FedEx Cup 2026: Playoff Format, Schedule, Prize Money and Jordan Spieth's Challenge

The 2026 FedEx Cup playoffs are underway as the PGA Tour season enters its decisive stage, with the best players competing across three events for the chance to be crowned champion.

The postseason began with the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, where 70 players qualified after the regular season, although Daniel Berger opted not to participate.

The field will be reduced to 50 players after the opening playoff event before dropping to 30 for the final tournament.

At the top of the standings is Scottie Scheffler, while defending champion Tommy Fleetwood entered the playoffs ninth. Three-time FedEx Cup champion Rory McIlroy also remains among the leading contenders.

For players such as Jordan Spieth, however, the opening playoff event carries even greater importance.

Jordan Spieth reaches playoffs despite unusual season

Spieth qualified for the FedEx Cup playoffs for a 14th consecutive year, despite failing to record a single top-10 finish during the 2026 regular season.

The American finished the regular season 54th in the FedEx Cup standings after playing 21 tournaments.

Although he did not break into the top 10, Spieth produced four top-12 finishes, including results at the Masters and two signature events. Those performances accounted for around 52% of his FedEx Cup points.

His participation in the PGA Tour's signature events also proved important because those tournaments offer substantially more FedEx Cup points than regular events.

Spieth entered the playoffs knowing that he must improve his position during the opening event. Only the top 50 players after the FedEx St. Jude Championship will advance to the BMW Championship.

The 2026 postseason therefore represents an opportunity for Spieth to revive his season after failing to reach the Tour Championship since 2023.

How the 2026 FedEx Cup playoffs work

The FedEx Cup is a season-long points competition introduced by the PGA Tour in 2007.

Players accumulate points throughout the regular season, with the top 70 qualifying for the playoffs.

The field is then progressively reduced over three tournaments:

• FedEx St. Jude Championship: August 13-16
• BMW Championship: August 20-23
• Tour Championship: August 27-30

The first playoff event reduces the field from 70 to 50.

Those 50 players then compete at the BMW Championship, after which only 30 golfers advance to the Tour Championship.

The remaining 30 players compete for the FedEx Cup at the season-ending event.

Who are the leading players?

Scheffler began the playoffs at No. 1 in the FedEx Cup standings.

The leading players entering the postseason included:

• Scottie Scheffler
• Matt Fitzpatrick
• Cameron Young
• Wyndham Clark
• Chris Gotterup
• Collin Morikawa
• Si Woo Kim
• Sam Burns
• Tommy Fleetwood
• Ludvig Åberg
• Xander Schauffele
• Rory McIlroy
• Jacob Bridgeman
• Akshay Bhatia
• Russell Henley

Fleetwood has additional motivation as the defending FedEx Cup champion, while McIlroy enters the playoffs looking to add to his record three FedEx Cup titles.

McIlroy previously won the competition in 2016, 2019 and 2022.

FedEx St. Jude Championship begins playoff battle

The FedEx St. Jude Championship is the opening event of the postseason and is being held at TPC Southwind.

The tournament runs from Thursday through Sunday, with a $20 million purse and $3.6 million going to the winner.

The biggest storyline, however, is not simply the prize money.

Players positioned around the 50th-place cutoff are fighting to keep their seasons alive, while those near the top of the standings are attempting to strengthen their position heading into the BMW Championship.

Scheffler and McIlroy are among the biggest names in the field, with the two world-class players also paired together during the opening two rounds.

The first-round leaderboard featured Michael Thorbjornsen, Jordan Spieth, Kurt Kitayama and Jake Knapp among the players at 5 under par, while Tommy Fleetwood, Gary Woodland, Hideki Matsuyama, Sungjae Im and others were one shot further back.

How much is the FedEx Cup worth?

The financial rewards are significant throughout the playoffs.

The overall FedEx Cup playoff bonus pool is worth nearly $100 million, with the eventual FedEx Cup champion receiving $10 million.

The FedEx St. Jude Championship and BMW Championship each carry a $20 million purse, with the winner of each event earning $3.6 million.

The Tour Championship is different because its payouts are classified as bonus money rather than official PGA Tour prize money.

For the players, though, the biggest prize remains the FedEx Cup title.

With the field shrinking from 70 to 50 and eventually to 30, every round becomes increasingly important.

For Scheffler, Fleetwood and McIlroy, the objective is to maintain their position and reach the final stage.

For Spieth, the immediate mission is more straightforward: finish inside the top 50 and keep his FedEx Cup hopes alive.

SportsLigue