Woods in good position for FedExCup playoff push

NORTON, Massachusetts, (Reuters) – Tiger Woods,  boosted by a strong display at the Barclays tournament, has a  good chance to qualify for the rest of the FedExCup playoff  series at the Deutsche Bank Championship starting tomorrow.

The American world number one, who announced his  long-expected divorce from his Swedish wife Elin nine days ago,  has yet to win this season but felt he was close to his best at  Ridgewood Country Club last week.

“If I would have putted a little bit better in the middle  two rounds, then I would have been right there,” Woods told  reporters after signing off with a four-under-par 67.

“I’m very pleased. I drove it pretty much on a string all  week, and really controlled my irons. I certainly haven’t won  all year but this was a week that I was very close at.”

Woods climbed from 112th in the FedExCup points list to  65th and must remain in the top 70 to qualify for the third  event, next week’s BMW Championship at Cog Hill outside  Chicago.

The leading 30 then advance to the Tour Championship finale  in Atlanta from Sept. 23-26.

Woods needs to finish between 52nd and 57th at the TPC  Boston this week to book his place in the next round of a  series that pays the final points winner a $10 million bonus.

“I’m looking forward to it,” the 14-times major winner  said. “The next three events, the next three venues, I’ve won  on.”

The way this year’s FedExCup series is structured, players  can make up a great deal of ground in just one event.

Britain’s Martin Laird rocketed from 95th to third in the  standings with a runner-up finish at Ridgewood while American  Kevin Streelman climbed 84 spots to 18th after tying for third.

Some players on the PGA Tour feel such advances are too  severe for someone who has not won a tournament the previous  week but Streelman is simply taking full advantage.

“My goals have changed a little bit after last week,” he  said yesterday. “My big goal early in the year was to get to  the BMW, being that I’m from Chicago and grew up going to take  lessons at Cog Hill each weekend.

“So I know that course very, very well, and I’m going to  have a great gallery out there. I want to make sure I continue  to play well, stay in the top 30 and get to Atlanta.”