FedEx Cup Points Series on the PGA Tour

The FedEx Cup points series was introduced to the PGA Tour for the 2007 season. It is a seasonlong points chase, similar to NASCAR's Nextel Cup, in which golfers accrue points over the course of the year. The top point-getters at the end of the FedEx Cup series schedule win bonus prizes from a large cash purse.

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 four 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 thing to note is that point values are quintupled in the playoff events, and are reset prior to the Tour Championship.

The "regular season" of the FedEx Cup series stretches from Week 1 of the PGA Tour schedule (the Mercedes Championship in early January) to the Wyndham Championship in mid-August. The majors - Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, and PGA Championship - are part of the regular season, as are the World Golf Championships events.

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.

Also, point values available in the playoffs are quintuple those available in regular-season tournaments. (For example, if finishing in X place was worth 300 points in the regular season, it will earn 1,500 points in the playoffs). Prior to the series-ending Tour Championship, the points are reset using a weighted formula; the reset gives everyone who makes it to the Tour Championship a shot at winning the FedEx Cup Series championship.

At the conclusion of the FedEx Cup regular season, the Top 125 golfers on the points list advance into the playoffs, a series of four tournaments 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 four playoff tournaments are:

• The Barclays (125 golfers in the field)
• Deutsche Bank Championship (100 golfers in the field)
• BMW Championship (70 golfers in the field)
• Tour Championship (30 golfers in the field)

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 100 on the points list advance to the Deutsche Bank Championship.

The golfer atop to the points list following the Tour Championship is crowned the FedEx Cup champion.