Unpredictable Endings
Scheffler was the latest in a long list of regular-season FedExCup leaders to falter in the Playoffs. In the 16 FedExCups, the only three players who led at the end of the regular season and went on to win the FedExCup were Woods in 2007 and 2009 and Spieth in 2015.
And no one—not even Woods in his prime—ran the table: finishing first in points for the regular season and staying there.
Woods came the closest in the inaugural FedExCup season of 2007. He skipped the first playoff event, won by Steve Stricker to take over first place in points. Woods went back on top by tying for second and winning in the next two Playoffs, and then destroyed the field at East Lake with an eight-shot victory in the TOUR Championship.
Rahm’s Lead
Jon Rahm is heading for a Scheffler-like domination of the points race through the 2023 Zurich Classic. It was his 14th consecutive week at No. 1 after Max Homa, Mackenzie Hughes, Keegan Bradley, and Seamus Power took turns at the top.
As history has shown, Rahm can’t feel comfortable until the final putt at East Lake.
Race to the Finish
Now, consider the 2023 FedExCup race and the possibility of an even greater spectacle.
The eligibility list for the Playoffs has been cut by 55 players. In the past, the top-125 on the points list advanced to the Playoffs but this year only 70 will go to the TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tenn., on August 10-13 for the St. Jude Classic. From there the top-50 go to Olympia Fields near Chicago the following week for the BMW Championship. The top-30 from there advance to East Lake.
The first-place check rises to $25 million. What that means is 44 percent fewer players battling all season for more money.
Players are not only trying to get to East Lake but also to position themselves for the TOUR’s new calendar-year schedule. Those top-50 players who emerge from Memphis will be eligible for the 2024 “Elevated Events”—eight no-cut tournaments with fields of around 80 players and purses of at least $20 million. The rest of those fields will be filled out by the FedExCup points list at the time of the event.
Points are precious. And nothing is guaranteed, as Scheffler and 12 other regular-season FedExCup points leaders discovered.
This was first published in Essential Golf – you can read the complete magazine here.