Webb has eye on prize

American Webb Simpson leads an elite field of 70 players preparing for a shootout at Cog Hill this week as they aim for a spot in the lucrative season-ending Tour Championship.

With his last three starts producing his first two career wins, Simpson enters the BMW Championship as the surprise leader of the FedEx standings, but with every player in the field still mathematically alive to capture the FedExCup.

The tight standings sets up tense weekend at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club with only the top 30 moving on to Atlanta for the Championship and a shot at the $10 million first prize.

Just earning a ticket to East Lake Golf Club will bring plenty of perks, among them entry into next year’s first three majors and invitations to the Players championship, the WGC Championship and three Invitational events (Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Memorial Tournament and Colonial).

“You know, $10 million is a ridiculously large amount of money and an unbelievable prize,” Simpson said. “At the end of the day, we want to win golf tournaments, but when $10m is at stake, you can’t not think about that.”

Dustin Johnson is currently second in the FedEx standings behind Simpson with Matt Kuchar, who won the US Amateur title at Cog Hill in 1997, third.