Tiger Woods will defend his FedExCup title

By PGATOUR.COM staff
Tiger Woods has committed to defending his FedExCup title this year, announcing his intention today to play in The Barclays next week at Ridgewood Country Club.
The Barclays is the first of four events in the US PGA Tour Play-offs for the FedExCup.
Woods is currently ranked 108th in FedExCup points and is expected to remain inside the top 125 players who will qualify for the Play-offs. Since he is not in this week's field at the Wyndham Championship, a remote chance exists that he could fall to 132nd, but the probability of that happening is almost nil.
The top 100 players following The Barclays will advance to the next event in the Play-offs, the Deutsche Bank Championship. With his position outside the top 100, Woods will be in the unfamiliar situation of having to finish approximately 50th or better at The Barclays to move on.
"We are thrilled to have Tiger Woods, the defending FedExCup Champion, join the field in what should be one of the most exciting events in The Barclays history," said Executive Director Peter Mele. "The field this year will be full of great stories. From the success of international players on Tour this year, to the success of young players like Hunter Mahan, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Anthony Kim, to Ernie Els' efforts to remain at the top of the FedExCup standings, golf fans will enjoy the best the US PGA Tour has to offer."
This year will mark the first time Woods has competed in The Barclays at Ridgewood Country Club after he was forced to miss the 2008 event while recovering from knee surgery. He finished tied for second last year at Liberty National, one stroke behind Heath Slocum.
The US PGA Tour Play-offs for the FedExCup culminate with the FedExCup Champion crowned at THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, Sept. 23-26.
Last year, after qualifying for The Barclays at No. 124 on the FedExCup points list, Slocum held off four of the world's best in Woods, Steve Stricker, Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington to win by a shot at Liberty National. The victory propelled Slocum all the way to No. 3 in the FedExCup standings and he entered THE TOUR Championship with one of the coveted top-five spots, meaning a victory in Atlanta would have guaranteed him the FedExCup.
Vijay Singh, who won The Barclays the last time it was contested at Ridgewood in 2008, will also feel somewhat like the defending champion. Singh outlasted Sergio Garcia and Kevin Sutherland in a dramatic play-off and went on to claim the FedExCup. Singh has also assured himself of a return trip to Ridgewood at No. 61 in the FedExCup Standings.
Ernie Els remains atop the FedExCup points list followed by Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose. The top five players in the standings entering THE TOUR Championship are guaranteed to win the FedExCup if they are victorious in Atlanta.