Understanding Where’s, Who’s, How’s, and What’s of FedEx Cup Playoffs, One-Step At A Time

FedEx Cup is one of the most exciting tournaments in the golf season. Golfers get to unwind after almost a nerve-wracking season, and also unleash the beast in them during the pre-listed tournaments in the tournament, and compete for hefty paychecks with each other. But, for many golf enthusiasts, the format of the FedEx Cup can be a bit tedious to understand and make sense of in the beginning.

To make the process of understanding this stunning and groundbreaking format event, here’s an elaborate guideline about the playoffs for the readers to help them understand a bit better.

A step-by-step guide to understanding the FedEx Cup Playoffs 

The FedEx Cup was introduced in 2007, but the inaugural tournament was played for the first time in 2007.

Where are FedEx Cup Playoffs played? 

The FedEx Cup Playoffs comprises pf three scheduled tournaments namely FedEx St. Jude Championship, BMW Championship, and Tour Championship. The three playoffs are scheduled at three different venues that remain the same every year. 

• FedEx St. Jude Championship, TPC Southwind, Memphis
• BMW Championship, Wilmington Country Club, Wilmington, Delaware
• Tour Championship, East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta

Before 2019, there used to be four events in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, but now eventually in 2019, the number of playoff events was reduced to 3. 

How many golfers compete in all three playoff events? 

Before 2023, 125 golfers who were in the top in the FedEx Cup Standing table competed in the FedEx St. Jude Championship, and the top 70 on the leaderboard used to go to Delaware. Out of the top 70, the top 50 would compete in East Lake.

But, as of 2023, the top 70 players in the FedCup Standing would comprise the field for the first playoff. Out of those 70, the top 50 would compete in the BMW Championship, and the top 30 would finally go head-to-head for the winning purse. 

How is the winner of the FedEx Cup decided? 

All the qualified players who make it to East Lake do not start with the same score of being at par. The golfers are given starting strokes as per their place in the FedEx Cup Points List. 

The Tour Championship “starting strokes” are listed below.

No. 1 – 10 Under
No. 2 – 8 Under
No. 3 – 7 Under
No. 4 – 6 Under
No. 5 – 5 Under
Nos. 6-10 – 4 Under
Nos. 11-15 – 3 Under
Nos. 16-20 – 2 Under
Nos. 21-25 – 1 Under
Nos. 26-30 – Even par

The golfer who has the best score after the adjusted starting strokes will be crowned as the Tour Championship winner and the FedEx Cup Champion. 

Are Tour Championship and FedEx Cup winners different from each other? 

Before 2019, the chances of two different golfers winning the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup were there because of the assignment and awarding of points. But after what happened in 2017 and 2018, a new format was introduced that will ensure that the Tour Championship winner would also be the FedEx Cup champion.

Read More: Tiger Woods Finally Breaks Silence With a Bold Response to $3 Billion LIV Golf Betrayal

What happened in 2018 that led to the change in the rule? 

For the second consecutive time in 2018, the winners of the FedEx Cup and the Tour Championship were different. Tiger Woods won the Tour Championship, and Justin Rose tied for fourth position in the Championship but he still was crowned as FedEx Cup champion. 

Why? Because Woods entered the championship at the 20th position in the FedEx Cup points list, Rose entered while he was in the second position. 

So, now if a golfer is winning the Tour Championship, he is also the winner of the FedEx Cup.

How do players earn points in the FedEx Cup table? 

Golfers earn points in every PGA Tour event they compete in. Even in the major 

tournaments, winners earn 600 points that help them with their FedEx Cup standing. Even in the FedEx Cup playoffs, the players earn points.  For every regular PGA Tour event that golfers win, they get 500 points, but for being at the top in the playoffs, they get 2000 points. Not just winners, but all the players get 4X points for their playoff performances as compared to the regular PGAT event. 

Who has the most FedEx Cup wins to their name? 

The Northern Irishman has been the FedEx Cup Champion thrice and Tiger Woods has won the tournament twice. 

How much does the winner usually earn after winning the FedEx Cup? 

FedEx Cup Champion usually takes home a lot of money. For 2023, the total bonus pool for the FedExCup Playoffs is $75 million, with the FedExCup Champion earning $18 million. 

FedEx Cup is a very innovative event on the PGA Tour that has a lot of interesting facts, and stats that fans can actually enjoy and devour. Who do you think will end up winning this year the FedExCup?

Watch this story – ‘Are you kidding me’ PGA Pro’s insane ‘shot of a lifetime’ manifestation at the $1m event tongue-tied the community