The PGA TOUR first introduced the FedExCup Playoffs in 2007 to find not only the best player over the PGA Tour season, but one that could also perform under the pressure of an elimination-style playoff. Last year’s winner Justin Thomas had a hot hand heading into the playoffs, holding off Jordan Spieth. With changes to the PGA Tour schedule, this will be the last year the playoff is over four tournaments, as next season it will be cut down to three.
If you’re not sure how the FedExCup Playoffs work, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Here’s the basics.
During the season players accrue points based on their performance. Once the season ends, the Top 125 advance to the playoffs. Over the next four weeks of competition, there is a progressive set of cuts each week (from 125 to 100 to 70) that culminates in the TOUR Championship in Atlanta, with the Top 30 players. It’s there that the FedExCup Champion is crowned.
All FedExCup events have 50,000 points divided to players based on their finish in each of the four tournaments. That means 9,000 points go to the winner (10,500 in the Tour Championship based on the smaller field) of each event, with the eventual winner taking home a cheque for $10-million, with $35-million in bonuses being distributed overall.
Who To Watch
Two Canadians are expected to start in the FedExCup Playoffs this year—British Columbians Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor. In the middle of an average season by his standards, Hadwin has dealt with a recurring hip injury in recent weeks. Last year Hadwin played his way to the Tour Championship, finishing 26th overall. He sits 70th heading into the the playoffs. Taylor, on the other hand, played eight of the last nine weeks trying to squeak into the playoffs, and made it when he moved up 10 spots in the final week of the regular season, finishing in 119th.
Tiger Woods won the inaugural FedExCup Playoffs in 2007 and is the only repeat champion, winning again in 2009. Other past winners include Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk, Bill Haas, Brandt Snedeker, Henrik Stenson, Billy Horschel, Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas.
Heading into the first event, the current leader is Dustin Johnson, followed by Justin Thomas and recent PGA Championship and U.S. Open winner Brooks Koepka. Tiger Woods sits 20th in the current standings.