The PGA Tour season reaches its climax this month with the FedExCup Playoffs, but how do they work and who is in the running to top the standings? We take a closer look at the field, format and all you need to know…
What are the FedExCup Playoffs?
The FedExCup is a season-long points competition where players earn points based on how they perform in PGA Tour events, with extra points on offer at the majors, The Players and the PGA Tour’s ‘Signature Events’.
The playoffs were launched in 2007 and have received multiple tweaks to the qualification and format since, with this year’s edition having three tournaments that all offer limited field sizes.
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Relive how Scheffler beat Collin Morikawa to Tour Championship victory and the FedExCup crown at East Lake
Which tournaments are included and who gets to feature?
Only the top 70 in the season-long standings qualify for the FedEx St Jude Championship, held at TPC Southwind in Memphis from August 7-10, with the top 50 after that progressing to the BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club in Maryland from August 14-17.
Both of those events offer 2000 FedExCup points to the winner – four times the amount awarded for a regular PGA Tour event, with both also not having a 36-hole cut.
The top 30 in the standings after those tournaments qualify for the Tour Championship, taking place from August 21-24 at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, with all there events exclusively live on Sky Sports.
Who will be involved?
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler tops the standings after winning two majors during another stellar season, with Rory McIlroy his closest challenger after Grand Slam victory at The Masters was one of three wins – so far – in 2025.
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McIlroy’s best shots from his historical 2025 Masters victory at the Augusta National, where he completed the career Grand Slam
McIlroy will skip the first play-off event but is expected to play in the other two and challenge for a record fourth FedExCup title, with Sepp Straka, Russell Henley and Justin Thomas rounding off the current top five.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley are among those inside the top 10 and well-placed to push towards a Tour Championship spot, while Cameron Young’s impressive week at the Wyndham Championship lifted him inside the top 20.
What is the Tour Championship format and what has changed?
The first 12 editions saw the FedExCup standings continue to be updated during the tournament and leave two awards being up for grabs, ending in 2018 after Tiger Woods won the Tour Championship as Justin Rose ended the season as No 1.
The format changed ahead of the 2019 contest to a staggered scoring system, with the FedExCup leader getting a two-shot advantage over the field and starting on 10 under.
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The Sky Sports Golf team review Scheffler and Collin Morikawa’s final rounds at the 2024 Tour Championship, where both were in contention
Starting scores were based on players’ positions in the season-long standings, with players starting as many as 10 strokes back, with the winner of the Tour Championship also being crowned FedExCup champion.
The starting strokes advantage has now been scrapped, meaning all 30 players entering the Tour Championship will start on the same score and the best performer over four rounds will claim the FedExCup.
How has the prize money changed?
The FedExCup prize pot was previously more geared around the Tour Championship, where $25m went to the winner, although the money has been rebalanced ahead of this year’s contest.
Scheffler (right) and McIlroy (left) are the current top two in the FedExCup standings
The FedExCup Bonus Distribution remains at $100m, although the top 10 after the Wyndham Championship now receive payouts and the top 30 after the BMW Championship also get additional prize money.
A $40m purse is in then in operation for the season-ending Tour Championship, with the winner getting $10m – the largest prize fund of the year. That’s without the $3.6m first prize on offer for both the first two play-off events.
What do you get for qualifying for the FedExCup playoffs?
Those finishing inside the top 70 will be exempt for all full-field events on the PGA Tour in 2026, including The Players, while the top 50 finishers automatically qualify for next year’s Signature Events.
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Highlights of the three hole play-off match between McIlroy and JJ Spaun at The Players
Anyone qualifying for the Tour Championship will then earn a spot at The Masters, US Open and The Open the following season.
The first two events will also offer opportunities to earn qualification points in the race to qualify for the Ryder Cup, with the qualification campaign to feature for Team USA ending after the BMW Championship.
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Sky Sports’ Jamie Weir and Sir Nick Faldo sit down with Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley to discuss the possibility of him playing and captaining Team USA
Which players have impressed before?
Scheffler is looking to become the first back-to-back winner of the FedExCup and enters the Playoffs as the No 1 seed for the third time in four years, while McIlroy is the only three-time winner after lifting the trophy in 2016, 2019 and 2022.
Viktor Hovland won the 2023 contest and Patrick Cantlay won the 2021 edition, with Justin Rose, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods (twice) among the others to claim FedExCup victory.
How can I watch live on Sky Sports?
Sky Sports will have extended coverage from all three of the FedExCup Playoffs, with all tournament rounds on Sky Sports Golf and bonus coverage on Sky Sports+.
Early coverage of the FedEx St Jude Championship begins at 1pm over the first two rounds on Sky Sports+, ahead of full coverage from 7pm on Thursday, 6.30pm on Friday and 6pm over the weekend on Sky Sports Golf.
BMW Championship coverage will begin at 5pm on Thursday August 14 and Friday August 15, before starting at 6pm over the weekend. Not got Sky? Stream the women’s majors and more with no contract.
