Deutsche Bank field is set

Players applaud revamped FedEx

Kevin Streelman couldn't maintain his lead at The Barclays, but he did move up 65 spots in the FedEx Cup standings. (Hunter Martin/Getty Images)

NORTON - Granted, it was akin to declaring Pat Paulsen winner of a presidential primary for gathering two of the first three votes out of Dixville Notch, but for a short while this weekend Kevin Streelman was projected as your 2008 FedEx Cup champion.

OK, so that picture changed dramatically thanks to yesterday's fourth-round proceedings at The Barclays at Ridgewood CC in Paramus, N.J., but the fact that Streelman - winless in a PGA Tour career that stretches across but 29 tournaments and 102d in the FedEx Cup standings - was even penciled in as the clubhouse leader in this race for a $10 million prize demonstrates that there is a different landscape to this year's playoffs. When players voiced concern in last year's debut of the FedEx Cup that there wasn't enough movement in the standings once the playoffs began, officials listened.

Their response was to revamp the distribution of points and it shined through loud and clear when the unheralded Streelman pushed to 8 under par and into a one-stroke lead through 54 holes of the Barclays, the first playoff event. Had he held on and won the $7 million tournament, the 29-year-old rookie would have moved up 101 spots to first. Instead, Streelman bogeyed his first hole, shot 72, and finished at 277, tied for fourth.

While on the one hand Streelman earned $289,333 and not the $1.26 million top prize, he did jump 65 spots to move into 37th place and easily earn a ticket to this week's Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston. Whereas 144 golfers made it into the playoffs and The Barclays, just the top 120 have advanced to the DBC. A look at the 120 qualified names is yet another indicator that PGA Tour officials did their job, because while only two players at last year's Barclays came from outside the top 120 to win DBC spots, 15 did so this time around.

Perhaps the most stunning move was made by another PGA Tour rookie, Martin Laird, a 25-year-old Scotsman. He added another chapter to his late-season charge by closing with a 67 to finish at 6 under and tied for seventh. That enabled him to vault from 128th to 67th, not bad when you consider that he was ranked as low as 164th headed into the final regular-season event, the Wyndham Championship.

"They caught some flak last year because no one felt you could move up," said Brett Quigley. "But it looks like they accomplished what they wanted this time. I think it's good."

Quigley entered The Barclays 118th in the standings, but thanks to making the cut and finishing in a tie for 38th, he was able to bull his way forward so that now he's 90th. No, he's not threatening to win the $10 million top prize, but Quigley is at least in the DBC, a hometown event for the Rhode Islander, and he'll tee it up knowing a strong effort can get him into the top 70 and the next playoff, the BMW Championship in St. Louis.

He also knows he dodged the fate that befell two other local interests, James Driscoll of Brookline and Brad Adamonis of Rhode Island. Lodged in 123d place entering The Barclays, Driscoll shot 74-73 and fell to 137th. Adamonis started the week 93d, but finished it 121st. Both players will miss the DBC.

"That's tough," said Quigley, "but it shows you that it's a bit more volatile this year."

For proof, go beyond Streelman and Laird and look at Matthew Goggin, who closed 67 -277 to finish tied for fourth at The Barclays and move from 76th to 26th in the FedEx Cup. Englishman Paul Casey went from 90th to 38th, Scott Verplank 100th to 53d, and Kevin Sutherland perhaps could console himself after losing that three-way playoff to Vijay Singh with the knowledge that he had raced from 57th to third in the standings.

Englishman Justin Rose has chosen the Ryder Cup over the FedEx Cup. Though he's played well in the past at the DBC, Rose said he would play instead this week at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in Scotland in hopes of nailing down a Ryder Cup spot.

He skipped The Barclays, too, hoping to nail down a spot in the Netherlands, but he finished well down the list and now must go to Scotland, thus bidding farewell to any hope at the $10 million prize.

"It's only money. You can't take it with you," said Rose, who started the playoffs 78th but fell to 103d.