FedEx Cup Playoffs: Scheffler and the fight for the title and Ryder Cup

PGA Tour Playoffs: The Race for the FedEx Cup Begins

The excitement of golf intensifies with the start of the PGA Tour playoffs. The FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, Tennessee, marks the first of three consecutive tournaments that will determine the champion of the FedEx Cup. The competition kicks off on Thursday, promising an intense battle for the title. The golf elite, with almost all of the top 70 players in the season’s points standings, will face off against the current world number one, Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler will seek to become the first player to win the FedEx Cup consecutively at the Tour Championship, which will be held in Atlanta from August 21st to 24th.

“It’s the time of year when everyone wants to be in their best shape and play their best,” commented Justin Thomas.

Justin Thomas

Scheffler, despite a season start marked by a hand injury, has demonstrated his quality with four victories, including wins at the PGA Championship and The Open.

FedEx St. Jude Championship Details

• Location: TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tennessee
• Dates: Thursday to Sunday
• Prize purse: $20 million ($3.6 million for the winner)
• Defending champion: Hideki Matsuyama

The tournament will bring together the 70 best golfers from the FedEx Cup standings, with the notable absence of Rory McIlroy, who has decided not to participate in this event. McIlroy, comfortably placed in second place in the ranking, has already secured his participation in the following tournaments. However, players like Xander Schauffele and Tony Finau, who are looking to secure their place in the Tour Championship, face greater pressure. Other golfers looking to secure their spot in the BMW Championship include Harry Hall, Akshay Bhatia, Si Woo Kim, Jake Knapp, Jordan Spieth, Wyndham Clark, Min Woo Lee, J.T. Poston, Kurt Kitayama, Bud Cauley, Joe Highsmith, and Aaron Rai.

BMW Championship

The BMW Championship will be held from August 14th to 17th at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland. The tournament has a prize pool of $20 million, with $3.6 million going to the winner. The defending champion is Keegan Bradley. The top 50 golfers in the points standings after the FedEx St. Jude Championship will advance to the second stage of the playoffs and secure their place in the eight signature events of 2026. The Caves Valley Golf Club, which hasn’t hosted the tournament since 2021, has been renovated and features a SubAir system on its greens.

Tour Championship

The Tour Championship will be held from August 21st to 24th at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, with a prize pool of $40 million. The winner will take home $10 million.

For the first time since 2019, the PGA Tour is abandoning the staggered start format for the Tour Championship, which will be a traditional 72-hole stroke play tournament, with the top 30 golfers starting at par. The Tour Championship winner will pocket $10 million, regardless of their position in the points standings. The runner-up will earn $5 million, third place $3.7 million, and last place $355,000.

TPC Southwind Renovations

The TPC Southwind has been renovated, with 18 new green complexes and the renovation of the practice areas.

“The new greens are very firm,” Scheffler said. “I think this is a golf course that is usually very popular on the tour, so I was grateful that they didn’t completely change it when they renovated it.”

Scottie Scheffler

Golfers will also face high temperatures during the four days in Memphis.

What’s at stake for the Ryder Cup

The U.S. Ryder Cup team captain, Keegan Bradley, will have the opportunity to evaluate the players’ performance during the playoffs. The top six golfers in the Ryder Cup points standings after the BMW Championship will automatically qualify for the U.S. team. Scheffler is already qualified for the American team, as are Schauffele, J.J. Spaun, Russell Henley, Bryson DeChambeau, and Harris English. Thomas, who is in seventh place in points, also seems to be in a good position. In the European team, McIlroy is already qualified, along with Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry, and Sepp Straka.