Number crunching: Fancy a spot of number crunching? It might not take Einstein to work out that the winner of the FedEx Cup series after this week's Tour Championship will bag a hefty bonus of €6.8 million on top of whatever they pick-up in prize money from the €5.1 million season-ending event in Atlanta.

However, the permutations for the select, 30-man field are less straightforward, but suffice to say that, mathematically, Pádraig Harrington can still scoop the wallet-busting top prize.

The Dubliner is sixth in the standings with 1,400 points after the points “reset” at the conclusion of the BMW Championship. Tiger Woods moved back to the top of the standings with his imperious win there – the penultimate event in the four-tournament series – and tops the pile with 2,500 points.

Steve Stricker is second (2,250), Jim Furyk third (2,000), Zach Johnson fourth (1,800) and Heath Slocum fifth (1,600). As the promotional strap-line says, “destiny for the top five is in their own hands”, because if they win the Tour Championship come Sunday and secure the 2,500 points on offer for first then they win the FedEx Cup – regardless of how the other top-four finish.

Harrington’s case is more precarious, and realistically he needs to win and secure 3,900 points (the maximum he can obtain). If he does, the only man who can stop him is Woods by finishing second for a total of 4,000.

Say Harrington finished second (1,400 + 1,500 = 2,900); that would mean Woods would have to finish only eighth to overhaul him (2,500 + 425 = 2,925), and that’s not taking into account what the four other players ahead of him do.

Clear as mud, eh.

Controlling your destiny

Players placed first to fifth cannot be passed if they win this week.

Placed 6th: can be passed by 1st seed.

7th: 1st, 2nd seeds

8th: 1st, 2nd seeds (3rd seed can tie)

9th: 1st, 2nd, 3rd seeds (4th seed can tie)

10th-14th: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th seeds (5th seed can tie)

15th-30th: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th seeds (6th seed can tie)