How the FedEx Cup Playoffs work: The format, the stakes and the $100 million jackpot | Golf news and tour information
After a tumultuous season that included an unprecedented run by Scottie Scheffler, two majors by Xander Schauffele and a once-in-a-generation amateur victory, we are now ready for the highly anticipated FedEx Cup Playoffs. Scheffler will naturally lead the pack, a whopping 1,900 points ahead of No. 2 Xander Schauffele and nearly 2,500 points ahead of third-place Rory McIlroy. Still, golf greats like Schauffele and McIlroy are not giving up their hopes of the title, and neither are the others in the top 10 on the points list: Collin Morikawa, Wyndham Clark, Ludvig Åberg, Sahith Theegala, Hideki Matsuyama, Sungjae Im and Shane Lowry. The winners of last year’s three playoff events were Lucas Glover, Viktor Hovland and then Hovland again; Hovland is currently an underdog when it comes to the BMW Championship (top 50), but we will soon find out if he can continue the magic of the FedEx Cup.
To help you refresh your knowledge of how the playoffs work, here are answers to some questions that will help you understand what to expect as the Tour crowns its next FedEx Cup champion.
When do the FedEx Cup Playoffs take place?
Here is the schedule for the three tournaments:
FedEx St. Jude Championship, TPC Southwind, Memphis, March 15-18 August
BMW Championship, Castle Pines Golf Club, Castle Rock, Colo., Aug. 22-25 August
Tour Championship, East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, August 29 – September 1
How many golfers will participate in each of the three events?
The top 70 players on the FedEx Cup points list advance to the FedEx St. Jude Championship. This is the second year that number has been this low; previously it was the top 125 who made the playoffs. The top 50 after St. Jude advance to the BMW Championship (previously it was the top 70). The top 30 after the BMW then travel from Castle Rock to Atlanta for the Tour Championship, the traditional conclusion of the season.
Let us remind you again: How is the actual winner of the FedEx Cup determined?
OK, so instead of all 30 players starting with the same score when they compete in the Tour Championship, players will now be staggered by strokes based on where they rank on the FedEx Cup points list before East Lake. The player in first place will begin the final tournament at 10 under par, the player in second place at 8 under par, and then at 7 under par, 6 under par and 5 under par for players 3-5. Players 6-10 will start at 4 under par, players 11-15 at 3 under par, players 16-20 at 2 under par, players 21-25 at 1 under par and players 26-30 at even par. The player with the best score after stroke adjustment — not just the best 72-hole score — will be the winner of the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup.
So there are no longer separate winners of the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup?
No…that’s why the change was made in 2019, to eliminate the confusion that someone wins the tournament at East Lake but is not the actual FedEx Cup champion. In fact, there is no longer a separate prize money for the Tour Championship.
Were there often two winners?
In the first 12 years of the playoffs, this happened four times, including 2017 and 2018. Remember Tiger Woods’ victory at the 2018 Tour Championship? Well, it was Justin Rose who took home the FedEx Cup. Given how often this happened, PGA Tour officials decided they needed an alternative to simplify the race for the FedEx Cup title.
Does winning the Tour Championship count toward a player’s total wins?
Yes. It still counts towards the PGA Tour records.
Which players were in the lead at the start of this year’s playoffs?
At the end of the PGA Tour regular season – after the Wyndham Championship – Scottie Scheffler was clearly in the lead with 5992.75, the top five were completed by Xander Schauffele (4057.33), Rory McIlroy (2545.30), Collin Morikawa (2456.05) and Wyndham Clark (2153.73).
Click here to see a full list of rankings.
Will points from the regular season carry over into the playoffs?
Yes. And then all points earned in the first two FedEx Cup Playoff events will be added to a player’s regular season points to earn him a new spot on the FedEx Cup points list each week.
How do points scored in the playoffs differ from those in the regular season?
As you can imagine, players who win/play well in playoff events receive a bonus. If you won a PGA Tour stop in the regular season, you earned 500 points. A playoff win earned you 2,000 points. Likewise, all players receive four times the points for their performance in playoff events compared to regular season tournaments.
Who is the reigning FedEx Cup champion?
Viktor Hovland is the reigning FedEx Cup champion after starting seventh before the playoffs. Jon Rahm led the pack and carried the extra strokes before the Tour Championship in Atlanta, but finished tied for 18th in East Lake. Lucas Glover won the first event and then Hovland won the BMW Championship, putting himself in solid position to claim the title.
Hovland finished the Tour Championship 27 under par, including a 63 on Sunday. He ultimately beat Xander Schauffele by five strokes and took home a nice little $18 million.
Who has won the most FedEx Cups?
With his victory in 2023, Hovland won his first title. The year before, Rory McIlroy won his third FedEx Cup title. McIlroy leads all PGA Tour professionals with three titles. Tiger Woods is the only other golfer with more than one title. He won the first FedEx Cup Playoffs in 2007 and 2009.
How much is the prize money for the FedEx Cup?
The short answer: A lot. As of 2019, the winner of the FedEx Cup earned $15 million for a total prize money payout of $60 million. Then in 2022, the prize money was increased again, with the total payout being $75 million and the winner taking home a whopping $18 million. This year, it’s even higher: $100 million for the total prize money payout, with the winner taking home $25 million.
Here is the breakdown of what each player will earn at the Tour Championship:
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