“What’s the worse-case scenario? That our Super Bowl doesn’t have all the marquee players,” David Toms said.

Finchem did not say how many players would be eligible to win the FedEx Cup, although he said the three events in the Championship Series would have 144 players.

The Associated Press first reported the new model in July, and tour officials have been tweaking the concept since. They still are unsure how the points system will work, and Finchem said there was much work left.

“I’ve met with Tim five times, and I’ve heard five different things,” Woods said.

Multiple sources involved in the discussion, all speaking on condition of anonymity because the tournaments have not been announced, have said the three events leading to the Tour Championship would be the Barclays Classic in New York, the Deutsche Bank Championship outside Boston and the Western Open. The Western Open is still dealing with sponsorship issues and a decision on where to play.

Golf World magazine reported last week that the Western Open might be rotated among such markets as Minnesota, Indianapolis, Chicago and St. Louis. Finchem mentioned that Bellerive outside St. Louis was supposed to host the American Express Championship, an event canceled because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The heart of the season will be shorter.

But for those tournaments concerned they might get knocked off the schedule, Finchem said there would be six or seven other events after the Tour Championship in which players could try to earn their tour cards for next year.

That section of the season would be called the “Quest for the Card,” although Woods said he would not play any of those tournaments, and other top players also would be taking time off.

Still, Finchem believes a season-long points race, coupled with a Tour Championship in September, would mean more top players in the same tournament.

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