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FedEx Cup Playoffs: Tour Championship format, how it works, bonus payouts

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Here's the starting positions, format and bonus payout for the season-ending Tour Championship, the final leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

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All that talk you hear about trying to earn a spot in the Tour Championship? Here’s why it’s worth it.

Only 30 players qualified for this week’s season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake it Atlanta, which is the third and final leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. But for getting into the playoffs (top 70), past the FedEx St. Jude (top 50) and through the BMW Championship (top 30), players are handsomely rewarded.

All players in the Tour Championship get a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour and invites for the 2024 Masters. (U.S. Open and Open Championship exemptions are likely, too, although those haven’t been announced yet.)

Oh, right, and the money. There’s a lot of that. A total purse of $75 million is up for grabs.

The winner brings home a whopping $18 million, but even the runner-up gets $6.5 million and third place $5 million. In fact, everyone inside the top 10 gets seven figures. As for last place? They get $500,000, which isn’t exactly pocket change, either.

Here’s the entire bonus payout for the FedEx Cup Playoffs and Tour Championship.

FedEx Cup Playoffs, Tour Championship bonus structure

1st — $18 million 2nd — $6.5 million 3rd — $5 million 4th — 4 million 5th — $3 million 6th — $2.5 million 7th — $2 million 8th — $1.5 million 9th — $1.25 million 10th — $1 million 11th — $950,000 12th — $900,000 13th — $850,000 14th — $800,000 15th — $760,000 16th — $720,000 17th — $700,000 18th — $680,000 19th — $660,000 20th — $640,000 21st — $620,000 22nd — $600,000 23rd — $580,000 24th — $565,000 25th — $550,000 26th — $540,000 27th — $530,000 28th — $520,000 29th — $510,000 30th — $500,000

As for how the FedEx Cup Playoffs actually work, that’s another story. It’s evolved over the years, and this year the top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings after the Wyndham Championship qualified for the playoffs and were guaranteed their Tour cards for the following season.

Tour Confidential: Ryder Cup locks, Brooks Koepka’s chances, Brandel tells all

The first of three playoff stages was the FedEx St. Jude, and the top 50 in the standings afterward advanced to last week’s BMW Championship . That was a big hurdle that came with an important incentive, too, as those who made it to the BMW field earned guaranteed spots into the Tour’s eight big-money Signature Events for 2024.

Finally, the top 30 after the BMW Championship head to Atlanta for this week’s Tour Championship. The Tour uses staggered starting positions (FedEx Cup points leader Scottie Scheffler is in first, so he has a head start at 10 under, and so on), but we’ve learned anything can happen.

Last year, Rory McIlroy came from nine shots back after he tripled bogeyed the first hole to top Scheffler and win the tournament (and massive first-place payout).

Here are the starting positions for everyone in the playoffs.

Tour Championship starting scores

10 under: Scottie Scheffler Eight under: Viktor Hovland Seven under: Rory McIlroy Six under: Jon Rahm Five under: Lucas Glover Four under: Max Homa, Patrick Cantlay, Brian Harman, Wyndham Clark, Matt Fitzpatrick Three under: Tommy Fleetwood, Russell Henley, Keegan Bradley, Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele Two under: Tom Kim, Sungjae Im, Tony Finau, Corey Conners, Si Woo Kim One under: Taylor Moore, Nick Taylor, Adam Schenk, Collin Morikawa, Jason Day Even: Sam Burns, Emiliano Grillo, Tyrrell Hatton, Jordan Spieth, Sepp Straka

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As GOLF.com’s managing editor, Berhow handles the day-to-day and long-term planning of one of the sport’s most-read news and service websites. He spends most of his days writing , editing, planning and wondering if he’ll ever break 80. Before joining GOLF.com in 2015, he worked at newspapers in Minnesota and Iowa. A graduate of Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minn., he resides in the Twin Cities with his wife and two kids. You can reach him at [email protected].

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Qualifiers for all 2025 Signature Events, THE PLAYERS and majors

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This time it means the Masters.

Although Nico Echavarria already had won once before on the PGA TOUR, it didn’t reward him with a spot in the field at Augusta National. That was in 2023 when he broke through at the Puerto Rico Open. Because that’s an Additional Event and doesn’t reward the full allocation of FedExCup points (300 to the winner instead of 500), the exemption into the first major of the year wasn’t attached to the spoils for that victory.

The 30-year-old from Colombia will be at Augusta National next year, however.

