The 2024 FedEx Cup Playoffs Kick Off at TPC Southwind
The 2024 postseason is finally here as the PGA Tour makes its annual pilgrimage to TPC Southwind to ignite the FedEx Cup Playoffs for the third consecutive year. While the field tightens with competitive fervor, the players' aspirations and tensions converge on the verdant fairways of Memphis, Tennessee.
This year, the St. Jude Championship welcomes the top 70 players from the regular season, but twenty of these elite contenders will see their journeys truncated, narrowing the roster to just 50 ahead of the BMW Championship. Those fortunate enough to finish inside the top 50 by week's end secure their spots in every PGA Tour signature event for the 2025 season—an accolade that amplifies the stakes at TPC Southwind.
However, not everyone sails smoothly into this first leg. Renowned names like Jordan Spieth, Min Woo Lee, Justin Rose, Nick Dunlap, and Nick Taylor find themselves teetering on the brink, desperate for a performance that salvages their playoff aspirations. Current FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland is one such player facing immense pressure. Nestled precariously at No. 57 in the standings, Hovland’s defense of his BMW Championship trophy and FedEx Cup crown at East Lake hinges on a stellar week in Memphis. His form this year has been a mixed bag; while he grabbed a third-place finish at the PGA Championship, his stats on approach and around the green have been career-worst, where he ranks 175th out of 176 players.
In stark contrast, Scottie Scheffler seeks his eighth victory of the year, aiming to stride into the Tour Championship with a commanding two-stroke lead for the third straight season. Xander Schauffele, who follows closely behind Scheffler in the standings and edges out Rory McIlroy, will also be a formidable contender. Together, Scheffler, Schauffele, and McIlroy have amassed a remarkable ten PGA Tour victories in 2024—demonstrating their consistent form and competitive prowess.
The field's depth is further underscored by names like Collin Morikawa, Ludvig Åberg, Patrick Cantlay, Tony Finau, Sahith Theegala, Sungjae Im, Justin Thomas, and Brian Harman—all inside the top 20 of the FedEx Cup standings. Strikingly, despite their high rankings, this group shares a surprising stat: zero victories in 2024. The pressure cooker of TPC Southwind could be the catalyst that changes that.
Course Insights
TPC Southwind, a course that plays to a par of 70 and stretches over 7,243 yards, has been a decisive battleground before. This year's edition of the St. Jude Championship, scheduled from August 15-18, carries a lucrative purse of $20 million—an incentive that might spark extraordinary performances.
Player Dynamics and Histories
Xander Schauffele is riding a wave of consistency, with no finishes outside the top 25 since February's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Yet, despite his reliability, TPC Southwind remains a tricky venue for Schauffele, with his only top 20 finish here dating back to 2020. Rory McIlroy, in contrast, has enjoyed more favorable results in Memphis, boasting four top-12 finishes in seven trips to TPC Southwind, including a commendable T3 last year. McIlroy’s momentum is palpable, with four top-five results in his last six tournaments.
Collin Morikawa has displayed consistent form at this course, securing three top 20s in four appearances. Patrick Cantlay has hit his stride recently, with three consecutive top-25 finishes and notable top-five results at the U.S. Open and the Travelers Championship. These performances accentuate the intricate dance of form and fortune that defines the playoffs.
As the intensity builds, every stroke and decision at TPC Southwind reverberates with career-defining implications. The players who navigate these pressures most adeptly will not only advance to the BMW Championship but also cement their legacy in the annals of PGA Tour history.