The Race for the FedEx Cup: Top 70 Finalized as Playoffs Begin at TPC Southwind

The 2026 PGA Tour regular season has officially concluded, setting the stage for the most high-stakes stretch of the golfing calendar. Following the dramatic conclusion of the Wyndham Championship, the top 70 players in the season-long standings have punched their tickets to Memphis, Tennessee. Beginning Thursday, August 13, TPC Southwind will host the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the opening leg of the 2026 FedEx Cup Playoffs. For the elite field assembling in Memphis, the objective is twofold: capture a prestigious title with a $20 million purse and accumulate enough points to survive the first wave of postseason eliminations.[3]

The pressure at TPC Southwind is uniquely intense, as the FedEx St. Jude Championship serves as a ruthless filter for the remainder of the playoffs. The par-70, 7,288-yard layout is notoriously demanding, rewarding precision off the tee and punishing errant shots with an abundance of water hazards and deep bunkers. After four rounds of no-cut golf in Memphis, the playoff field will be slashed from 70 down to the top 50 players, who will then advance to the BMW Championship. For those hovering near the bottom of the top 70, every single stroke at TPC Southwind could mean the difference between extending their season and packing their bags.[3][6]

Entering the postseason, world number one Scottie Scheffler remains the undisputed man to beat. Scheffler has maintained a stranglehold on the FedEx Cup standings throughout the 2026 campaign, leading the Tour's money list with an impressive $16.9 million in earnings. While he has not found the winner's circle since capturing the American Express title in January, his consistency has been nothing short of historic. Scheffler has amassed five runner-up finishes, 11 top-fives, and 16 top-25s across 17 starts this season. His ability to relentlessly grind out results makes him the overwhelming favorite as the playoffs commence.[4]

While Scheffler enjoys a comfortable cushion at the top, the bottom of the standings experienced seismic shifts during the final week of the regular season. The Wyndham Championship served as the ultimate last-chance saloon, and Michael Brennan seized the opportunity in spectacular fashion. Brennan captured the Wyndham title on Sunday, a career-defining victory that vaulted him from 105th in the standings all the way up to 47th. By securing his place safely inside the top 70, Brennan transformed his season from a quiet campaign into a legitimate playoff run.[2]

Brennan was not the only player to make a significant move during the regular-season finale, though not every surge ended in triumph. Beau Hossler delivered a valiant performance to finish second at the Wyndham Championship, leaping 50 spots in the standings from 122nd to 72nd. Agonizingly, Hossler's heroic effort left him just two spots shy of the playoff cutoff. Meanwhile, players like Harry Hall and Tom Kim utilized strong top-five finishes in Greensboro to comfortably solidify their postseason positioning, moving to 58th and 26th respectively.[2]

The ruthless nature of the top-70 cutoff means that several prominent figures will be forced to watch the playoffs from home. The most notable absence is Keegan Bradley, the 2025 US Ryder Cup captain, who finished his campaign ranked 74th. Despite a solid tie for 12th at the RBC Heritage earlier in the year, Bradley struggled to find consistent form throughout the 2026 season. Consequently, he misses the FedEx Cup Playoffs for the first time since joining the PGA Tour in 2011, marking a disappointing end to his year.[1]

Englishman Matt Wallace experienced similar heartbreak, finishing 73rd in the final standings. Wallace put together a steady season that included three top-10 finishes and a runner-up performance at the Valero Texas Open in May. He fought until the very end, birdieing the 72nd hole at the Wyndham Championship on Sunday, but ultimately fell just short of the required points threshold. The narrow misses by veterans like Bradley and Wallace underscore the immense depth of talent currently competing on the PGA Tour.[1]

Adding another layer of intrigue to the 2026 postseason is a significant structural change implemented by the PGA Tour. For the first time in several years, the Tour has eliminated the staggered starting strokes format for the Tour Championship finale. This means that when the surviving 30 players arrive at East Lake Golf Club in late August, everyone will begin the tournament at even par. The winner of the event will be crowned the FedEx Cup champion and claim the $10 million top prize, ensuring a dramatic, straight-up shootout for the season's ultimate crown.[5]

Before anyone can dream of East Lake, however, they must conquer TPC Southwind. The FedEx St. Jude Championship represents a fresh start for the 70 qualifiers, where past struggles are erased and a single hot week can redefine a career. With $20 million on the line and 20 spots set to evaporate by Sunday evening, the opening leg of the playoffs promises to deliver the kind of high-stakes, pressure-packed golf that defines the sport's modern era. The race for the FedEx Cup has officially begun.[3][6]