The FedExCup playoffs began with the St. Jude Championship last weekend. Will Zalatoris won the event, and now leads the FedExCup standings in points heading into the second event of the playoffs, this weekend’s BMW Championship.
Only 70 players qualify for this weekend’s tournament. After this weekend, only 30 players will be eligible to play in next week’s Tour Championship.
PGA Tour Players and Tiger Woods Hold Players Meeting
Ahead of this weekend’s tournament, Tiger Woods and several players on the PGA Tour, including Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas, held a players-only meeting to discuss the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. The main focus of the meeting was expected to be LIV Golf, but it is unclear what was specifically discussed.
The players’ meeting could result in suggestions on changes to scheduling, formatting, and other rules as the players work with PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. Players such as Woods, Thomas, and McIlroy have been supportive of the PGA Tour during the summer after LIV Golf began holding its first events.
Since LIV Golf began holding events and signing players, the PGA Tour has already made changes to its scheduling and future events. Next year’s FedExCup playoff format will begin with 70 players instead of 125. In addition, prize money will increase at multiple PGA Tour events throughout the season.
Additionally, the PGA Tour has announced plans for new events in the fall. The PGA Tour and DP World Tour also expanded their “strategic alliance” which could see the two tours work together to host more events featuring players from both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.
Over the next few months, it is likely that the PGA Tour will introduce new changes. The players meeting this week could affect how the PGA Tour moves forward before next year.
BMW Championship Continues FedExCup Playoff
Last weekend’s St. Jude Championship began this year’s FedExCup playoffs. Will Zalatoris won the tournament, his first ever PGA Tour win, after a three-hole playoff against Sepp Straka. Heading into this weekend’s BMW Championship Zalatoris is now first in the FedExCup standings.
Zalatoris will compete with Scottie Scheffler and several others to remain first in the standings this weekend. At the same time, several players will be competing to finish in the Top 30 in the standings to qualify for next weekend’s Tour Championship.
Kevin Kisner, Corey Conners, and J.J. Spaun are currently 28th, 29th, and 30th in the FedExCup standings heading into this weekend. Players such as Shane Lowry and Mito Pereira, who almost won the PGA Championship earlier this year, are currently outside the Top 30 in the FedExCup standings.
Each FedExCup playoffs event awards quadruple the points of a regular season event. This weekend’s main storyline will be which players are able to qualify for the Tour Championship.
Important Tee Times for the BMW Championship
Wilmington Country Club in Delaware hosts this weekend’s BMW Championship. The first and second rounds begin at 9:10 a.m. on Thursday and Friday. Harold Varner III and Alex Noren will begin the tournament on Thursday morning.
Mito Pereira will tee off alongside Trey Mullinax at 10:10 a.m. on Thursday. Pereira and Mullinax are currently 40th and 41st in the FedExCup standings before this weekend. Seamus Power and Shane Lowry, who are 36th and 37th in the standings, begin their first rounds fifteen minutes later at 10:25 a.m.
Kisner and Conners tee off alongside each other 20 minutes later at 10:45 a.m. Collin Morikawa and Tom Hoge begin at 11:05 a.m., with Jordan Spieth and Max Homa teeing off 10 minutes later at 11:15 a.m.
After Spieth and Homa tee off Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay are scheduled to follow at 11:15 a.m. Tony Finau and Sam Burns begin the first round at 11:40 a.m., with Justin Thomas and Sungjae Im beginning at 11:50 a.m.
J.J. Spaun, who is currently 30th in the FedExCup standings, begins at 1:35 p.m. alongside Aaron Wise, who is 31st in the standings. Sahith Theegala and Davis Riley, who are 27th and 26th in the standings, respectively, tee off at 1:45 p.m.
Last week’s winner Will Zalatoris tees off alongside Scottie Scheffler at 2:40 p.m. The last tee time of Thursday and Friday is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. each day.
