FedEx Cup Points Series on the PGA Tour

Billy Horschel
American golfer Billy Horschel poses with the FedExCup after winning the TOUR Championship and the FedExCup Playoffs on Sept. 14, 2014 in Atlanta. Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

The FedEx Cup points series was introduced to the PGA Tour beginning with the 2007 season. It is a seasonlong points chase in which golfers accrue points over the course of the year. The top point-getters at the end of the FedEx Cup series schedule advance into the FedEx Cup Playoffs and win bonus prizes from a large cash purse. Beginning with the 2013 season, the FedEx Cup points list also replaced the PGA Tour money list for determining which golfers keep their fully exempt status for the following year.

FedEx Cup Basics

The basic structure of the FedEx Cup on the PGA Tour is pretty simple:

  • Each week golfers earn points for their finish in PGA Tour events; those points add up.
  • At the end of the "regular season," the Top 125 on the points list move on to the "playoffs."
  • The playoffs are a series of three tournaments culminating in the Tour Championship, after which the FedEx Cup points champion is crowned and awarded $10 million from a $35 million prize pool.

The other important things to note are that point values are quadrupled in the first two playoff events. At the Tour Championship season-ender, the points are converted into a starting score in relation to par and the Tour Championship winner also wins the FedEx Cup championship.

Fed Ex Cup Regular Season

The "regular season" of the FedEx Cup series stretches from Week 1 of the PGA Tour schedule to the Wyndham Championship in early August. The majors — The Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, and PGA Championship — are part of the regular season, as are the World Golf Championships events that occur between Week 1 and the Wyndham.

These "regular season" tournaments each offer a set amount of points, which golfers accrue. At the conclusion of the FedEx Cup regular season, those golfers with enough points advance into the playoffs.

FedEx Cup Playoffs

At the conclusion of the FedEx Cup regular season, the Top 125 golfers on the points list advance into the playoffs, a series of three tournaments (the playoffs were reduced from tournaments to three beginning in 2019) culminating in the Tour Championship. After each week of the playoffs, the fields are cut, until only 30 golfers move on to the final event.

The three playoff tournaments are:

The cuts in the field each week of the playoffs are determined by ranking on the FedEx Cup points list. For example, following Week 1 of the playoffs, only the Top 70 on the points list advance to the BMW Championship.

Point values available in the first two playoffs are quadruple those available in regular-season tournaments. (For example, if finishing in X place was worth 300 points in the regular season, it will earn 1,200 points in the playoffs).

Prior to the series-ending Tour Championship, the points are converted into a starting score ranging from 10-under to even-par. The FedEx Cup leader begins the Tour Championship at 10-under, in other words, while the golfer in 30th place in the point standings begins at even par. The PGA Tour explains:

"The FedExCup points leader after the first two Playoffs events will begin the Tour Championship at 10-under par. The next four players will start at 8-under through 5-under, respectively. The next five will begin at 4-under, regressing by one stroke per five players until those ranked Nos. 26-30 start at even par."

The golfer, therefore, who wins the Tour Championship is also the winner of the FedEx Cup. This change was instituted prior to the 2018-19 season and removes the possibility of the Tour Championship winner and FedEx Cup winner being two different golfers.

FedEx Cup Winners

Golfers to win the FedEx Cup championship are:

2019 - Rory McIlroy
2018 - Justin Rose
2017 - Justin Thomas
2016 - Rory McIlroy
2015 - Jordan Spieth
2014 - Billy Horschel
2013 - Henrik Stenson
2012 - Brandt Snedeker
2011 - Bill Haas
2010 - Jim Furyk
2009 - Tiger Woods
2008 - Vijay Singh
2007 - Tiger Woods

FedEx Cup Points and PGA Tour Eligibility

Golfers finishing Nos. 1-125 on the FedEx Cup points list advance into the playoffs. But what about those PGA Tour members outside the Top 125? Golfers finishing Nos. 126-200 on the points list become eligible for the Web.com Tour Finals, which combines the Top 75 from the Web.com Tour money list with those PGA Tour golfers who failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Those 150 golfers compete over four tournaments, at the end of which the top money earners receive PGA Tour exemption status for the following season. The Top 25 on the Web.com money list are guaranteed PGA Tour cards going into the finals, however, and only another 25 golfers come out of the Web.com Tour Finals with PGA Tour status.

Moral of that story: Don't finish outside the Top 125 on the FedEx Cup points list.

For more information, including point standings, visit the FedEx Cup index on PGATour.com.