In 2008, after Vijay Singh clinched the FedExCup title well before the TOUR Championship, sucking all the drama and intrigue from the final playoff event, the PGA Tour felt a big change was needed so they introduced a resetting of points.
So while the top 5 in the current FedExCup standings are guaranteed to win the title, and the $10M prize, simply by winning the TOUR Championship, it doesn’t mean that players outside that list cannot win the the big prize.
Here a five players, outside the top 5, to keep an eye on in Atlanta this week.
RICKIE FOWLER (No. 6)
Poor Rickie. The extremely popular 28-year-old came into the BMW Championship ranked 6th in the FedExCup standings. He finished T2 at Conway Farms, and is STILL 6th.
Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, and Dustin Johnson were well in front of him to begin the week. His tremendous result did jump him ahead of No. 4 Hideki Matsuyama, but he was not quite able to pass Rahm, and by winning the tournament, Marc Leishman vaulted into 4th.
Fowler had a disappointing 2017 majors season, but a FedExCup Championship would give validation to an otherwise incredible season. His best performance at East Lake was a solo-eighth place finish in 2014.
HOW FOWLER WINS THE FEDEXCUP
- Must win the TOUR Championship AND
- Spieth must finish no better than T2
JUSTIN ROSE (No. 8)
After losing a Masters playoff to Sergio Garcia back in April, Rose went into a terrible slump, finishing no better than T54 in any of his six starts before The Northern Trust. The playoffs, however, appear to have reinvigorated him.
Rose was one of just three players (Spieth, Rahm) to place in the top 10 of all three playoff events, finishing T10, T10, T2 respectively. He had just three bogeys in four rounds at Conway Farms, tied for the best in the field, a big reason he was able to jump from 17th to 8th in the standings.
HOW ROSE WINS THE FEDEXCUP
- Must win the TOUR Championship AND
- Spieth must finish third or worse AND
- Thomas must finish T2 or worse AND
- DJ must finish second or worse
BROOKS KOEPKA (No. 9)
The 2017 U.S. Open Champion Koepka created little buzz over his first 11 playoff rounds, but after a final-round 8-under 63 at the BMW Championship where he birdied nine holes despite hitting just five fairways, he may be rounding back into form at the perfect time.
With his length off the tees and touch on the greens, the 27-year-old Florida State product is a big threat to win his second elite-field event of the season.
HOW KOEPKA WINS THE FEDEXCUP
- Must win the TOUR Championship AND
- Spieth must finish in a 3-way tie for third or worse AND
- Thomas must finish third or worse AND
- DJ must finish T2 or worse AND
- Leishman must finish T2 or worse
JASON DAY (No. 15)
The list of most disappointing golfers in 2017 begins and ends with Jason Day, who started the year at No. 1 in the world, but injury and family issues were the main culprits in a season with just $2.8 million in earnings, after making $17.5 million over the previous two seasons combined.
However, he has looked much better as of late, contending at the PGA Championship, placing T6 at The Northern Trust, and finishing solo-4 at last week’s BMW Championship.
Perhaps most encouraging for Day: his 95 putts at Conways Farms were the fewest of any Tour player in any tournament this year. Everyone knows he can go low, but can he avoid the big numbers for four consecutive days? We have not seen that Day in a while.
HOW DAY WINS THE FEDEXCUP
- Must win the TOUR Championship AND
- Spieth must finish ninth or worse AND
- Thomas must finish T4 or worse AND
- DJ must finish T3 or worse AND
- Leishman must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse AND
- Rahm must finish T2 or worse
PATRICK CANTLAY (No. 29)
When he sunk a clutch birdie on the 72nd hole last week at Conway Farms, the 25-year-old Cantlay became one of just two rookies (No. 26 Xander Schauffele) to make it to East Lake, despite playing in just 12 tournaments in 2017, the fewest of anyone in the field.
Cantlay’s form has been tremendous in his first playoffs, as he has posted finishes of T10, T13, and T9 respectively. At No. 29 in the current standings, he will need a LOT of help from the field, but nothing looks impossible with what Cantlay has overcome this season.
HOW CANTLAY WINS THE FEDEXCUP
- Must win the TOUR Championship AND
- Spieth must finish 27th or worse AND
- Thomas must finish in a 3-way tie for sixth or worse AND
- DJ must finish T4 or worse AND
- Leishman must finish T3 or worse AND
- Rahm must finish in a 3-way tie for second or worse AND
- Fowler must finish T2 or worse
