The FedExCup Playoffs are just a week away, which makes the Wyndham Championship the last chance golfers have to secure their spot in the postseason.
Only the top 125 golfers in the FedExCup standings will qualify for the FedEx St. Jude Championship, which marks the first of three playoff tournaments that ends with the Tour Championship at East Lake later this month.
For guys on the bubble, this week at Sedgefield Country Club is extremely important.
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Here’s who needs a big week, and who needs to avoid a slip, in order to advance into the FedExCup Playoffs.
Just inside the cutoff
No. 120: Nick Taylor
No. 121: Chesson Hadley
No. 122: Kramer Hickok
No. 123: Rickie Fowler
No. 124: Matt Wallace
No. 125: Austin Smotherman
Rickie Fowler is perhaps the biggest name among this group.
Fowler hasn’t won on Tour since the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open, and he has just three top-25 finishes so far this season. The five-time Tour winner failed to qualify for either the US Open or the British Open, and he’s coming off a tough showing at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last week — where he missed the cut after going 3-over in two rounds.
Fowler likely needs to at least make the weekend in North Carolina to ensure that he’s around next week. Even if he manages to qualify for the playoffs without doing so, entering TPC Southwind coming off two straight missed cuts is a tough spot to be — and it’d make qualifying for the BMW Championship extremely difficult.
The other five golfers in this group are all in the field this week, too, and will try to hold on to their postseason spot.
Outside looking in
No. 126: Max McGreevy
No. 127: Danny Willett
No. 128: Justin Lower
No. 129: Nick Hardy
No. 130: Cameron Champ
All five of these players are in the field this week, ready to give it one last shot to make it into the Wyndham Championship.
Just one spot out, Max McGreevy is clearly in the best position to make it in — but he’s been struggling over the last two months. McGreevy has missed the cut in six of his last seven starts, including last week in Detroit. His only bright spot in that stretch was a T13 finish at the Barbasol Championship.
Danny Willett, on the other hand, is playing significantly better. While he finished T67 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, he had a top-10 finish at the 3M Open the week before and made the weekend at the British Open at St. Andrews.
Still, all five of these players need to at least make the weekend in North Carolina to have a shot. If they head home early, the postseason is certainly out of reach.
Early FedExCup favorites
Obviously, Scottie Scheffler is in a great position to lift the trophy at East Lake later this month. The world’s top-ranked golfer is also first in the FedExCup standings, and he has four wins this season already — including a win at The masters in April. He also finished in a tie for second at the US Open, and has 16 top-25 finishes. He’s not in the field this week, but he certainly doesn’t need to be.
Tony Finau is another person to look out for come playoff time. Finau is fresh off of back-to-back wins on Tour, which has jumped him to No. 7 in the FedExCup standings despite sitting in the 30s just two months ago. It’s hard to find a hotter golfer than Finau right now, and this week off is sure to give him time to reset headed into Memphis.
While he hasn’t played since the British Open, Rory McIlroy is having one of his best seasons in years. McIlroy, with two wins this season, finished third at the British Open – although he let that win slip away with a tough Sunday finish in Scotland. He hasn’t finished worse than T19 since he missed the cut at the Valero Texas Open back in April. At No. 6 in the standings, McIlroy can certainly make a big run to try and win his third FedExCup.
And, of course, you can’t overlook Patrick Cantlay. Last year’s FedExCup winner is currently fifth in the standings and has had three straight top-10 finishes — including a T8 finish at the British Open and a T2 finish last week in Detroit. If he can pull it off, Cantlay would be the first person to ever win consecutive FedExCups.
FedExCup Schedule
Here’s everything you need to know to follow the FedExCup Playoffs this fall.
FedEx St. Jude Championship
When: Aug. 11-14
Where: TPC Southwind | Memphis, TN
TV: Golf Channel, NBC
Fields: Top 125
Defending Champion: Tony Finau
BMW Championship
When: Aug. 18-21
Where: Wilmington Country Club | Wilmington, DE
TV: Golf Channel, NBC
Fields: Top 70
Defending Champion: Patrick Cantlay
Tour Championship
When: Aug. 25-28
Where: East Lake Golf Club | Atlanta, GA
TV: Golf Channel, NBC
Fields: Top 30
Defending Champion: Patrick Cantlay