The field is set for the Tour Championship following the completion of the BMW Championship as the top 30 players on the eligibility list battle it out for the $18million FedEx Cup first prize.
All 30 have $500,000 locked up – the prize for coming 30th this week at East Lake in Atlanta – and with a staggered start, giving the top qualifier the biggest headstart, every shot was vital coming down the stretch on Sunday. Patrick Cantlay successfully defended the BMW Championship and starts in second place as he tries to repeat at the Tour Championship too.
Scottie Scheffler’s tied-third place finish at Wilmington Country Club was good enough to see him start in pole position on Thursday, where he’ll tee off at 10-under par, two ahead of Cantlay. Will Zalatoris, who was forced to pull out of the BMW Championship with back trouble, starts in third at 6-under, thanks mainly to his victory in the first FedEx Cup Playoff event, the St Jude Championship.
While those near the top were battling it out to see who started where and with what advantage, at the other end there was a desperate fight to make the top 30 and secure a FedEx Cup place. Sahith Theegala shot a closing 68, including four birdies in the last seven holes, to finish tied-15th in the BMW Championship, and 28th on the eligibility list. Aaron Wise dropped three shots on the 15th and 16th but regained his composure to finish level with Theegala and secure his spot, despite shooting a 73.
It was Adam Scott who came closest to missing out though. Needing to par the final hole, the Australian needed to get up and down from a greenside bunker and wrap up a T5 finish for a place at East Lake. A bogey would have seen Shane Lowry take the final spot, but Scott produced a memorable bunker shot and holed the short putt to extend his season.
| Starting Strokes | Player |
|---|---|
| -10 | Scottie Scheffler |
| -8 | Patrick Cantlay |
| -7 | Will Zalatoris |
| -6 | Xander Schauffele |
| -5 | Sam Burns |
| -4 | Cameron Smith, Rory McIlroy, Tony Finau, Sepp Straka, Sungjae Im |
| -3 | Jon Rahm, Scott Stallings, Justin Thomas, Cameron Young,… |
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