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GREENSBORO — This was Padraig Harrington's choice: Spend the family vacation at the Atlantis Hotel in the Bahamas or Sedgefield Country Club.

In the end, Caroline Harrington made the call.

And so the three-time major champion will play the Wyndham Championship. He starts the day No. 130 in the FedEx Cup standings. The top 125 get into golf's four-tournament playoffs that begin next week at The Barclays.

"I knew I was on the bubble," Harrington said. "... My wife actually made the decision. She says, 'I think you've got to go and play.' She was the one."

So the couple and their children, ages 7 and 3, are in Greensboro instead of the Bahamas.

"We only had to tell the 7-year-old we were changing the plans," Harrington said. "The 3-year-old? One swimming pool is the same as the next to him. 'Why don't you spend two days at (Emerald Pointe) Wet 'n Wild here?' They're not going to see too much of a difference."

It could make a huge difference for dad, though. If Harrington plays well, he could get into the lucrative playoffs. Then anything can happen.

"The interesting thing: I'll be the fairytale story," Harrington said. "Any of us guys who are slightly outside the FedEx Cup at the moment, if we qualify, we can go on and win. &ellipses; So, if myself or Ernie (Els) or any of the guys actually make it in, and then we hit our 'A-games' for the four weeks, all of a sudden we can be the FedEx Cup champion. That's what a playoff is about."

A good start today is critical, Harrington said.

"If I can get myself in contention this week and focus on winning this tournament," he said, "the Fed- Ex Cup will comfortably look after itself."

And that would make giving up a trip to the Bahamas worthwhile.

Contact Jeff Mills at 373-7024 or jeff.mills@news-record.com