With his one-stroke win on Sunday at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP (worth 500 FedExCup points), Echavarria has earned the full array of perks. In addition to his debut in the Masters, return appearances at THE PLAYERS Championship and the PGA Championship also are secure. And he’s headed back to Kapalua to open the new season at The Sentry. His membership exemption now extends through 2026 and he’ll remain in the winners category.

After a scheduled week off, the PGA TOUR will resume the FedExCup Fall at the World Wide Technology Championship on Nov. 7-10. It begins a run of three consecutive weeks with tournaments to conclude the 2024 season.

NOTE: Until all methods of entry are released by the governing bodies, traditional criteria are used to determine qualifiers. Refer to remaining qualifying criteria at the bottom of the page for details.

SE = All Signature Events TPC = THE PLAYERS Championship MAS = Masters PGA = PGA Championship US = U.S. Open OPEN = The Open Championship

Recent additions

SE -- none TPC -- Nico Echavarria MAS -- Nico Echavarria PGA -- Nico Echavarria US -- none OPEN -- none

Remaining qualifying criteria

Criteria are listed in chronological order where possible. Best estimates are given but all are subject to change.

Signature Events

• The Sentry (Jan. 2-5)
• AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Jan. 30-Feb. 2)
• The Genesis Invitational (Feb. 13-16)
• Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard (March 6-9)
• RBC Heritage (April 17-20)
• Truist Championship (May 8-11)
• Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (May 29-June 1)
• Travelers Championship (June 19-22)

THE PLAYERS Championship (TPC) at TPC Sawgrass (Stadium): March 13-16

• Winners of PGA TOUR events thru the final week before THE PLAYERS.
• Leader of the Race to Dubai ranking to earn a PGA TOUR card at the conclusion of the DP World Tour Championship (Nov. 17).
• Top 125 in the FedExCup at the conclusion of The RSM Classic (Nov. 24).
• Top 10 in the FedExCup at the conclusion of the PGA TOUR event TBD (March 2).
• Top 50 of Official World Golf Ranking (March 3).
• If necessary to complete the field of 144, golfers outside the Top 10 in the FedExCup at the conclusion of the PGA TOUR event TBD on March 2 will gain entry in order of position.

Masters (MAS) at Augusta National Golf Club: April 10-13

• Winners of PGA TOUR events that award full FedExCup points allocation for the TOUR Championship.
• Top 50 of Official World Golf Ranking (Dec. 31).
• Winner of the Latin America Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (Jan. 19).
• Top 50 of Official World Golf Ranking (March 31).
• Special invitations to international players per Masters Tournament Committee as its discretion.

PGA Championship (PGA) at Quail Hollow Club: May 15-18

• Winners of PGA TOUR events through the final week before the 2025 PGA Championship.
• Top three from International Federation Ranking List (TBD).
• Top 20 from PGA Professional Championship (April 30).
• Top 70 from special money list (i.e., "PGA Championship Points") on PGA TOUR from 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge thru the PGA TOUR event TBD (May 11).
• *All 2023 Ryder Cup members inside Top 100 of Official World Golf Ranking (TBD).
• Special exemptions per PGA of America. (This likely will include all golfers from Top 100 of Official World Golf Ranking on TBD.)
• If necessary to complete the field of 156, golfers outside Top 70 from special money list (three lines above) will gain entry in order of position.

U.S. Open (US) at Oakmont Country Club: June 12-15

• Winners of multiple PGA TOUR events that award full FedExCup points allocation since the 2024 U.S. Open.
• Winner of THE PLAYERS Championship (March 16).
• Winner of the Masters (April 13).
• Winner of the PGA Championship (May 18).
• Top five, not otherwise exempt, in the FedExCup at the conclusion of the PGA Championship (May 18).
• Top two, not otherwise exempt, in the 2024 Race to Dubai at the conclusion of the 2025 PGA Championship (May 18).
• Top player, not otherwise exempt, in the 2025 Race to Dubai (May 18).
• Top 60 of Official World Golf Ranking (May 19).
• Final qualifying (TBD).
• Winner of the NCAA Division 1 individual championship, if still an amateur (May 26).
• Top 60 of Official World Golf Ranking (TBD).
• Special exemptions per the USGA.

