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Tiger Woods is behind 64-year-old Tom Watson in FedEx Cup standings

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

For Tiger Woods’ sake, he better hope Tom Watson doesn’t check the 2014 FedEx Cup standings before Watson makes his captain’s selections for the upcoming Ryder Cup.

As noted by Geoff Shackelford, the 64-year-old golfing legend actually leads Tiger Woods in FedEx Cup points, which measures a player’s performance in 2014 tournaments. And this isn’t some quirk of frequency either, where Watson is in front because he’s played a ton of tournaments while the injured Woods has played in very few. Woods has competed in five tournaments this season. Watson has only played four.

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

Watson currently ranks No. 210 in the standings, a few spots ahead of Woods at No. 214. Other golfers ahead of Woods include Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer, David Duval and John Daly.

Woods does have Watson in the Ryder Cup point standings, however. (It’s the small victories, right?) Those points mostly factor 2014 results, but also include results from the 2013 majors. Woods currently ranks No. 72, while Watson is at No. 163.

In a few weeks, Watson will have to decide whether to include Woods on the Ryder Cup team. He’s been non-committal so far, which is the perfect way to play such a potentially controversial decision. It’s hard to imagine Watson leaving Woods off the team in favor of, say, Patrick Reed, the brash young player who’s won twice on Tour this year, but missed the cut at two or three majors. But if Reed or Brendon Todd leapfrog established players such as Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson, Watson might not have a choice.

(Getty images)

(Getty images)

That’s a topic for another day. For now, Tiger shouldn’t feel too bad about getting schooled by the old master. Watson’s final-round 68 vaulted him ahead of Matt Kuchar, Jason Day, Luke Donald and Martin Kaymer on the final leaderboard at the British Open. He had already outlasted another famous golfing Watson, as two-time Masters champion Bubba (no relation) missed the cut.

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