We’ve heard a lot about the FedEx Cup over the past few years. And, we are about to begin the playoff phase of the event. So, let’s look at how the FedEx Cup point system works.

Each week during the regular PGA season, players earn points based on their finishing position in a PGA Tour event. Points are accumulative from event to event.


At the end of the regular PGA golf season, the top 125 players, based on points earned, move to the playoff phase. The playoffs consist of a series of four tournaments:

• The Barclays – Liberty National Golf Club, New Jersey City, New Jersey ($7,500,000 Purse)
• Deutsche Bank Championship – TPC Boston, Norton, Massachusetts ($7,500,000 Purse)
• BMW Championship – Cog Hill Golf and Country Club, Lemont, Illinois ($7,500,000 Purse)
• The TOUR Championship – East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Georgia ($7,500,000 Purse)

By the way, the regular season began in January 2009 with the Mercedes Championship and ended with the Wyndham Championship the third week of August. During the regular season, players earned points based on their finishing position within each event played. For example, if a player won a tournament, they earned 500 points. At the conclusion of the regular season the top 125 players with the highest earned FedEx Points over the course of the regular season move on to the playoffs. The Barclays kicks off the first round of playoffs.

Earned points are accumulative and carry over to the playoffs. During the playoff tournaments, players earn five times the points originally earned during the regular season. For example, if a player wins in The Barclays, the player earns 2,500 points versus 500 in regular season play. After The Barclays, the top 100 players (based on earned points) move to the next playoff tournament, Deutsche Bank Championship. After the Deutsche, the top 70 players move to the next playoff tournament which is the BMW Championship at Cog Hill in Lemont, Illinois. The final playoff tournament is the Tour Championship for the top 30 players based on earned FedEx points.

Prior to the Tour Championship, the points to be earned are reset using a weighted formula allowing each player eligible to play in the final tournament the opportunity to win the overall FedEx Cup.

Based on the points earned structure, if one of the top 5 players going into the Tour Championship wins that tournament, they will have also won the FedEx Cup. On the other hand, if we look at the top 10 players that move to the Tour Championship, their chances of winning the FedEx Cup are excellent too based on the mathematical aspects of the event. But, keep in mind, it is not all about math, it’s the real talent of the players and their ability to play flawlessly with birdies, eagles, and whatever shots they can dazzle us with. So good luck to the top 125 in The Barclays!

Posted by Marilyn Harris