Our comprehensive guide to the FedEx Cup covers the history of the PGA Tour’s season-long event, the format of the playoffs and how much prize money is awarded to the winner.
The FedEx Cup is the PGA Tour’s annual, season-long championship. It concludes with a series of tournaments known as the FedEx Cup Playoffs, where players compete for crucial points to secure their place in the final event – the Tour Championship. Throughout this guide, we will delve into the mechanics of the FedEx Cup, the points system, the rewards and payouts for the top performers, and how you can stay updated and follow the tournament.
What is the FedEx Cup?
The FedEx Cup is a season-long championship in professional golf, introduced in 2007. It consists of a series of tournaments featuring the best golfers on the PGA Tour. The FedEx Cup aims to inject excitement and competitiveness into the PGA Tour season, culminating in a thrilling finale.
The history and significance of the FedEx Cup in professional golf are immense, with a prestigious trophy and substantial prize money awarded to the winner. The FedEx Cup also attracts top players from around the world, making it a highly anticipated event each year.
The primary objectives of the FedEx Cup are to reward consistent performance throughout the PGA Tour season and create an exciting climax to the year. The competition uses a points-based system, where players earn points based on their performance in each tournament. These points accumulate over the season, and the top 125 players on the PGA Tour qualify for the playoffs.
How the FedEx Cup Playoffs Work
The FedEx Cup playoffs consist of three tournaments: The FedEx St. Jude Championship, the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship. These tournaments are played in consecutive weeks across a three-week period.
The field is gradually reduced after each tournament, with the top 30 players advancing to the final event, the Tour Championship. The Tour Championship uses a system called the FedEx Cup Starting Strokes, which sees the FedEx Cup points leader begin the finale at 10-under-par. The No. 2 player starts at 8-under-par, the No. 3 player at 7-under-par, and so on. The player that finishes at the top of the leaderboard at the Tour Championship is crowned the FedEx Cup champion.
Unsurprisingly, the top players in the overall FedEx Cup standings typically top the golf betting odds ahead of the Tour Championship, given their head start over the competition.
FedEx Cup Points Explained
To be eligible for the FedEx Cup Playoffs, players must meet certain criteria. They must be members of the PGA Tour and have earned enough FedEx Cup points during the regular season to qualify for the playoffs. The top 125 players in the FedEx Cup standings at the end of the regular season secure their spot in the playoffs.
Understanding how points are distributed throughout the regular season, playoffs, and Tour Championship is key to following the excitement of the FedEx Cup.
In the regular season, players earn points based on their performance in PGA Tour events. The points distribution varies depending on the significance of the tournament. For instance, a standard PGA Tour event offers 500 FedEx Cup points to the winner, a World Golf Championship event rewards the winner with 550 points, while a major championship awards 600 points.
Once the regular season concludes, the top 125 players in the FedEx Cup standings qualify for the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The winner of that event is awarded 2000 FedEx Cup points, and the field is cut down to 70 for the BMW Championship. The winner of that event is also awarded 2000, with the top 30 players advancing to the Tour Championship.
The Tour Championship then uses the FedEx Cup Starting Strokes system to decide the champion at the end of the season.
FedEx Cup Prize Money and Payouts
The FedEx Cup offers huge prize money to the players who finish at the top of the standings.
As of 2024, the total prize pool for the FedEx Cup is a massive $100m, with $25m of the total being awarded to the champion. It is by far the biggest prize pot on the PGA Tour.
Second place in the FedEx Cup receives $12.5m, while every player in the top 10 receives at least $1.75m.
The FedEx St. Jude Championship and BMW Championship also offer bumper rewards for the top performers, with each events boasting prize pots of $20m.
There is also an $8m prize for the regular season, which is awarded to the player at the top of the standings after the Wyndham Championship and before the playoffs begin. That player in 2024 was Scottie Scheffler, who finished over 2,000 points clear of runner-up Xander Schauffele.
How to Follow the FedEx Cup
The FedEx Cup is one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the world, featuring top players from the PGA Tour. If you’re a golf enthusiast and want to stay updated on all the action, here’s how you can follow the FedEx Cup.
Watching the FedEx Cup on television and online:
Television coverage of the FedEx Cup is provided by various sports networks, including Sky Sports and the Golf Channel. These networks offer comprehensive coverage of the tournament, including live broadcasts of key events and highlights of each round. To catch all the action on TV, check your local listings or subscribe to a sports package that includes these channels.
If you prefer to watch the FedEx Cup online, it can be streamed on Peacock and with PGA Tour Live on ESPN+.
FedEx Cup schedule 2024:
FedEx St. Jude Championship: Thursday 15 August – Sunday 18 August
BMW Championship: Thursday 22 August – Sunday 25 August
Tour Championship: Thursday 29 August – Sunday 1 September
Betting tips and odds available at Betway:
Betway offers a wide range of FedEx Cup odds, markets and specials. From predicting the winner of the tournament to placing bets on individual matches, you can explore various golf betting markets and odds on the Betway website. Keep in mind that betting involves risk, so make sure to gamble responsibly.
You can also stay tuned to the Betway Insider for FedEx Cup tips and predictions. Our team of experts offer their golf tips throughout the PGA Tour finale.
