FedEx Cup playoffs, explained: Updated standings, points format & more to know about golf's 2024 championship

Bryan Murphy

FedEx Cup playoffs, explained: Updated standings, points format & more to know about golf's 2024 championship image

It's crunch time on the course. 

The 2024 PGA Tour season has delivered a plethora of memorable moments. From Scottie Scheffler winning his second Masters in three years to Xander Schauffele dominating at the PGA Championship and the British Open, it's been a season to remember in golf. 

All good things must come to an end, and the PGA Tour is in the final stretch for this year. There are only three competitions left to determine this season's FedEx Cup champion, with a trio of tournaments making up the FedEx Cup playoffs. 

The playoffs in golf aren't like other sports. While all the pros in the field have their eyes on lifting the FedEx Cup, it's not nearly as prestigious as winning a major. However, no tournament has a cash prize at the end like the FedEx Cup playoffs do, adding extra motivation for the golfers. 

Viktor Hovland enters as the defending FedEx Cup champion from 2023. The Norwegian golfer dazzled during the playoffs last year, winning the BMW Championship to set himself up for a victory at the PGA Tour championship. 

Who will take it all this year? That answer will soon be revealed. 

Here's everything you need to know about the 2024 FedEx Cup, including standings, rules, points, schedules, and payouts.

MORE: FedEx Cup Championship golf expert picks and predictions

How do the FedEx Cup playoffs work?

Throughout the 2024 PGA Tour season, golfers have been able to earn points that count toward the FedEx Cup playoffs. 

As one would expect, the higher a golfer finishes at a PGA Tour-sanctioned event, the more points they earn. Whoever finishes in first place earns the most, then second, and so on. 

By the end of the campaign, the top 70 golfers in the standings move on to the FedEx Cup playoffs. Regular season points carry over into the first two FedExCup playoff events. 

The first FedEx Cup playoff event is the FedEx St. Jude Championship, held Aug. 15-18. The top 50 golfers after that event advance to the BMW Championship (Aug. 22-25). From there, the top 30 then move on to the Tour Championship at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Ga. (Aug. 29-Sept. 1).

The PGA Tour winner receives a massive payday, but money isn't the only reward. They also are granted a five-year exemption that allows them entry into PGA Tour events — meaning they do not have to qualify for events. 

MORE: Bryson DeChambeau 'break 50' challenge, explained

FedEx Cup points system

The points system for the FedEx Cup is fairly simple — the higher you finish at a tournament, the more points you get.

The PGA Tour's four majors — the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and Open Championship — are all worth 750 points. That also applies to the Players' Championship, which is viewed as the unofficial fifth major on the tour. That is up from the previous total of 600. 

Golfers receive 700 points for winning signature PGA Tour events, including the World Golf Championship, The Genesis Invitational, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and the Memorial Tournament. Full-field events are worth 500 points. 

The Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a two-man team event, awards 400 points each to the winners of the tournament. Other additional events can earn up to 300 points as well.

But winning isn't the only way that golfers earn FedEx Cup points. Players who make the 36-hole cut at each tournament automatically receive points for their performance. As mentioned, the higher a golfer finishes, the more points they accumulate. 

Once in the playoffs, the points system changes. The winners of the FedEx St. Jude Championship and BMS Championship will earn 2,000 points. Second place in those events grants a player 1,200 points, while third is worth 760.

MORE: Who won gold at the 2024 Olympics in golf?

You can find the full points system here.

For the final event in the FedEx Cup playoffs — the PGA Tour championship — the points system goes out the window. Instead, a golfer's placement in the standings determined their starting score at East Lake. The player with the most points begins with a 10-under handicap while players in his pursuit can rank anywhere from 8-under to even par.

Here is the full handicap system:

  • 1-seed: (10 under)
  • 2-seed: (8 under)
  • 3-seed: (7 under)
  • 4-seed: (6 under)
  • 5-seed: (5 under)
  • Seeds 6-10: (4 under)
  • Seeds 11-15: (3 under)
  • Seeds 16-20: (2 under)
  • Seeds 21-25: (1 under)
  • Seeds 26-30: (par)

FedEx Cup standings 2024

Below is a look at the top 30 golfers left in the FedEx Cup standings heading into the Tour Championship. 

RankGolferFedEx Cup Points
1Scottie Scheffler6,615
2Xander Schauffele5,422
3Hideki Matsuyama3,898
4Keegan Bradley3,096
5Ludvig Aberg2,980
6Rory McIlroy2,829
7Collin Morikawa2,714
8Wyndham Clark2,708
9Sam Burns2,518
10Patrick Cantlay2,221
11Sungjae Im2,220
12Sahith Theegala2,114
13Shane Lowry2,099
14Adam Scott2,058
15Tony Finau2,047
16Byeong Hun An2,040
17Viktor Hovland1,967
18Russell Henley1,933
19Akshay Bhatia1,891
20Robert MacIntyre1,885
21Billy Horschel1,838
22Tommy Fleetwood1,747
23Sepp Straka1,721
24Matthieu Pavon1,690
25Taylor Pendrith1,668
26Chris Kirk1,656
27Tom Hoge1,655
28Aaron Rai1,639
29Christiaan Bezuidenhout1,628
30Justin Thomas1,617

FedEx Cup playoffs schedule

FedEx St. Jude Championship

  • Dates: Aug. 15-18
  • Course: TPC Southwind
  • Location: Memphis, Tenn.

The FedEx St. Jude Championship is the first stop on the PGA Tour's three-tournament playoff circuit. It marks the third season that the event, played at the 7,244-yard TPC Southwind, will be a part of the playoffs.

There are no cuts at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. All 70 golfers have the opportunity to play a full four rounds, however, 20 golfers will be cut following the conclusion of the tournament. 

BMW Championship

  • Dates: Aug. 21-25
  • Course: Castle Pines Golf Club
  • Location: Castle Rock, Colo.

A total of 50 golfers will travel west to Colorado for the BMW Championship, which will be played at the Castle Pines Golf Club. Once again, there will be no 36-hole cut, allowing all playoff golfers to participate in the entire tournament.

The BMW Championship plays at 7,701 yards and favors the bigger hitters on the tour.

Tour Championship

  • Dates: Aug. 29-Sept. 1
  • Course: East Lake Golf Club
  • Location: Atlanta, Ga.

East Lake Golf Club has hosted the PGA Tour Championship since 2004, and it remains the iconic finishing spot for the PGA's top professionals. The final 30 remaining golfers will compete with a specific score given to start the tournament, based on the FedEx Cup standings. 

FedEx Cup payouts 2024

The FedEx Cup has increased its massive prize pool to $100 million for 2024.

The winner is set to bring home a massive payday of $25 million. Second place earns $12.5 million, while third gets $7.5 million. Everyone in the top 10 will receive at least $1.75 million. 

Below is a look at the FedEx Cup payouts for the top-10 in 2024:

PositionPayout
1$25 million
2$12.5 million
3$7.5 million
4$6 million
5$5 million
6$3.5 million
7$2.75 million
8$2.25 million
9$2 million
10$1.75 million

Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.