How the FedEx Cup Winner is Determined

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Quick Answer

• The FedEx Cup winner is determined by a points system accumulated throughout the PGA Tour season.
• Players earn points for their finishes in tournaments, with higher finishes and playoff events awarding substantially more points.
• A significant points reset occurs before the FedEx Cup Playoffs, giving the top players a head start but keeping the competition open.

Who This Is For

• Golf fans who want to understand the intricacies of the PGA Tour’s season-long championship and how it culminates.
• Anyone curious about the professional golf scoring system and the structure of the playoffs, from casual viewers to aspiring players.

What to Check First: Understanding FedEx Cup Points

Before you get too deep into the weeds, make sure you’ve got a handle on these foundational elements. It’s not just about who wins the last tournament; it’s a whole season’s work.

• Review the Official Points Chart: Every season, the PGA Tour releases an official points allocation chart. This document is your bible for understanding how many points are up for grabs at each event. Don’t guess; look it up.
• Identify Eligible Tournaments: Not every single PGA Tour event counts towards FedEx Cup points. You need to know which ones are “FedEx Cup eligible.” This usually includes most regular season events and all playoff events.
• Differentiate Regular Season vs. Playoff Points: The points awarded for a regular season win are a fraction of what a playoff win is worth. This distinction is crucial for understanding the dramatic swings in the standings.
• Grasp the Playoff Points Reset: This is a big one. Before the first playoff event, the points are re-ranked. The top players get a significant bonus, essentially giving them a head start. You absolutely need to understand how this works.

How the FedEx Cup Winner is Determined: A Step-by-Step Plan

Here’s the play-by-play on how the PGA Tour crowns its FedEx Cup champion. It’s a marathon, for sure, and the final stretch is intense.

1. Track Player Performance in Regular Season Events: This is where it all begins. All year long, players are accumulating points.

• Action: Keep an eye on the FedEx Cup standings throughout the PGA Tour’s regular season.
• What to look for: The points earned by players for their finishes in each tournament. A win at a smaller event might give you 500 points, while a win at a World Golf Championship could be 750 points or more. Consistent top-10s add up too.
• Mistake to avoid: Assuming all regular season tournaments are weighted equally. They aren’t. The Memorial Tournament, for example, is worth more than your average stop.

2. Monitor Standings Through the Playoffs: Once the regular season wraps, the real drama begins with the FedEx Cup Playoffs. The field shrinks, and the points get bigger.

• Action: Follow the three playoff events: The Northern Trust, the BMW Championship, and the Tour Championship.
• What to look for: How players move up and down the standings. A player outside the top 30 after the BMW Championship doesn’t even make it to the Tour Championship. The points awarded for playoff events are significantly higher than regular season events.
• Mistake to avoid: Forgetting that the field gets cut after each playoff event. Only the top 100 (then top 70, then top 30) advance, meaning only the best of the best are competing for the ultimate prize.

3. Understand the Points Reset Before the Playoffs: This is a critical adjustment that resets the playing field and amplifies the excitement.

• Action: Familiarize yourself with the specific point values awarded after the reset before the first playoff event.
• What to look for: The exact point totals for the top 125 players. The player in 1st place might have 2,000 points, while the player in 10th might have 1,000. This gives the leaders a cushion, but it’s not insurmountable.
• Mistake to avoid: Underestimating the impact of the reset. A player who was 20th in points might suddenly be 10th after the reset if they were close to the points threshold for the next tier. It’s designed to keep everyone engaged.

4. Analyze the Tour Championship Scenarios: The final tournament is where it all culminates, but it’s not just about winning the tournament itself.

• Action: Watch the Tour Championship and pay attention to the points leaders.
• What to look for: The cumulative points of the top contenders. The player with the most points after the Tour Championship concludes is the FedEx Cup champion. Winning the Tour Championship often secures the Cup, but it’s not a guarantee if someone else was close enough in points.
• Mistake to avoid: Automatically assuming the winner of the Tour Championship is the FedEx Cup winner. While they are often one and the same, a player could win the tournament but still be surpassed in total points by another competitor who had a strong playoff run.

How the FedEx Cup Winner is Determined: Key Considerations

Let’s dive a bit deeper into the mechanics of how the FedEx Cup champion is crowned. It’s a system designed to reward consistency and peak performance when it matters most.

The Points System: More Than Just Wins

The foundation of the FedEx Cup is its points system, which rewards players for their performance across the entire PGA Tour season. It’s not simply about who wins the most tournaments; it’s about a player’s overall consistency and ability to perform under pressure throughout the year.

• Regular Season Points Allocation: During the regular season, points are awarded for every official PGA Tour event. The number of points varies based on the prestige and field strength of the tournament. For instance, a major championship will award significantly more points than a standard tour event. A win at a major could net a player 600 points, while a win at a regular event might be around 500 points. Even finishing inside the top 70 can earn a player valuable points.
• Playoff Event Point Multipliers: As the season progresses into the FedEx Cup Playoffs, the points system undergoes a dramatic shift. The three playoff events—The Northern Trust, the BMW Championship, and the season-ending Tour Championship—are weighted much more heavily. This is where the season-long narrative truly takes shape.
• The Northern Trust: A win here might award around 2,000 points.
• The BMW Championship: This event ups the ante further, with a win potentially earning 2,500 points.
• The Tour Championship: This is the grand finale, and a victory here is worth a massive 4,000 points. This significant point value is why the winner of the Tour Championship often ends up as the FedEx Cup champion, but it’s not a foregone conclusion.

