him to try and do what he said was possible earlier in the year.

Stay tuned, the playoffs are heating up and who knows what is going to happen, and that is part of the excitement.

Television Times 

Thursday         8/31     3-6 EST             Golf Channel

Friday              9/1       3-6 EST                 Golf Channel

Saturday          9/2       3-6 EST             NBC

Sunday            9/3       3-6 EST             NBC

Official Website 

http://www.deutschebankchampionship.com/