After a year of mostly bad press, the FedEx Cup needs baked, lumpy greens at the venue for its season-ending Tour Championship like Atlanta, and East Lake GC in particular, needs another stifling, sunny, rainless day.

Word arrived that East Lake’s bentgrass putting surfaces had succumbed to the relentless and unforgiving Georgia summer last Sunday as Tiger Woods strode imperiously to his fourth win at Cog Hill in Chicago, and 60th overall, following a masterful final round 63. With temperatures in the high 90s and 100s and no rain at all for several weeks, the grass in Atlanta had, apparently, all but thrown in the towel.

As it happens, though, the greens aren’t nearly as bad as was first feared. Yes, some look worse than what you might find at a $20 municipal course. Thanks to two waterings a day and regular applications of green liquid fertilizer, the greens will measure only 8.5–9.5 on the stimpmeter — significantly slower than what the members and (of course) the pros are used to. But they probably won’t look as ugly or putt quite as badly as the diseased surfaces at the TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas did in Texas during the EDS Byron Nelson Championship in April.

Mark Calcavecchia suggested the tour had employed a little reverse psychology, making out like the greens would be virtually unputtable so as to give the players a pleasant surprise when they discover that the greens are, in fact, quite acceptable. Clever ploy or not, commissioner

can’t have been pleased that the finale to this first Cup season has thus far been overshadowed by the condition of the course, rather than the situation at the top of the table (not surprisingly, the bentgrass will be replaced with Bermuda for next year).

With 10,300 points going to the man who heads the crack 30-player field this week, there are still five players with a mathematical, if unrealistic, chance of becoming the first FedEx champion — or six if Woods is unable to finish all four rounds. Only Woods and secondplaced Steve Stricker can guarantee the cup — and $10 million annuity — by winning this week. Mickelson, Rory Sabbatini, and K. J. Choi not only need to win, but also hope that both Woods and Stricker have a nightmare on the greens. Mickelson will win the cup if he wins the Tour Championship and Woods finishes third or worse. If Mickelson finishes second, Stricker could still pass him with a tie for second, while Woods would still wind up ahead of Mickelson by finishing fifth or better. A third-place seat is no good to Mickelson, as the 3,900 points he’d win wouldn’t be enough to catch Woods regardless of where the world’s number one finished.

Sabbatini and Choi, 9,145 and 9,633 points behind Woods respectively, must win and pray to the gods that Woods, Stricker, and Mickelson all suddenly come down with a case of the shanks. Aaron Baddeley, who played very well in Chicago last week, could also be a factor — but only if he wins for a second time this season, Mickelson finishes in a three-way tie for second or worse, Stricker finishes in a tie for third or worse, and Woods falls down and breaks his ankle and is forced to withdraw.

The likeliest scenario, though, is a 61st “W” for Woods, and a sizeable gap between him and whoever finishes second in the FedEx Cup — a result that Finchem is, no doubt, keeping his fingers well and truly crossed for. Having the best player in the world win the playoffs would boost the competition’s credibility, as Woods has clearly been the best player in the game this year with six wins, including the PGA Championship. Awarding the FedEx Cup to anyone else would surely highlight the point system’s numerous shortcomings.

And should Woods be crowned the first FedEx champ, all the absences, issues, controversies, and teacup-based storms of the last three weeks — and, indeed, the whole season — won’t be forgotten, exactly. But they will, perhaps, be seen as just a few early growing pains, nothing that a couple of years’ natural development couldn’t put right. Finchem and his FedEx advisors could retire to tour headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., without quite so much criticism ringing in their ears.

The conclusions, recriminations — and, yes, even commendations — for the FedEx Cup will all come in the weeks ahead. For now, though, all eyes are on East Lake, where Woods has two runner-up finishes from four appearances, but no wins.

He missed the event last year, having played seven weeks out of nine, including the Ryder Cup in Ireland. This year, with three wins and a second from his last four events, and coming off that record breaking 22 under par in Chicago, he is looking utterly unbeatable.

Who can possibly stop him?

tonydear71@comcast. net