PHOENIX — A year ago, Steve Stricker had such a commanding lead in the Charles Schwab Cup standings that he was able to skip all three of the playoff events on the PGA Tour Champions and still claim the Cup.
This time around, as the circuit reaches the season finale at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship there are still 10 golfers who have a chance to win it.
Of those 10, four are a long shot, as they each would need to win and have a lot of other things go their way. Of the top six, if any of them win the tournament at Phoenix Country Club, they’d claim the Cup.
And of those six, it’s most likely that it’ll come down to just two golfers.
Nonetheless, there’s certainly more drama heading into the week than in recent years.
How it works
The tournament is a four-round, 72-hole, no-cut event.
Unlike the PGA Tour’s post-season – where the Tour Championship winner is declared the FedEx Cup champion – it’s possible to have someone win this event while someone else captures the Schwab season title.
Format, TV, prize money | Winners in 2024 | Money in 2024
The winner of the tournament wins the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. The winner of the season-long race is the Charles Schwab Cup champion.
The 10 golfers in contention
If any of these players win the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, they will win the Charles Schwab Cup, regardless of where anyone else finishes:
- Ernie Els
- Steven Alker
- Stephen Ames
- Padraig Harrington
- Y.E. Yang
- Richard Green
Els has been atop the points standings for the last 12 tournaments.
Cup most likely comes down to two
The PGA Tour Champions stats crew reports that these are the “two most reasonable outcomes”:
Els, No. 1 in points and tied for most wins in 2024 with three, can claim the Cup by winning but it’s possible he could also clinch it by finishing second, third or fourth.
Alker can win the Cup with a win but also a second- or third-place finish but he would need Els to finish outside the top 5.
What some top contenders are saying
“For me to have led the money list for a long time is something, but it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t win the Charles Schwab Cup,” Els said. “So hey, if I end up not winning it, it will sting a little bit obviously because of my consistent play throughout the year but not winning it, you know.”
Alker won the tournament last year and the Cup two years ago.
“Defending a tournament is always great, too. You come here and, as I said, you just bring those vibes…
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