FedEx Cup
Encyclopedia
The FedEx Cup is a championship trophy for the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
. Its introduction marked the first time that men's professional golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
had a playoff system. Announced in November 2005, it was first awarded in 2007 after a NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
-like points race. Bill Haas
Bill Haas
William Harlan Haas is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and won the 2011 FedEx Cup. He is the son of former PGA Tour player Jay Haas.-Early life:...
is the current champion. This competition is sponsored by FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
.
The PGA Tour has adjusted the rules around the FedEx Cup in each of the two years since its introduction in 2007. Each set of changes was introduced to address issues that arose the previous year, particularly with the playoffs portion of the FedEx Cup.
In February 2008, the changes were designed to allow more golfers a chance to improve their positions on the points list as the playoffs progress. The changes involve a tightening of the playoff reset points and awarding more points to playoff participants. This is effectively a penalty on those players that skip a playoff event.
In November 2008, the changes were designed to help ensure that the championship would not be won until after the final playoff event. This resulted from the fact that Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh, CF , nicknamed "The Big Fijian", is a Fijian professional golfer who was Number 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005. He has won three major championships and was the leading PGA Tour money winner in 2003, 2004 and 2008...
had accumulated enough points through the first three playoff events in 2008 to guarantee that he would win the Cup by simply finishing the final event.
Qualifying for the playoffs
The following are the criteria for the 2011 season (unchanged since 2009).For the first portion of the season, the "regular season", from January through the latter part of August, PGA Tour players can earn points in each event they play. The number of points for winning each tournament varies from 250 to 600, depending on the quality of the field for each event, with the typical tournament awarding 500. Fewer points are awarded to other players who finish each tournament, based on their final position.
The ultimate goal is to be among the top 125 Points Leaders following the final event of the regular season. Only those players who are regular full-time members of the PGA Tour will earn points. A non-member who joins the PGA Tour in mid-season will be eligible to earn points in the first event he plays after officially joining the Tour.
After the final event of the regular season, the top 125 players participate in the playoffs. The number of points for winning each playoff tournament is 2500 – five times the amount for a typical regular season tournament. Points won in playoff events are added to those for the regular season, and the fields are reduced as the playoffs proceed.
After the third playoff event, the top 30 players move to the final event. Points are reset at that time, so the #1 player has 2500 points, the #2 player has 2250 points, down to the #30 player who is given 210 points. The goal is to ensure that any of the 30 players has a chance to win the FedEx Cup, but give the top players the best chance, with all of the top five players assured of winning the FedEx Cup by winning the Tour Championship.
Playoff events
| Event | Players | Cut |
|---|---|---|
| The Barclays | Top 125 points leaders (after the Wyndham Championship) |
36-hole cut to top 70 players plus ties |
| Deutsche Bank Championship Deutsche Bank Championship The Deutsche Bank Championship is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, held annually over the Labor Day weekend. The tournament made its debut in 2003 and is held at the Tournament Players Club of Boston in Norton, Massachusetts... |
Top 100 points leaders (after The Barclays) |
|
| BMW Championship | Top 70 points leaders (after the Deutsche Bank Championship) |
None |
| Tour Championship | Top 30 points leaders (after the BMW Championship) |
Once the final 125 playoff qualifiers are set, no alternates will be allowed. It is possible for any player among the final 125 (then 100, then 70) to skip a playoff event prior to the Tour Championship, but if he did he would risk his standing on the points list, and this could potentially result in him being eliminated from the playoffs.
For the Tour Championship itself, only the Top 30 Points Leaders after the BMW Championship will be eligible. If for any reason a player among the Top 30 does not compete in the Tour Championship, he will not be replaced.
Playoff rewards
The player with the most points after the Tour Championship wins the FedEx Cup itself and $10 million of a $35 million bonus fund. The runner-up gets $3 million, 3rd place $2 million, 4th place $1.5 million, 5th place $1 million, and so on down to $32,000 for 126th through 150th place.In 2007, the money was placed into their tax-deferred retirement accounts, not given in cash. Players under 45 are not able to access any 2007 FedEx Cup bonuses (as opposed to prize money earned in the tournaments themselves) until turning 45. They can invest their bonus in any manner they choose, and once they turn 45, can choose to defer payment until they turn 60 or play in fewer than 15 PGA Tour events in a season. Once a player chooses to take payments from his fund, he will receive monthly checks for five years.
