Ryder Cup throws a wrench in playoff schedule

ATLANTA (AP) -- Tiger Woods played so much golf during the FedEx Cup playoffs that he is laying off cardio work this week with hopes of putting on some weight he lost over the last month.

Just wait until next year, with a trip to Wales for the Ryder Cup right after the Tour Championship.

PGA Tour officials spent the last couple of weeks gathering input from players on the playoff schedule for next year, and it looks at though it has come down to two options:

- Keep the schedule the way it was this year. That would mean three playoff events (New York, Boston, Chicago), followed by a week off, then the Tour Championship and Ryder Cup.

- Take a week off after the Labor Day finish at Boston, then go three straight weeks concluding with the Ryder Cup.

``If television is accommodating, we could go either way,'' PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said.

A small sample of potential Ryder Cup players showed mixed opinions. Hunter Mahan would like to see the break after Boston, noting that the Ryder Cup doesn't start until Friday, anyway. Luke Donald of England said he was so wiped out after a third straight week of golf in Chicago that he put the clubs away for longer than usual.

``Any way you slice it, it's a difficult stretch,'' Steve Stricker said. ``It's a long stretch, and you've got to be physically and mentally ready for it.''

Woods said he was inclined to leave it the way it is for 2010, especially because of the overnight flight required to get to Wales. He believes the American team would not be fresh for the high level of intensity that accompanies the Ryder Cup.

``Granted, we could have the Europeans play in this thing and wear them out, too,'' he said.