The Open Championship (OPEN) at Royal Portrush: July 17-20

• Top 30 in the Race to Dubai at the conclusion of the DP World Tour Championship (Nov. 17).
• Open Qualifying Series (TBD).
• Winner of the African Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (Feb. 8).
• Winner of the 118th VISA Open de Argentina (March 2).
• Top 50 of Official World Golf Ranking (TBD).
• Top five in the Federation Ranking (TBD).
• Winner of the U.S. Open (June 15).
• Winner of the British Amateur, if still an amateur (June 21).
• Top five, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 20 in the FedExCup at the conclusion of the PGA TOUR event TBD in 2025 (TBD).
• Winner of the European Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (June 28).
• Leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking points accumulated at the St. Andrews Links Trophy (June 8), British Amateur (June 21) and European Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (June 28).
• Final Qualifying. Top 4 at each of four sites (TBD).
• Top five, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 20 in the Race to Dubai at the conclusion of the DP World Tour event TBD in 2025 (TBD).

Rob Bolton is a Golfbet columnist for the PGA TOUR. The Chicagoland native has been playing fantasy golf since 1994, so he was just waiting for the Internet to catch up with him. Follow Rob Bolton on Twitter .

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Pga tour shares potential changes to field sizes, eligibility, pace of play detailed in memo to players, share this article.

The PGA Tour shared with its players a letter on Tuesday morning detailing a range of eligibility proposals that will be voted on in November by the Board of Directors and would impact field sizes and number of Tour cards beginning in 2026.

Golfweek was first to report that these changes were in the works in June. The proposal, a copy of which Golfweek has obtained, indicates that maximum field size for a one-course full-field event would be 144 players, down from 156; change exempt status from top 125 to top 100 in the FedEx Cup and add a conditional category for finishers 101-125; reduce the number of Tour cards being given to Korn Ferry Tour grads while maintaining the number of grads from the DP World Tour and capping the number of Q-School grads at 5; reduce or eliminate the number of open qualifying positions at regular season events with fewer than 144 players.The FedEx Cup points distribution table will be massaged and restricted sponsor exemptions will be reallocated to the next eligible members on the priority ranking.

Full-field events played prior to daylight saving time generally would have a field size of 120 players. Full-field events played after daylight saving time goes into effect up until the Masters would have a field size of 132 players.

Field sizes for special events, such as those played on multiple courses and invitationals, are dependent on circumstances such as format and eligibility.

It has become a growing concern that field sizes of 144 and 156 are causing too many occurrences of failing to make a cut on Friday, and shortening fields should rectify that but it also removes playing opportunities for the membership.

Changes to its priority ranking

The Tour also is proposing changes to its priority ranking for membership. Tournament winners remain at the top of the food chain, but the biggest change is breaking up the top 125 finishers into several sub-categories with the top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings through the Tour Championship being next in importance, followed by finishers 71-100 in FedEx Cup through the fall portion of the schedule. The leading 10 finishers, not otherwise exempt, in the Race to Dubai Ranking are ahead of a slimmed-down number of the Korn Ferry Tour grads, which has been reduced from 30 presently to 20.

Finishers 101-110 in the FedEx Cup through the fall are several more rungs below and there are three exemption categories, including major medical extensions, ahead of Nos. 111-125 on the FedEx Cup.

Some qualifers would be eliminated

Monday qualifiers would no longer be held at the Sony Open, WM Phoenix Open, Mexico Open at Vidanta, Cognizant Classic, Puerto Rico Open, Corales Puntacana Championship and Myrtle Beach Championship, and the qualifiers at the Valspar Championship, Texas Children’s Houston Open and Valero Texas Open would be reduced from fours spots to two spots available.

The Tour also is proposing to adjust the FedEx Cup points distribution table with a slight increase to second-place points for majors and the Players and a slight decrease to points in positions 11 and beyond and a slight decrease to Signature event points in positions seven and beyond. Alongside these changes, the Tour also proposed adjustments to the Players Championship, reducing the field from 144 to 120 players, and tweaks to exempt categories for the Charles Schwab Invitational and Genesis Invitational.

Pace of play, fines

Additional discussion items at the Board meeting include pace of play and adjustments that could in some cases reduce fines and in others will double them from $5,000 to $10,000. The Rules Committee “feels that there needs to be an additional policy to provide an immediate incentive for the very slowest players to play more quickly,” and have proposed an “Excessive Average Stroke Time” penalty. At the conclusion of a tournament, if a player has an average stroke time of 12 seconds or more above the field average and played in all four rounds, an Excessive Average Stroke Time infraction would be received. There would be no fine associated with the first two excessive violations, but the third infraction would result in a fine of $5,000 and subsequent offenses would be an additional $10,000 per infraction.

The Tour’s Policy Board is scheduled to meet ahead of the RSM Classic on Nov. 18.

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