PGA Tour Playoffs Begin at the FedEx St. Jude Championship
This Thursday, the exciting PGA Tour playoffs kick off with the FedEx St. Jude Championship, which will be held in Memphis, Tennessee. This tournament will mark the beginning of three consecutive events that will determine the FedEx Cup champion.
The competition will bring together most of the top 70 golfers in the season’s points ranking, who will seek to surpass the world number 1, Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler will try to become the first player to win the FedEx Cup consecutively at the Tour Championship, which will take place in Atlanta from August 21 to 24.
It’s the time of year when everyone wants to be at their best and play their best.
Justin Thomas
Scheffler, despite a season start marked by a hand injury, has achieved four victories, including the major championships of the PGA and The Open.Michael Wade/Icon SportswireTournament Details:
Event: FedEx St. Jude Championship
Dates: Thursday to Sunday
Location: TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tennessee
Prize purse: $20 million ($3.6 million for the winner)
Defending champion: Hideki Matsuyama
The tournament at TPC Southwind will feature the participation of the 70 highest-ranked golfers in the FedEx Cup, with the exception of Rory McIlroy, who has decided not to participate. McIlroy, ranked second, has already secured his participation in the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship.
The competition will be intense for those players on the border of the top 50, such as Xander Schauffele and Tony Finau, who are looking to secure their place in the Tour Championship. Players like Rickie Fowler will also be looking to advance.
The qualification for the BMW Championship is also at stake for other golfers, including 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.
Other notable names who failed to qualify for the playoffs include Gary Woodland, Adam Scott, Tom Kim, Max Homa, and Sahith Theegala.
BMW Championship
Dates: August 14-17Location: Caves Valley Golf Club, Owings Mills, MarylandPrize pool: $20 million ($3.6 million for the winner)Defending Champion: Keegan Bradley
The top 50 golfers in the points ranking after the FedEx St. Jude Championship will advance to the second phase of the playoffs and secure their place in the 2026 signature events. The BMW Championship returns to Caves Valley Golf Club for the first time since 2021, where Patrick Cantlay defeated Bryson DeChambeau in an exciting playoff.
The Caves Valley Golf Club course, which opened in 1991, has hosted important tournaments, including the 2002 U.S. Senior Open and the 2007 Palmer Cup. The course has implemented improvements in recent years, including a SubAir system on the greens and the expansion of hole number 1.
Tour Championship
Dates: August 21-24Location: East Lake Golf Club, AtlantaPrize pool: $40 million ($10 million for the winner)Defending Champion: Scottie Scheffler
For the first time since 2019, the PGA Tour is abandoning the staggered strokes format for the Tour Championship, which will be a traditional 72-hole stroke play tournament, where the top 30 golfers will start at par.
The winner of the Tour Championship will receive $10 million, regardless of their position in the points ranking. The runner-up will get $5 million, third place $3.7 million, fourth $3.2 million and fifth $2.75 million. The last-placed finisher in the Tour Championship will take home $355,000.
After last year’s tournament, a major renovation was carried out at TPC Southwind, including the reconstruction of 18 green complexes and the renovation of the chipping and putting practice areas.
Scheffler commented that TPC Southwind did a good job of maintaining its essence and not making too many changes during the renovation.
Golfers will once again face hot temperatures during the four days of competition in Memphis.
In Play: The Ryder Cup
The U.S. Ryder Cup team captain, Keegan Bradley, is ranked 10th in the FedEx Cup standings, giving him an excellent opportunity to assess player performance during the playoffs.
The top six golfers in the Ryder Cup ranking after the BMW Championship will automatically qualify for the U.S. team. Bradley will select six additional players after the Tour Championship.
Scheffler has already secured his place on the US team by points, along with Schauffele, J.J. Spaun, Russell Henley, Bryson DeChambeau, and English. These five seem to have a guaranteed spot on the team.
Thomas, who is in seventh place in points for the Ryder Cup, also seems to be in good shape.
Collin Morikawa, a two-time major winner, is in eighth place in points, followed by Ben Griffin, Bradley, Maverick McNealy, and Brian Harman. Cantlay, a Ryder Cup veteran, is in 14th place. Cameron Young and Sam Burns will also need to excel in the playoffs to secure their place on the team.
The top six golfers in the European team’s points ranking as of August 24th will qualify for the team. McIlroy is already qualified by points, along with Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry, and Sepp Straka. Rasmus Højgaard, Justin Rose, Ludvig Åberg, and Viktor Hovland complete the top 10 and seem to be in a good position. Jon Rahm, captain of the LIV Golf League, is in 21st place and will join the team, which could generate competition for the last spots between Matt Wallace, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Thomas Detry, and Aaron Rai.
