The 2024 PGA Tour Champions season ends with the Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Phoenix Country Club in Arizona.
While there is an attractive purse of $3m available, with the winner in line for a $528,000 payday, for some in the field, there is an opportunity to capture an arguably even more lucrative honor – the Charles Schwab Cup for finishing top of the season-long rankings.
In total, just 35 players are in the field. Of those, 10 are mathematically still in with a chance of finishing top of the rankings, although for six, the destiny of the trophy remains firmly in their hands.
Ernie Els leads the way following his best PGA Tour Champions season yet. The South African legend won three times in a little over a month earlier in the year, first in June’s Principal Charity Classic, then at the American Family Insurance Championship a week later before claiming the Kaulig Companies Championship in July.
Els knows a win this week would see him lift the Charles Schwab Cup for the first time, but he could also claim the glory by finishing second, third or fourth providing none of the five players beneath him in the rankings win.
Ernie Els is top of the rankings heading into the tournament
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Steven Alker won the 2023 Charles Schwab Cup Championship, but it wasn’t enough to win the season-long race, with Steve Stricker taking that honor.
There won’t be a repeat for the 2021 US Ryder Cup captain as he is absent this week, but another win this week will be enough for Alker, who is second in the standings, while even second or third could be enough if Els finishes outside the top five at the event and none of the others in the top six win it.
Third in the standings is Stephen Ames, who is looking for his fourth PGA Tour Champions win this season. If he gets it, he’ll finish top of the standings regardless of what his rivals do.
Only a win will do for Stephen Ames
(Image credit: Getty Images)
It’s a similar story for Padraig Harrington, who’ll also win the season-long race if he produces a repeat of his 2022 Charles Schwab Cup Championship success. He heads into the event in some fine form having won the Simmons Bank Championship just a week ago.
Y.E. Yang begins the tournament fifth in the rankings helped by victory over Bernhard Langer in a…
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