Nina Caldwell
The FedEx Cup is a season-long points competition in golf that culminates in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, a series of three events that determine the FedEx Cup champion. Players earn points in each event they play, with winners of regular PGA Tour events receiving 500 FedEx Cup points. The number of points awarded increases for signature events and major championships, with the winners of the latter receiving 750 points. Points earned during the PGA Tour regular season carry over to the playoffs, with the winner of the first two playoff events receiving 2,000 points each.
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What You'll Learn
How FedEx Cup points are determined
The FedEx Cup is the championship trophy for the PGA Tour, with the first edition taking place in 2007. It is a season-long points competition that runs from October to August and offers $100 million in bonus money. The FedEx Cup Playoffs, which feature a progressive cut, are a series of three events that determine the FedEx Cup champion.
The top 70 players in the FedEx Cup standings qualify for the Playoffs, which include the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the BMW Championship, and the Tour Championship. The Tour Championship, a 72-hole stroke-play event, is played at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, and the winner of this tournament is declared the FedEx Cup champion.
FedEx Cup points are determined by a player's performance and finishing position in each tournament throughout the season. Winning a regular PGA Tour event earns a golfer 500 points, while signature events are worth 550 points. The winners of the four majors and the Players Championship receive 600 points. Bonus points are also awarded to leaders in statistical categories such as greens in regulation, fairways hit, putts per round, and scrambling.
In the Playoffs, the first two events award 2,000 points to the winner, which is quadruple the points of regular-season events. Points earned during the regular season carry over to these Playoffs events, and players are eliminated after each of the first two events. The leading 30 points earners qualify for the Tour Championship, where the points leader begins the tournament at 10-under par to ensure that performance throughout the season is considered.
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Point distribution
The FedEx Cup is a season-long points competition that runs from January to August, culminating in the FedEx Cup Playoffs. The points system has been adjusted several times since its introduction in 2007, with changes made to address issues that arose in previous years, particularly regarding the playoffs portion of the FedEx Cup.
During the regular season, players earn points by participating in various events and tournaments. The number of points awarded depends on the type of event:
- Full-Field Events: While the exact point distribution is unclear, these events emphasise wins and high finishes.
- Signature Events: Winners receive 700 FedEx Cup points.
- Majors and THE PLAYERS Championship: Winners receive 750 FedEx Cup points.
- Events Played in the Same Week as a Major or Signature Event: Winners receive 300 FedEx Cup points.
Only full-time PGA Tour members earn points, and points are only awarded to golfers who make the cut for an event. In the case of a tie, the point totals for the tied positions are added together and divided among the golfers.
Following the final event of the regular season, the Wyndham Championship, the top 70 players in the FedEx Cup standings advance to the FedEx Cup Playoffs. The Playoffs consist of three progressive cut events:
- FedEx St. Jude Championship: Features a field of 70 players.
- BMW Championship: Features a field of 50 players.
- TOUR Championship: Features a field of 30 players, where the FedEx Cup champion is determined.
The Playoffs offer significantly more points than regular-season events, with winners of each Playoff event receiving 2,000 FedEx Cup points, quadruple the points of regular-season events. The FedEx Cup Bonus Distribution total is $100 million, with the FedEx Cup champion earning $10 million.
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Playoff events
The FedEx Cup is a season-long points competition that culminates with the FedEx Cup Playoffs, a series of three events to determine the FedEx Cup champion. The top 70 players in the FedEx Cup standings qualify for the Playoffs. 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, where the FedEx Cup champion is determined.
The FedEx Cup Playoffs events are no-cut events. The first two playoff events award 2,000 points to the winner, which is quadruple the points of regular-season events. The Playoffs Finale, the Tour Championship, is played as a 72-hole stroke-play event, with all players starting the tournament at even par. The best performer over the course of four rounds at the Tour Championship will win the FedEx Cup.
The FedEx Cup Bonus Distribution total is $100 million, with the FedEx Cup champion earning $10 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.
The FedEx Cup Playoffs events are as follows:
- FedEx St. Jude Championship: The first playoff event features a field of 70 players and is held at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. The winner of this event receives 2,000 FedEx Cup points.
- BMW Championship: The second playoff event features a field of 50 players and is held at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland. The winner of this event also receives 2,000 FedEx Cup points.
- Tour Championship: The final playoff event features a field of 30 players and is held at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia. The winner of this event is declared the FedEx Cup champion and receives a bonus of $10 million.
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The impact of finishing position on points
The FedEx Cup is a season-long points competition that culminates in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, a series of three events that determine the FedEx Cup champion. The number of points earned during the PGA Tour regular season carries over to the playoffs. The better a player's finishing position, the more points they earn.
For all regular-season PGA Tour events, 500 FedEx Cup points are awarded to the winner, with points also being earned by every player who makes the cut. In "signature events", 700 FedEx Cup points go to the winner, while 750 points are given to the champion of the four majors and the Players. Lastly, 300 points are given to the winner of any event played in the same week as a major or signature event.
The goal is to be among the top 70 points leaders following the final event of the regular season, as only those players are eligible to participate in the playoffs. The number of points awarded for winning each playoff event is 2,000, which is four times the amount awarded for a typical regular-season tournament.
The FedEx Cup 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, where the FedEx Cup champion is determined. The best performer over the course of four rounds at the Tour Championship will win the FedEx Cup.
The finishing position in each tournament is crucial, as it determines the number of points earned. A higher number of points leads to a better standing in the FedEx Cup rankings, which in turn impacts a player's eligibility for the playoffs and their chances of becoming the FedEx Cup champion.
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History of the FedEx Cup
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 competition was established in 2007 and is one of golf's richest prizes, with a bonus pool of $100 million, including a $10 million prize for the FedEx Cup champion.
In the first two years after its introduction, the PGA Tour adjusted the rules around the FedEx Cup to address issues that arose, particularly with the playoffs portion of the competition. Changes were made to allow more golfers to improve their positions on the points list as the playoffs progressed, and to ensure that the championship would not be won until every golfer who qualified had finished playing the final playoff event.
The season structure changed again in the fall of 2013, with FedEx Cup points determining the 125 golfers who would retain their PGA Tour playing privileges for the following season. The qualifying criteria have not changed since 2009, with the season starting in January and culminating in three playoff events in August.
The first two playoff events award 2,000 points to the winner, with the Tour Championship featuring a strokes-based system 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.
The Tour Championship is played as a 72-hole stroke-play event, with the player with the lowest aggregate score over 72 holes when combined with their FedEx Cup Starting Strokes winning the tournament and being crowned FedEx Cup champion.
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Frequently asked questions
FedEx Cup points are awarded to golfers based on their performance in tournaments throughout the PGA Tour season. The points system incentivizes golfers to participate in certain events and excel during the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
FedEx Cup points are calculated based on a golfer's finish in a tournament. Winning a regular PGA Tour event is worth 500 points, while signature events are worth 700 points. The four majors and the Players Championship award 750 points to the winner. Points are also awarded to golfers who make the cut, with point totals decreasing further down the leaderboard.
No, the points earned during the PGA Tour regular season carry over to the Playoffs. The Playoffs feature a progressive cut, with the top 70 players advancing to the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the top 50 to the BMW Championship, and the top 30 to the Tour Championship.
FedEx Cup points determine the golfers who will retain their PGA Tour playing privileges, also known as "tour cards", for the following season. The top 50 players in the FedEx Cup standings are fully exempt for the following season, including the Players Championship and signature events. Additionally, the FedEx Cup champion earns a significant bonus, with the total bonus pool exceeding $70 million in recent years.
