Understanding The Fedex Cup: Golf's Playoff System

how does golf fedex cup work

The FedEx Cup is a season-long points competition that was introduced in 2007 to offer golf fans a new competitive element and give the sport a more defined season. The competition spans 37 weeks, from January to August, and consists of 36 official events, including THE PLAYERS Championship, major championships, Signature Events, Full-Field Events and Additional Events. Players accumulate points based on their finish at each tournament, with winners of regular PGA Tour events receiving 500 points. The top 70 players in the standings qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs, which feature a progressive cut through three events: the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the BMW Championship, and the Tour Championship. The winner of the Tour Championship is crowned the FedEx Cup champion and receives a \$25 million bonus and a five-year PGA Tour exemption.

Characteristics Values
Championship trophy for PGA Tour
Introduced 2007
Sponsor FedEx
Season-long competition Yes
Points awarded based on Finishing position in PGA Tour sanctioned tournaments
No. of golfers retaining PGA Tour playing privileges 125
Total bonus pool $70 million
FedEx Cup champion earning $15 million
Regular-season bonus pool $20 million
Champion earning $4 million
No. of playoff events 4
Winner awarded points 2,000
Starting strokes for the leader 10-under par
Starting strokes for no. 2 player 8-under par
Starting strokes for players 6-10 4-under par
Winner decided on Lowest aggregate score over 72 holes

shungolf

The FedEx Cup is a season-long points competition

The Playoffs consist of four events across four weeks in late August and mid-September. The first three events feature a progressive cut, with fields of 70 for the FedEx St. Jude Championship, 50 for the BMW Championship, and 30 for the Tour Championship. The winners of the first two playoff events receive 2,000 points each, while winners of regular PGA Tour events are awarded 500 points.

The Tour Championship, held at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, is a 72-hole stroke-play event, with the player starting with the lowest score deemed the winner. The FedEx Cup points leader after the first two playoff events begins the Tour Championship at 10-under par, with players ranked 2nd to 5th starting at 8-under, 7-under, 6-under, and 5-under, respectively. Players ranked 6th to 10th start at 4-under, 11th to 15th at 3-under, 16th to 20th at 2-under, 21st to 25th at 1-under, and 26th to 30th at even par. The winner of the Tour Championship is crowned the FedEx Cup champion and receives a $25 million bonus and a five-year PGA Tour exemption.

shungolf

Playoffs determine the FedEx Cup champion

The FedEx Cup is a season-long points competition that culminates in a playoff consisting of three events to determine the FedEx Cup champion. The PGA Tour first introduced the FedEx Cup in 2007.

The top 70 players in the FedEx Cup standings qualify for the playoffs, which feature a progressive cut with fields of 70 for the FedEx St. Jude Championship, 50 for the BMW Championship, and 30 for the Tour Championship. The winners of the first two playoff events receive 2,000 points each, while winners of regular PGA Tour events are awarded 500 points. This means that the average finish of a player in the playoffs will result in quadruple the normal number of points.

The Tour Championship is played as a 72-hole stroke-play event, with all players starting the tournament at even par. The player with the lowest aggregate score over 72 holes when combined with their FedEx Cup Starting Strokes wins the Tour Championship and is also crowned the FedEx Cup champion. The FedEx Cup champion receives a bonus of $25 million and a five-year PGA Tour exemption.

The FedEx Cup Playoffs have seen many iterations since their inception in 2007. The PGA Tour adjusted the rules around the FedEx Cup in each of the two years following its introduction to address issues that arose during the previous year, particularly concerning the playoffs portion of the competition.

shungolf

Points are reset for the Playoffs

The FedEx Cup is a season-long points competition that culminates with a playoff consisting of three events to determine the FedEx Cup champion. The PGA Tour first introduced the FedEx Cup in 2007.

The FedEx Cup Playoffs consist of three or four tournaments in successive weeks throughout August. The number of golfers eligible for the Playoffs varies, with 70 golfers entering the Playoffs with the same number of points they finished the regular season with. The Playoffs then progress to feature 50 golfers and then 30 golfers. The Playoffs are no-cut events.