Because of possible legislation affecting deferred retirement plans, in the wake of business stories that speculated that Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
could amass a $1 billion retirement fund if he won the FedEx Cup six more times, the PGA Tour announced a change to the payout system effective in 2008. The top 10 finishers now receive the bulk of their FedEx Cup bonuses in cash up front; for example, the 2008 FedEx Cup champion received $9 million up front and $1 million in his tax-deferred retirement account. FedEx Cup bonuses to finishers below the top 10 are still paid solely into the players' retirement accounts.
The winner of the FedEx Cup also receives a five year exemption on the PGA Tour. This mirrors the exemption for the Leading Money Winner title (PGA Tour Exemption Category 8), but it may not have any practical implications. Players have almost never relied on the Leading Money Winner exemption, as they are usually exempt by other means. With the exception of the Tour Championship, which awards a 3-year PGA Tour exemption, winners of FedEx Cup playoff events receive only the standard 2-year exemption.
Beginning 2008, any player among the Final Top 30 FedEx Cup Points Leaders after the Tour Championship, if not exempt by other means, is placed in PGA Tour Exemption Category 18, which is just above the category for the Top 125 Official Money List leaders.
Remaining FedEx Cup qualifiers for the next year will come from the PGA Tour's Official Money List. This particular list will be finalized after the PGA Tour Fall Series
PGA Tour Fall Series
The PGA Tour Fall Series is a series of events on the PGA Tour that covers the end of the calendar year.This series was created in 2007 as part of the reorganization of the entire tour schedule. The new structure includes a regular season and the FedEx Cup playoffs, which will determine the season...
, a group of official PGA Tour events that follow the Tour Championship.
As always, the top 125 players on the money list will be fully exempt for the following year, with other golfers either eligible through other exemptions or needing to qualify by other means (e.g. "Qualifying school
Qualifying school
In professional golf the term qualifying school is used for the annual qualifying tournaments for leading golf tours such as the U.S. based PGA and LPGA Tours and the European Tour. A fixed number of players in the event win membership of the tour for the following season, otherwise known as a...
").
Winners
| Year | Player | Country | Points | Margin | Events | Wins | Top 5s | Pre-Cup ranking | Pre-Cup points | Pre-Cup events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 2011 FedEx Cup Playoffs The 2011 FedEx Cup Playoffs, the series of four golf tournaments that determined the season champion on the U.S.-based PGA Tour, began on August 25 and ended on September 25... |
Bill Haas Bill Haas William Harlan Haas is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and won the 2011 FedEx Cup. He is the son of former PGA Tour player Jay Haas.-Early life:... |
2,760 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 1,273 | 22 | |
| 2010 2010 FedEx Cup Playoffs The 2010 FedEx Cup Playoffs, the series of four golf tournaments that determined the season champion on the U.S.-based PGA Tour, began on August 26 and ended on September 26... |
Jim Furyk Jim Furyk James Michael Furyk is an American professional golfer, 2010 FedEx Cup champion, and 2010 PGA Tour Player of the Year. He has won one major championship, the 2003 U.S. Open. Furyk is known for consistently playing at the top level and for a visibly unconventional, looping golf swing... |
2,980 | 252 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1,691 | 18 | |
| 2009 2009 FedEx Cup Playoffs The 2009 FedEx Cup Playoffs, the series of four golf tournaments that determined the season champion on the U.S.-based PGA Tour, began on August 27 and ended on September 27... |
Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No... |
4,000 | 1,080 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3,341 | 13 | |
| 2008 2008 FedEx Cup Playoffs The 2008 FedEx Cup Playoffs, the series of four golf tournaments that determined the season champion on the U.S.-based PGA Tour, were held from August 21 to September 28. They consisted of four events:*The Barclays*Deutsche Bank Championship*BMW Championship... |
Vijay Singh Vijay Singh Vijay Singh, CF , nicknamed "The Big Fijian", is a Fijian professional golfer who was Number 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005. He has won three major championships and was the leading PGA Tour money winner in 2003, 2004 and 2008... |
