JERSEY CITY - Tiger Woods sets the pace as the US PGA Tour playoffs begin with a tweaked format at The Barclays, the first of three $7,5million (R58,8million) events leading to the Tour Championship.

JERSEY CITY - Tiger Woods sets the pace as the US PGA Tour playoffs begin with a tweaked format at The Barclays, the first of three $7,5million (R58,8million) events leading to the Tour Championship.

Woods, coming off a week's rest after his last-hole loss to South Korean Yang Yong-Eun at the PGA Championship, has not played the New York event in six years but will now, and at Boston and Chicago as well.

"You want to be in the playoffs and ultimately this is our opportunity to get in the Tour Championship," Woods said. "So it starts here."

That has not been enough to lure Woods into playing in past years. Part of the reason he is entering this time is the third points format in as many years, one that puts greater emphasis on later events in the playoff system.

"It is different. You want to put more weight at the end of the season, which they are trying to do, trying to make it a little more interesting." - Sapa-AFP