The PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup tee off this week at THE BARCLAYS, the first of four playoff tournaments to determine the FedExCup champion.  The pressure is on as only the top 100 players in the standings after The Barclays advance to the Deutsche Bank Championship next week. CBS Sports broadcasts the third and final rounds of the star-powered tournament on Saturday, Aug. 25 (3:00-6:00 PM, ET) and Sunday, Aug. 26 (2:00-6:00 PM, ET), from the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y., live on the CBS Television Network.  

Jim Nantz, three-time Emmy Award Winner and five-time National Sportscaster of the Year,  serves as anchor of CBS Sports’ golf coverage. SirNick Faldo, winner of six major championships and more than 40 tournaments worldwide, serves as lead analyst. Ian Baker-Finch calls the action at the 17th hole and Gary McCord at the 16th hole.  David Feherty and Peter Kostis serve as on-course reporters.

The Black Course at Bethpage State Park, site of the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Open, plays host to the world’s best golfers looking to position themselves to compete for one of the top-five spots in the FedExCup standings entering the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola. Players on the bubble will be looking to earn a spot inside the top 100 and qualify for the Deutsche Bank Championship, the second leg of the Playoffs.  Tiger Woods enters the Playoffs at No. 1 in the current FedExCup standings for the third time in his career. The first two times he went on the win the title in 2007 and 2009. World-ranked No. 1 Rory McIlory, coming off his PGA Championship victory, is 177 points behind Woods and No. 3 in the FedExCup standings overall. This is only his second appearance in the Playoffs. Defending champion Dustin Johnson returns to The Barclays after a two-shot win over defending champion Matt Kuchar.  Woods, McIlroy, Johnson and Kuchar take on the world’s top players including 2011 FedExCup champion Bill Haas and last week’s Wyndham Championship winner Sergio Garcio.      

The top 124 of 125 players from the PGA TOUR regular-season, based on FedExCup points,  compete this week at The Barclays (Jason Dufner, No. 2, will not be in the field).  Among the players to compete in this week’s Playoff are:   Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Webb Simpson, Adam Scott, Bubba Watson, Justin Rose, Steve Stricker, Keegan Bradley, Graeme McDowell, Zach Johnson, Hunter Mahan, Louis Oosthuizen, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, Charl Schwartzel, Ian Poulter,   Jason Day, Jim Furyk and Brant Snedeker.  (For the complete field go to PGATOUR.COM)

The other tournaments hosting the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup are the Deutsche Bank Championship (narrowed to a field of 100 players), the BMW Championship (70 players) and the season-ending TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola (30 players).  

Lance Barrow is Coordinating Producer and Steve Milton is Director of CBS Sports’ golf coverage.  Harold Bryant is Executive Producer and Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.

* * *

Follow us on Twitter: @GolfonCBS and @CBSSportsGang