How the FedEx Cup Playoffs work: The format, the stakes and the $100 million jackpot

After a topsy-turvy season that included a Scottie Scheffler run for the ages, two Xander Schauffele majors and a once-in-a-generation amateur victory, we’re all set for a much-anticipated FedEx Cup Playoffs. Scheffler, of course, will lead the pack, taking a sizeable 1,900-point lead over No. 2 Xander Schauffele and nearly 2,500 points over third-place Rory McIlroy. Still, golf luminaries like Schauffele and McIlroy aren’t giving up on winning the title, and neither are the others in the top 10 on the points list: Collin Morikawa, Wyndham Clark, Ludvig Åberg, Sahith Theegala, Hideki Matsuyama, Sungjae Im and Shane Lowry. Last year’s winners in the three playoff events were Lucas Glover, Viktor Hovland and then Hovland again; Hovland is currently on the outside looking in when it comes to the BMW Championship (top 50), but we’ll find out soon enough if he can continue the FedEx Cup magic.

For a refresher on how the playoffs work, here are answers to some questions that will help you understand what’s in store as the tour crowns its next FedEx Cup champion.

When are the FedEx Cup Playoffs played?

Here is the three tournament schedule:

FedEx St. Jude Championship, TPC Southwind, Memphis, Aug. 15-18

BMW Championship, Castle Pines Golf Club, Castle Rock, Colo., Aug. 22-25

Tour Championship, East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Aug. 29-Sept. 1

How many golfers will play in each of the three events?

The top 70 players off the FedEx Cup eligibility points list are on the field at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. This is the second year that number is so low; previously it was the top 125 who got into the playoffs. The top 50 after St. Jude moved on to the BMW Championship (previously the cut was to the top 70). The top 30 after the BMW then advance from Castle Rock to Atlanta for the Tour Championship, the traditional conclusion of the season.

Remind us again: How is the actual FedEx Cup winner decided?

OK, so instead of all 30 players starting with the same score when they compete at the Tour Championship, players are now staggered by strokes based on where they stand in the FedEx Cup points list coming into East Lake. The No. 1-ranked player begins the final tournament at 10 under par, with the No. 2 player at eight under, and then seven under, six under and five under for Nos. 3-5. Nos. 6-10 start at four under; Nos. 11-15 start at three under; Nos. 16-20 start at two under; Nos. 21-25 start at one under; and Nos. 26-30 start at even par. The individual with the best score after the stroke adjustment—not merely the best 72-hole score—will be the winner of the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup.

So there are no separate winners of the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup anymore?

Nope … that’s why the change was made in 2019, to help eliminate the confusion of somebody winning the tournament at East Lake but not being the actual FedEx Cup champion. In fact, there is no longer a separate purse for the Tour Championship.

Were there two winners a lot?

In the first 12 years of the playoffs, it happened four times, including in 2017 and 2018. Remember Tiger Woods’ win at the Tour Championship in 2018? Well, it was Justin Rose who took home the FedEx Cup. Given how frequently this was happening, PGA Tour officials decided they needed an alternative to simplify the race for the FedEx Cup title.

Stan Badz/PGA Tour

Does winning the Tour Championship count for a player’s victory total?

Yes. It still counts for the PGA Tour’s records.

Who were the players in the lead at the start of this year’s playoffs?

At the end of the PGA Tour’s regular season—after the Wyndham Championship—Scottie Scheffler had 5992.75 for a definitive lead with Xander Schauffele (4057.33), Rory McIlroy (2545.30), Collin Morikawa (2456.05) and Wyndham Clark (2153.73) filling out the top five.

Click here for a complete list of the rankings.

Do points from the regular season carry over into the playoffs?

Yes. And then any points earned in the first two FedEx Cup playoff events are added to a player’s regular-season points to get their new place on the FedEx Cup points list each week.

How are the points earned different in the playoffs compared to the regular season?

As you might imagine, a premium is given to players who win/play well in playoff events. If you won a regular-season PGA Tour stop, you earned 500 points. For a playoff win, you get 2,000 points. Similarly, all players earn four times the points for their performances in playoff events compared with regular-season tournaments.

Who is the defending FedEx Cup champion?

Keyur Khamar

Viktor Hovland is the defending FedEx Cup champ after starting in seventh place heading into the playoffs. Jon Rahm was leading the charge and carried the extra strokes going into the Tour Championship in Atlanta, but finished T-18 at East Lake. Lucas Glover won the first event and then Hovland won the BMW Championship putting himself in solid position to snatch the title.

Hovland finished the Tour Championship at 27 under, featuring a 63 on Sunday. He ultimately beat Xander Schauffele by five strokes and took home a nice little sum of $18 million.

Who has won the most FedEx Cups?

Rankin White

With his win in 2023, Hovland captured his first title. The preceding year was won by Rory McIlroy for his third FedEx Cup title. McIlroy leads all PGA Tour pros with three. Tiger Woods is the only other golfer with more than one, winning the inaugural FedEx Cup Playoffs in 2007 and again in 2009.

Past champions include:

2007: Tiger Woods

2008: Vijay Singh

2009: Tiger Woods

2010: Jim Furyk

2011: Bill Haas

2012: Brandt Snedeker

2013: Henrik Stenson

2014: Billy Horschel

2015: Jordan Spieth

2016: Rory McIlroy

2017: Justin Thomas

2018: Justin Rose

2019: Rory McIlroy

2020: Dustin Johnson

2021: Patrick Cantlay

2022: Rory McIlroy

2023: Viktor Hovland

How much FedEx Cup prize money will be handed out?

The short answer: A lot. Starting in 2019, the FedEx Cup winner earned $15 million from an overall prize money payout of $60 million. It was then increased again in 2022, with the total payout being $75 million and the winner taking home a whopping $18 million. This year, it’s even bigger: $100 million for the total prize money payout with the winner grabbing $25 million.

Here’s the breakdown of what each player will earn at the Tour Championship:

1: $25,000,000

2: $12,500,000

3: $7,500,000

4: $6,000,000

5: $5,000,000

6: $3,500,000

7: $2,750,000

8: $2,250,000

9: $2,000,000

10: $1,750,000

Main image: Ben Jared