FedEx Cup playoffs, explained: Updated standings, points format & more to know about golf’s 2024 championship | Sporting News Canada

It’s crunch time on the course. 

The 2024 PGA Tour season has delivered a plethora of memorable moments. From Scottie Scheffler winning his second Masters in three years to Xander Schauffele dominating at the PGA Championship and the British Open, it’s been a season to remember in golf. 

All good things must come to an end, and the PGA Tour is in the final stretch for this year. There are only three competitions left to determine this season’s FedEx Cup champion, with a trio of tournaments making up the FedEx Cup playoffs. 

The playoffs in golf aren’t like other sports. While all the pros in the field have their eyes on lifting the FedEx Cup, it’s not nearly as prestigious as winning a major. However, no tournament has a cash prize at the end like the FedEx Cup playoffs do, adding extra motivation for the golfers. 

Viktor Hovland enters as the defending FedEx Cup champion from 2023. The Norwegian golfer dazzled during the playoffs last year, winning the BMW Championship to set himself up for a victory at the PGA Tour championship. 

Who will take it all this year? That answer will soon be revealed. 

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 FedEx Cup, including standings, rules, points, schedules, and payouts.

MORE: FedEx Cup Championship golf expert picks and predictions

How do the FedEx Cup playoffs work?

Throughout the 2024 PGA Tour season, golfers have been able to earn points that count toward the FedEx Cup playoffs. 

As one would expect, the higher a golfer finishes at a PGA Tour-sanctioned event, the more points they earn. Whoever finishes in first place earns the most, then second, and so on. 

By the end of the campaign, the top 70 golfers in the standings move on to the FedEx Cup playoffs. Regular season points carry over into the first two FedExCup playoff events. 

The first FedEx Cup playoff event is the FedEx St. Jude Championship, held Aug. 15-18. The top 50 golfers after that event advance to the BMW Championship (Aug. 22-25). From there, the top 30 then move on to the Tour Championship at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Ga. (Aug. 29-Sept. 1).

The PGA Tour winner receives a massive payday, but money isn’t the only reward. They also are granted a five-year exemption that allows them entry into PGA Tour events — meaning they do not have to qualify for events. 

MORE: Bryson DeChambeau ‘break 50’ challenge, explained

FedEx Cup points system

The points system for the FedEx Cup is fairly simple — the higher you finish at a tournament, the more points you get.

The PGA Tour’s four majors — the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and Open Championship — are all worth 750 points. That also applies to the Players’ Championship, which is viewed as the unofficial fifth major on the tour. That is up from the previous total of 600. 

Golfers receive 700 points for winning signature PGA Tour events, including the World Golf Championship, The Genesis Invitational, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and the Memorial Tournament. Full-field events are worth 500 points. 

The Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a two-man team event, awards 400 points each to the winners of the tournament. Other additional events can earn up to 300 points as well.

But winning isn’t the only way that golfers earn FedEx Cup points. Players who make the 36-hole cut at each tournament automatically receive points for their performance. As mentioned, the higher a golfer finishes, the more points they accumulate. 

Once in the playoffs, the points system changes. The winners of the FedEx St. Jude Championship and BMS Championship will earn 2,000 points. Second place in those events grants a player 1,200 points, while third is worth 760.

MORE: Who won gold at the 2024 Olympics in golf?

You can find the full points system here.

For the final event in the FedEx Cup playoffs — the PGA Tour championship — the points system goes out the window. Instead, a golfer’s placement in the standings determined their starting score at East Lake. The player with the most points begins with a 10-under handicap while players in his pursuit can rank anywhere from 8-under to even par.

Here is the full handicap system:

• 1-seed: (10 under)
• 2-seed: (8 under)
• 3-seed: (7 under)
• 4-seed: (6 under)
• 5-seed: (5 under)
• Seeds 6-10: (4 under)
• Seeds 11-15: (3 under)
• Seeds 16-20: (2 under)
• Seeds 21-25: (1 under)
• Seeds 26-30: (par)

It’s worth noting that the No. 1 seed has won the Tour Championship in three of the last four seasons. However, Rory McIlroy was able to take home the title in 2022 after Scottie Scheffler faltered, despite his handicap. McIlroy had started at 4-under par, but he erased Scheffler’s six-stroke lead over four days. 

FedEx Cup standings 2024

Below is a look at the top 50 golfers left in the FedEx Cup standings heading into the BMW Championship:

FedEx Cup playoffs schedule

FedEx St. Jude Championship

• Dates: Aug. 15-18
• Course: TPC Southwind
• Location: Memphis, Tenn.

The FedEx St. Jude Championship is the first stop on the PGA Tour’s three-tournament playoff circuit. It marks the third season that the event, played at the 7,244-yard TPC Southwind, will be a part of the playoffs.

There are no cuts at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. All 70 golfers have the opportunity to play a full four rounds, however, 20 golfers will be cut following the conclusion of the tournament. 

BMW Championship

• Dates: Aug. 21-25
• Course: Castle Pines Golf Club
• Location: Castle Rock, Colo.

A total of 50 golfers will travel west to Colorado for the BMW Championship, which will be played at the Castle Pines Golf Club. Once again, there will be no 36-hole cut, allowing all playoff golfers to participate in the entire tournament.

The BMW Championship plays at 7,701 yards and favors the bigger hitters on the tour.

Tour Championship

• Dates: Aug. 29-Sept. 1
• Course: East Lake Golf Club
• Location: Atlanta, Ga.

East Lake Golf Club has hosted the PGA Tour Championship since 2004, and it remains the iconic finishing spot for the PGA’s top professionals. The final 30 remaining golfers will compete with a specific score given to start the tournament, based on the FedEx Cup standings. 

FedEx Cup payouts 2024

The FedEx Cup has increased its massive prize pool to $100 million for 2024.

The winner is set to bring home a massive payday of $25 million. Second place earns $12.5 million, while third gets $7.5 million. Everyone in the top 10 will receive at least $1.75 million. 

Below is a look at the FedEx Cup payouts for the top-10 in 2024: