The 20th edition of the FedEx Cup Playoffs? It’s here, and it’s already looking absolutely phenomenal! Scottie Scheffler just kicked things off by claiming the St. Jude Championship, but hold up, because the real shocker isn’t just his win. It’s the massive format changes shaking up this entire postseason, especially with a staggering $40 million on the line at the Tour Championship!
This Ain’t Your Old Man’s Tour Championship
Seriously, ditch what you know about the finale. For the second straight postseason, it’s all different. The Tour Championship is ditching the staggered start for conventional stroke play. Every player in Atlanta starts at even par. It’s a total reset! The top 30 from the regular season and those first two playoff tournaments are all heading to East Lake Golf Club on a completely level playing field. Think about that: 30 of the best, all starting fresh, battling for the ultimate prize and that colossal $40 million purse!
And there’s more. The PGA Tour is dropping a huge $100 million bonus pool, but they’re distributing it *after* the BMW Championship. This whole setup screams drama. All three tournaments , St. Jude, BMW, and the Tour Championship , are 72 holes of pure stroke play, with fields shrinking along the way: 70 players in Memphis, 50 in St. Louis, and finally the elite 30 in Atlanta. Wins at the St. Jude and BMW are huge, netting 750 FedEx Cup points each, matching The Players Championship and the majors. That’s a serious payoff!
Who’s Red Hot and Who Stumbled
Scottie Scheffler’s on fire, winning the St. Jude. He’s chasing legends like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy to become a multiple-time FedEx Cup champ. Rory? He’s eyeing his fourth PGA Tour crown. Can he do it? You know he wants it bad! Then you’ve got Matt Fitzpatrick, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, and Chris Gotterup , all multiple-time winners this season, and they are absolutely dialed in to cap off their fantastic years with one more giant trophy. This is where legends are made, period.
But it’s not all birdies. Jordan Spieth, a three-time major champ, fell outside the top 50 after the St. Jude. That means he’s only playing in one postseason tournament. Rough. Shane Lowry, Keith Mitchell, and Max Homa are in the same boat. It just shows how tough this competition is right now. The talent pool is deep, too; nine players hit north of 2,000 FedEx Cup points in the regular season this year, up from eight last year. That’s some serious firepower!
The PGA Tour’s even planning more big changes for 2028, making next season super important. If you make the top 50 and qualify for the BMW Championship this year, you’re locked into the signature events for 2027. The stakes are absurdly high!
Next up is the BMW Championship, August 20-23 in St. Louis, then the main event, the Tour Championship, from August 27-30 in Atlanta. Get ready, because another name is about to join the history books!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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