"Guys who haven't won a tournament all year could win the FedExCup. It is quite interesting how it could work out that way."

Tiger Woods Wednesday at Liberty National:

Q. Do you think it's fair if you could win the next three weeks and not win the FedExCup with eight wins this year?

TIGER WOODS: It could happen.

Q. It could very well happen?

TIGER WOODS: It could very well happen, no doubt. Guys who haven't won a tournament all year could win the FedExCup.

It is quite interesting how it could work out that way.

Q. Should it be a season-long marathon, or the four-week sweepstakes that it has become? It's like it's trying to serve two masters and not really successfully doing either one.

TIGER WOODS: It used to be season-long, but also season-long for Player of the Year, Money List title, I guess it was the Arnold Palmer Award, and that's what you're playing for all year is the money title. You win the money title here, you could lose the FedExCup. So it is different, there's no doubt. But then again, this is what we're playing for. This is our opportunity to play well. You play well at the right time, you should be all right.

Steve Elling explained the latest wacky FedEx Cup points possibility:

Woods has won five times already this year, three more than anybody else. He could win this week, then follow suit in Boston and Chicago, but if somebody from the top five in points beats him in Atlanta by a shot, he can't win the title.

Worse, Woods conceivably could have eight wins to his credit and lose the FedEx Cup crown to a player well down the points list who didn't win a single tournament all season, like David Toms (No. 12) or Hunter Mahan (No. 14). Thanks to the reshuffle before the finale, Woods loses much of his edge.

Bob Harig tried to find the positive in this:

Another stipulation already is causing some concern. Anyone in the top five heading to Atlanta who wins the Tour Championship is assured of winning the FedEx Cup. So if Woods wins this week and next but doesn't win in Atlanta, he still could be denied the top prize.

That, however, seems like a fair trade to create some much-needed drama in the last event.
And just like in those other playoffs, the regular-season champion does not always prevail at the end.