Golf Power Rankings
VIDEO PLAYLIST 
Unless he shocks the golf world and decides to tee it up in a Fall Finish event for the first time, Tiger Woods' 2009 PGA Tour campaign has officially come to a close.
If we are to believe him, the season has been a success. Woods won six times in 17 starts and although he finished 0-for-4 at the majors -- his usual personal benchmark for achievement -- there were extenuating circumstances, considering the guy could barely walk, let along swing a golf club, exactly 12 months ago.
"To play as consistently as I have, I think it's nine top-twos this year, I certainly wouldn't have expected that going into my first event, the Match Play, to end up where I'm at right now," Woods said Sunday after clinching the FedEx Cup for the second time in as many appearances. "I'm very proud of that."
Sure, he'll be remembered -- and questioned -- for failing to convert title contentions at the PGA Championship, The Barclays and the Tour Championship into victories during the past two months, but to criticize is to miss the story about how dominant he's truly been throughout his career. After all, how many other players would be accused of failure with those three runner-up results? Tiger has quite obviously set the bar for expectations higher than it's been for any other player of this generation or previous ones.
In a Weekly 18 written prior to the festivities at East Lake Golf Club (No. 2 here), I wrote that this season, with special consideration to last year's knee surgery, ranks seventh on his list of 13 full years on the PGA Tour. One thing is certain: His 2009 was better than that of anyone else. And the surefire Player of the Year has been the hottest player as of late, too, finishing 2-11-1-2 in the four playoff events.
Such a record nets him the No. 1 spot on the latest edition of the Power Rankings, which measure the torridity of all PGA Tour players in recent weeks.
-- Jason Sobel
| 2009 Power Rankings: September | |||||
| RK | PLAYER | COMMENT | |||
 | 1 | Our points system is much less complicated than that of the FedEx Cup -- OK, that's because we have no points system -- but we've produced the same player atop the standings. | |||
 | 2 | With two Comeback Player of the Year awards in the past three seasons, he could be eligible for an unprecedented third such title after raising his win total from one to three. Just don't ask him; he says he doesn't want it. | |||
 | 3 | How's this for a turnabout: After undergoing a major swing overhaul, he failed to net a top-10 in his first 14 PGA Tour starts of the season ... then finished inside that number in each of his last six. | |||
 | 4 | Toughest man to rank on this list. Lefty hadn't seriously contended since a runner-up finish at the U.S. Open in June, then seemingly came out of nowhere to post four progressively better rounds, culminating with a sizzling 65 to win at East Lake. | |||
 | 5 | If you're scoring at home, he's now played 53 consecutive tournaments without a win, dating back to the 2007 Canadian Open. Still, with 10 top-10s in 22 starts, he may have owned the best '09 campaign among non-winners. | |||
 | 6 | Prior to the Deutsche Bank Championship, he had posted just 20 birdies in his past 12 rounds. In the dozen since, he made 55 plus an eagle. He's one of this year's poster children for getting hot when it matters in the playoffs. | |||
 | 7 | He was consistently knocking on the door down the stretch -- and that should be a good sign for a player who hasn't done anything consistently since knee surgery in 2005. | |||
 | 8 | Sure, he won twice, but from a bogey-bogey regulation finish that led to a playoff loss in the Masters to a final-round 74 after holding the 54-hole lead at the Tour Championship, it will be remembered as a season of missed opportunities for the 49-year-old. | |||
 | 9 | Consistency, thy name is Johnson. In his final eight U.S.-based appearances of the season, the two-time 2009 champion finished 28th or better every single time. | |||
 | 10 | He may have been a surprise champion at Bethpage, but with five top-20 results in 11 starts since, the Clemson University product began to prove he was no fluke. | |||
 | 11 | He led at the British Open ... then shot 76-75. He led at The Barclays ... then shot 77. Marino will win one soon, but based on his track record as a closer, don't be surprised if it's a come-from-behind victory. | |||
 | 12 | Quick: Name the only player not currently in the top three of the Official World Golf Ranking to win a FedEx Cup playoff event this year. Sorry, too easy. After all, you already read Slocum's name here. | |||
 | 13 | If Adam Scott continues his year-long foibles at the Presidents Cup, it will be Senden who is most justified in continually hurling objects at his television set as the biggest snub from the International roster. | |||
 | 14 | He proved his worth as one of the PGA Tour's better ball-strikers in the past month. Next stop? The winner's circle. Expect him to claim his first PGA Tour victory early in the 2010 season. | |||
 | 15 | The key for Kelly? Play every single round with buddy and fellow Wisconsin native Steve Stricker. They were paired in the third round of the Deutsche Bank Championship and second round of the Tour Championship. Kelly shot 67 each time. | |||
 | 16 | In a year during which he turned 40, Goosen has reestablished himself as one of the game's elite players. His 12 consecutive made cuts rank fourth on the PGA Tour. | |||
 | 17 | One year ago, he was in the midst of losing his PGA Tour playing privileges en route to another trip to Q-school. Now he's a major champion who won't have such worries for at least another half-decade. | |||
 | 18 | Played his best golf of the season at TPC Boston, with four rounds in the 60s en route to a runner-up finish. In eight rounds thereafter, however, he never broke 70. | |||
 | 19 | Let's face it: One month ago, you had never even heard of this guy. With a few strong results down the stretch, though, he's now the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year in the most underachieving freshman class in recent memory. | |||
 | 20 | The only player on this list who didn't reach the Tour Championship, Sneds was playing great until a 4-putt from 13 feet cost him a trip to East Lake, the first three majors of next year and a boatload of cash. | |||
INSIDE GOLF
Phil Mickelson birdied three of his final five holes Saturday to take a 2-shot lead over Tiger Woods and Nick Watney at the HSBC Champions.
Traditionally, golf fans at events are seen, not heard. That's not the case at the HSBC Champions in China.
Despite the attention Tiger garnered at the HSBC Champions, his star isn't nearly as bright in China as one might expect.
The first time Tiger ventured to China, he met little Cindy Feng. She recalls how that meeting sparked an interest in golf for her and a nation.
In a twisted way, Doug Barron's positive test for a performance-enhancing substance should be embraced.