Tiger enters first US PGA playoff

Tiger Woods has entered next week's opening event of the US PGA Tour season-ending playoffs.

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WORLD No.1 Tiger Woods has entered next week's opening event of the US PGA Tour season-ending playoffs, even though he technically is not yet assured of qualifying for The Barclays.

Woods has won the $US10 million ($A11.12 million) playoff title two of the past three years, missing out only in 2008 when he was sidelined following knee surgery.

But this year, Woods has not won a tournament and has struggled in the wake of a sex scandal that destroyed his iconic image.

As a result, he ranks only 108th in the points race that concludes Sunday after the last round of the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina. Woods is not playing in the tournament.

Only the top 125 in season points will qualify for The Barclays, but it is unlikely Woods will be passed by 18 rivals and miss out on the first playoff event.

The problem for Woods is that only the top 100 in points after The Barclays qualify for the next event, the Deutsche Bank Championship.

That means his first playoff event could be his final event of the season.

While Woods could still play in lower-purse events in October and November aimed at helping those low on the moneylist earn a place on the 2011 tour, he typically has skipped such events.