Points earned during the PGA Tour regular season carry over to the Playoffs. However, all points are reset for the Playoffs. The top 70 players in the standings qualify for the Playoffs, with the field then shrinking to 50 and then 30. The winner of the Playoffs is crowned the FedEx Cup champion.

The Playoffs feature a progressive cut, with fields of 70 for the FedEx St. Jude Championship, 50 for the BMW Championship, and 30 for the Tour Championship. The first two playoff events award 2,000 points to the winner (quadruple points of regular-season events). The Tour Championship features a strokes-based system (FedEx Cup Starting Strokes) instituted for the first time in 2019. The FedEx Cup points leader after the first two playoff events begins the Tour Championship at 10-under par.

shungolf

Bonus money and prize money

The FedEx Cup is a season-long points competition that culminates in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, a series of three events to determine the FedEx Cup champion. The total bonus pool for the Playoffs is $100 million, with the FedEx Cup champion earning $25 million. The top 50 players in the FedEx Cup standings are fully exempt for the following season, including the Players Championship and all eight Signature Events. Players ranked 51-70 in the standings are also fully exempt, including the Players Championship.

Players earn points in each event they play during the PGA Tour regular season, which carries over to the Playoffs. Only players who are regular members as defined by PGA Tour tournament regulations will be eligible to earn points. Special temporary members and amateurs will not be eligible to earn FedEx Cup points. Points from the missing positions are not awarded.

The Playoffs feature a progressive cut, with fields of 70 for the FedEx St. Jude Championship, 50 for the BMW Championship, and 30 for the Tour Championship. The winner of the Tour Championship is also crowned the FedEx Cup champion. The Tour Championship win is considered an official victory, and the FedEx Cup champion also earns a bonus of $25 million and a five-year PGA Tour exemption.

The FedEx St. Jude Championship and the BMW Championship both have $20 million purses. The winner of these two events receives $3.6 million. The Tour Championship, on the other hand, pays out $100 million to the field of 30. Here is a breakdown of the payouts for the top 10 finishers:

1: $25,000,000

2: $12,500,000

3: $7,500,000

4: $6,000,000

5: $5,000,000

6: $3,500,000

7: $2,750,000

8: $2,250,000

9: $2,000,000

10: $1,750,000

shungolf

Qualifying criteria and eligibility

The FedEx Cup is a season-long points competition that begins in January and ends in August. Players accumulate points by participating in 36 official FedEx Cup events during the regular season. These events include THE PLAYERS Championship, major championships, Signature Events, Full-Field Events, and Additional Events. Only players who are regular members as defined by PGA TOUR tournament regulations will be eligible to earn points. Special temporary members and amateurs will not be eligible to earn FedExCup points.

The top 70 players in the FedEx Cup standings qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs. The Playoffs consist of four events: The Barclays, which opens the Playoffs with 144 players, the Deutsche Bank Championship with 120 players, the FedEx St. Jude Championship with 70 players, and the BMW Championship with 50 players. The winners of the first two playoff events receive 2,000 points each, while winners of regular PGA Tour events receive 500 points.

The final 30 players who qualify for the Playoffs compete in the TOUR Championship, where the FedEx Cup champion is determined. The champion wins a $25 million bonus and a five-year PGA Tour exemption.

Frequently asked questions

The FedEx Cup is a season-long points competition that culminates in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, a series of three events to determine the FedEx Cup champion.

Each PGA Tour event during the regular season rewards FedEx Cup points based on finishing position. The winner typically receives 500 points, except for Majors and WGC events, which award more. The points go down from there based on the finishing position of those players who made the cut.

The top 70 players in the FedEx Cup standings qualify for the Playoffs. The first playoff event cuts the field to 50 players, and the second event further cuts the field to 30 players for the Tour Championship.

The Tour Championship is played as a 72-hole stroke-play event, with players starting at different scores under par based on their FedEx Cup standings. The player with the lowest aggregate score over 72 holes, including their starting strokes, wins the Tour Championship and is crowned the FedEx Cup champion.

The FedEx Cup champion receives a substantial bonus, which was $25 million for the 2024 season, along with a five-year PGA Tour exemption. The total bonus pool for the FedEx Cup Playoffs is $100 million.

Written by
Reviewed by

Explore related products

Share this post
Print
Did this article help you?

Leave a comment