125,101 | 551 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 15,034 | 19 | |
| 2007 2007 FedEx Cup Playoffs The 2007 FedEx Cup Playoffs were held from August 23 to September 16. They consisted of four events. The events in order are The Barclays, Deutsche Bank Championship, BMW Championship and The Tour Championship. These were the first FedEx Cup playoffs being held... |
Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No... |
123,033 | 12,578 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 30,574 | 13 |
Career FedEx Cup leaders
| Player | Country | Total Earnings ($) | 2007 Earnings ($) | 2008 Earnings ($) | 2009 Earnings ($) | 2010 Earnings ($) | 2011 Earnings ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No... |
20,275,000 | 10,000,000 | 110,000 | 10,000,000 | 133,000 | 32,000 | |
| Jim Furyk Jim Furyk James Michael Furyk is an American professional golfer, 2010 FedEx Cup champion, and 2010 PGA Tour Player of the Year. He has won one major championship, the 2003 U.S. Open. Furyk is known for consistently playing at the top level and for a visibly unconventional, looping golf swing... |
12,940,000 | 300,000 | 1,000,000 | 1,500,000 | 10,000,000 | 140,000 | |
| Vijay Singh Vijay Singh Vijay Singh, CF , nicknamed "The Big Fijian", is a Fijian professional golfer who was Number 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005. He has won three major championships and was the leading PGA Tour money winner in 2003, 2004 and 2008... |
10,870,000 | 500,000 | 10,000,000 | 75,000 | 110,000 | 185,000 | |
| Bill Haas Bill Haas William Harlan Haas is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and won the 2011 FedEx Cup. He is the son of former PGA Tour player Jay Haas.-Early life:... |
10,411,000 | 32,000 | 80,000 | 134,000 | 165,000 | 10,000,000 | |
| Phil Mickelson Phil Mickelson Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed... |
6,230,000 | 2,000,000 | 700,000 | 3,000,000 | 280,000 | 250,000 | |
| Steve Stricker Steve Stricker Steven Stricker is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He has won 11 tournaments on the PGA Tour including the 2001 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and two FedEx Cup playoff events. His most successful season on tour came in 2009, when he had three tournament victories... |
6,205,000 | 3,000,000 | 270,000 | 2,000,000 | 700,000 | 235,000 | |
| Luke Donald Luke Donald Luke Campbell Donald is an English professional golfer who is the current World Number One. He plays mainly on the U.S. based PGA Tour but is also a member of the European Tour. In 2006 he reached the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time in his career. In January 2007, he... |
4,410,000 | 165,000 | 70,000 | 175,000 | 2,000,000 | 2,000,000 | |
| Matt Kuchar Matt Kuchar Matthew Gregory Kuchar is an American professional golfer who has played on both the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour. He has ranked as high as number six in the Official World Golf Rankings.-Early career:... |
4,080,000 | 75,000 | 70,000 | 135,000 | 3,000,000 | 800,000 | |
| Camilo Villegas Camilo Villegas Camilo Villegas is a Colombian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the European Tour.-Early years:Villegas was born in Medellín, Colombia, and took up golf as a child... |
3,713,000 | 205,000 | 3,000,000 | 133,000 | 225,000 | 150,000 | |
| Webb Simpson Webb Simpson James Frederick "Webb" Simpson is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.-Amateur career:Simpson was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. He played high school golf at Broughton High before his collegiate golf career at Wake Forest University. He was a three-time All-American and... |
3,185,000 | 110,000 | 75,000 | 3,000,000 |
See also
- LPGA Tour Championship (formerly ADT Championship or LPGA Playoffs at the ADT) – a single-event playoff conducted by the LPGALPGAThe LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from...
. - List of point distributions of the FedEx Cup
External links
Unless otherwise indicated, all are pgatour.com links.- The PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Home Page
- PGA Tour Fan's Quick Guide to FedEx Cup
- Fed Ex Cup Points for Regular Season, Playoffs and Tour Championship Reset.
- Official FedEx Cup Points Standings
- Official PGA Tour Schedule – FedEx Cup Regular and Playoff events, plus Fall SeriesPGA Tour Fall SeriesThe PGA Tour Fall Series is a series of events on the PGA Tour that covers the end of the calendar year.This series was created in 2007 as part of the reorganization of the entire tour schedule. The new structure includes a regular season and the FedEx Cup playoffs, which will determine the season...
events