How it works: FedExCup Playoffs

The FedExCup Playoffs brings unique drama in professional golf, with a starting field of 70 players whittled down to one FedExCup champion.

The Playoffs kicks off at the 70-player FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, followed by the 50-player BMW Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club outside Chicago.

The final 30 players remaining will proceed to East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta for the TOUR Championship, which features a Starting Strokes format to reward the highest-ranked players on the season-long FedExCup standings, a cumulative race but with quadruple points awarded at the first two Playoffs events.

The player with the lowest score after 72 holes at East Lake, handicapped by Starting Strokes, will earn the FedExCup title.

What’s the FedExCup?

The 2022-23 PGA TOUR Season marks the 17th edition of the FedExCup, a season-long points competition which culminates with the FedExCup Playoffs, a series of three events to determine the FedExCup champion.

The 2022-23 PGA TOUR Regular Season featured 47 official FedExCup events beginning with the 2022 Fortinet Championship and running through the 2023 Wyndham Championship. TOUR members earn FedExCup points based on their finish at each tournament, with an emphasis placed on wins and high finishes.

The top 70 players in the FedExCup standings are eligible for the FedExCup Playoffs with the three events featuring a progressive cut with fields of 70, 50 and 30 players.

The first two FedExCup Playoffs events, the FedEx St. Jude Championship and BMW Championship, each offer quadruple points (2,000 points to the winner) compared to a standard Regular Season event (500 points to the winner).

The FedExCup Playoffs finale, the TOUR Championship, features FedExCup Starting Strokes, a staggered, strokes-based system that represents the final FedExCup standings, recognizing players for their Regular Season performance as well as their play in the first two FedExCup Playoffs events.

The total bonus pool for the FedExCup Playoffs is $75 million, with the FedExCup champion earning $18 million.

What’s at stake?

Here’s a closer look at what players are competing for during the FedExCup Playoffs and what’s at stake each week.

Note: In the event an eligible player is unable or chooses not to play, the field will be shortened and no alternates will be added. There are no cuts in FedExCup Playoffs events.

TOP 70

The top 70 in the FedExCup standings after the Wyndham Championship are guaranteed of retaining top-125 status for the following season. That status makes them exempt for all Full-Field Events and gives them a spot in THE PLAYERS.

Players who advanced to the FedEx St. Jude Championship but did not qualify for the BMW Championship – i.e. Nos. 51-70 in the FedExCup – will carry FedExCup points earned in the Regular Season and at the FedEx St. Jude Championship into the FedExCup Fall.

In the Fall, those players will try to earn one of the 10 spots available in next season’s first two Signature Events after The Sentry. Those spots will go to the top 10 players in the final FedExCup standings (after The RSM Classic) who are not yet exempt for those two Signature Events.

TOP 50

Making it to the BMW Championship carries the utmost importance for 2024.

Those who advance to the BMW Championship are guaranteed access to all Signature Events for 2024. Each Signature Event will feature approximately 70-80 of the TOUR’s top players competing for elevated purses and increased FedExCup points.

The eight Signature Events are as follows:

• The Sentry (Jan. 1-7)
• AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Jan. 29-Feb. 4)
• The Genesis Invitational (Feb. 12-18)
• Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard (March 4-10)
• RBC Heritage (April 15-21)
• Wells Fargo Championship (May 6-12)
• the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (June 3-9)
• Travelers Championship (June 17-23)

The Sentry, which will serve as the season-opener in 2024, previously invited tournament winners and players who qualified for the TOUR Championship. Tournament winners in 2023 are still exempt for the 2024 Sentry, as well.

TOP 30

Under the Starting Strokes format, the TOUR Championship features a staggered start based on players’ standing in the FedExCup.

Qualifying for the TOUR Championship carries a two-year exemption on TOUR. It also brings an invitation to the 2024 Masters and traditionally has carried exemptions into the U.S. Open and The Open, as well (those tournaments have yet to announce their exemption criteria for 2024).

The FedExCup champion receives a five-year TOUR exemption.

The player who finishes atop the TOUR Championship leaderboard is the FedExCup champion. Finishing first at East Lake brings an $18 million FedExCup Bonus. The runner-up receives $6.5 million, and everyone at East Lake earns at least $500,000.

TOUR Championship and FedExCup Starting Strokes

At the TOUR Championship, the player with the lowest stroke total over 72 holes when combined with his FedExCup Starting Strokes will be named FedExCup champion. He will also receive an official victory at the TOUR Championship.

The FedExCup points leader after the first two Playoffs events will begin the TOUR Championship at 10-under par. The No. 2 player will start at 8-under. The No. 3 player starts at 7-under; the No. 4 player starts at 6-under; the No. 5 player starts at 5-under. Players 6-10 start at 4-under; players 11-15 start at 3-under; players 16-20 start at 2-under; players 21-25 start at 1-under; and players 26-30 start at even par.

In the event there are tied players at any position going into the TOUR Championship, tied players will be awarded the same number of Starting Strokes for Round 1. For example, if two players are tied for second position, both players would start at 8 under and the No. 4 player would start at 6 under.

Any professional that is qualified for the TOUR Championship but unable to participate will not be awarded Starting Strokes, and Starting Stroke positions for the remaining players will not be reallocated. Any professional who is unable to play, is disqualified or withdraws for any reason will finish in last position for the TOUR Championship.