The Crucial Points Reset

Perhaps the most misunderstood aspect of how the FedEx Cup winner is determined is the points reset that occurs before the FedEx Cup Playoffs begin. This system is designed to compress the field and create a more dramatic chase for the championship.

• How the Reset Works: After the BMW Championship (the second playoff event), the points are re-ranked. The player who was leading the standings entering the playoffs might have had a substantial point lead. After the reset, that lead is significantly reduced. The PGA Tour currently seeds the top 30 players for the Tour Championship with specific point totals.
• Seed #1: Starts with 10,000 points.
• Seed #2: Starts with 8,000 points.
• Seed #3: Starts with 7,000 points.
• Seed #4: Starts with 6,000 points.
• Seed #5: Starts with 5,000 points.
• …and so on, down to Seed #30, who starts with 1,000 points.
• Why the Reset Matters: This reset ensures that even players who might have been far down the standings after the regular season still have a mathematical chance to win the FedEx Cup if they play exceptionally well in the playoffs. Conversely, a player who dominated the regular season can’t simply coast; they need to perform at a high level in the playoffs to maintain their advantage. It’s a brilliant way to keep the excitement high until the very last putt drops.

Common Mistakes in How the FedEx Cup Winner is Determined

Don’t get caught out by these common misunderstandings. They can really mess with your understanding of who’s in contention.

• Mistake: Focusing solely on the winner of the Tour Championship.
• Why it matters: The FedEx Cup is awarded to the player with the most points after the Tour Championship concludes. While winning the Tour Championship often puts a player in a commanding position, it’s the cumulative points that matter most.
• Fix: Track the points standings throughout the Tour Championship. Understand that the player who wins the tournament doesn’t automatically win the Cup if another player, starting with a higher point total, finishes close enough behind.
• Mistake: Not understanding the points reset before the playoffs.
• Why it matters: This reset significantly alters the points advantage players have. A player who was miles ahead in the regular season might only have a few hundred points lead after the reset. This is crucial for understanding who’s truly in the driver’s seat for the championship.
• Fix: Review the official PGA Tour points reset rules for the current year. Knowing the starting point totals for the top 30 players is key to grasping the playoff dynamics.
• Mistake: Assuming all PGA Tour events are weighted equally for points.
• Why it matters: Larger events, especially playoff tournaments and majors, award substantially more points than smaller regular season events. A win at a major is a huge boost, but consistent high finishes in playoff events can often be more impactful for the FedEx Cup race.
• Fix: Consult the official points allocation chart for regular season versus playoff events. This will show you the dramatic difference in point values and help you appreciate the strategic importance of each tournament.
• Mistake: Thinking a player can coast after securing the top seed.
• Why it matters: While having the top seed provides a significant point advantage (10,000 points), a poor performance in the Tour Championship can still allow other players to catch up and even overtake them. The points awarded for the Tour Championship are substantial.
• Fix: Understand that every stroke matters, especially in the final event. Players need to perform well in the Tour Championship to secure the Cup, even if they start with the lead. A bad week can be costly.
• Mistake: Overlooking the importance of the BMW Championship.
• Why it matters: This is the final playoff event before the Tour Championship. It’s where the field is cut to the top 30. A player needs to perform well here to even qualify for the final showdown, and their finish directly impacts their starting points after the reset.
• Fix: Pay close attention to the standings after the BMW Championship. This event determines who gets a shot at the FedEx Cup and sets the stage for the final starting positions.

FAQ

• How many tournaments award FedEx Cup points?

The number of tournaments that award FedEx Cup points includes all official PGA Tour regular season events, plus the three FedEx Cup Playoff events: The Northern Trust, the BMW Championship, and the Tour Championship.

• What happens if two players finish with the same number of points at the end of the Tour Championship?

In the highly unlikely event of a tie in the final FedEx Cup points standings, the player who achieved the higher finish in the Tour Championship itself is declared the winner of the FedEx Cup.

• Does winning a major championship guarantee a high FedEx Cup standing?

Winning a major championship awards a significant number of points, which is a massive boost to a player’s FedEx Cup standing. However, it doesn’t guarantee the overall win. Consistent high finishes throughout the entire season and strong performances in the playoffs are equally critical for capturing the FedEx Cup title.

• How are FedEx Cup points awarded throughout the season?

Points are awarded based on a player’s finishing position in each eligible tournament. The higher the finish, the more points earned. The point values increase dramatically for the playoff events, and a special points reset occurs before the playoffs to compress the field and create a more exciting chase.

• Can a player win the FedEx Cup without winning the Tour Championship?

Yes, absolutely. The FedEx Cup is awarded to the player with the most points after the Tour Championship concludes. While winning the Tour Championship usually puts a player in a very strong position to win the Cup due to the high point value of the victory, it’s the cumulative points total that determines the champion. A player could finish second or third in the Tour Championship but still win the Cup if their point total from the entire playoff system is the highest.

• How does the playoff points reset work in simpler terms?

Think of it like a handicap system. The top players after the regular season get a head start in the playoffs, measured in points. So, the player in 1st place starts the playoffs with significantly more points than the player in 10th, and so on. This makes it harder for someone far down the standings to catch up, but not impossible if they play exceptionally well in the playoff events.

Sources:

• How the FedEx Cup Champion is Determined