Q: What do the numbers in parentheses mean after the golfers' names following their finish in a tournament? What does FedExCup standings mean, and how are world rankings determined?
—Jeanne Holford, Roswell
A: The number in parenthesis after the final round of a PGA Tour event shows how many FedEx Cup points each golfer accumulated for that tournament. For example, Matt Kuchar won last weekend's The Players Championship, so he earned 600 points, which go toward the FedEx Cup standings. Golfers try to earn as many points as possible so they can qualify for the PGA Tour playoff, which consists of four events and culminates with the Tour Championship at Atlanta's East Lake Golf Club. Most tournament victories are worth 500 points for the winner, but the Masters, The Players Championship, the U.S. Open, the British Open and the PGA Championship award 600 FedEx Cup points. Victories in the four playoff tournaments are worth 2,500 points each, with other golfers earning varying points according to their finish. Bill Haas won $10 million for winning the FedEx Cup championship in 2011. The World Golf Ranking is based on results from the six leading pro tours – PGA Tour, European Tour, Japan Golf Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia, the Sunshine Tour and the Asian Tour. The world ranking results from the golfers' finish in events and generally accounts for the strength of the field, according to www.OfficialWorldGolfRanking.com. It is updated every Monday, after the completion of tournaments around the world.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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