The 2024 PGA Tour postseason is officially underway as golfers converge at TPC Southwind for the St. Jude Championship, the curtain-raiser for the FedEx Cup Playoffs. The storied venue in Memphis, Tennessee, once again plays host to the top 70 players from the regular season, each vying for a coveted spot in the next round of the playoffs.
Among these elite contenders, 20 will see their campaigns cut short, with only 50 moving forward to the BMW Championship. This crucial competition doesn't just determine the immediate future; it sets the stage for the 2025 season, as those finishing inside the top 50 are guaranteed entry into every PGA Tour signature event next year.
Riding the Edge of Margin
Several notable names are teetering on the brink of elimination. Jordan Spieth, Min Woo Lee, Justin Rose, Nick Dunlap, and Nick Taylor find themselves in precarious positions. Viktor Hovland, who currently ranks 57th in the standings, is another player under pressure. Despite a third-place finish at the PGA Championship this year, Hovland's struggles on approach and around the green, where he ranks 175th out of 176 players, underscore the challenges he faces.
Scottie Scheffler: The Man to Beat
Scottie Scheffler continues to dominate headlines with his quest for an eighth victory this year. Should he succeed, he will enter the Tour Championship with a commanding two-stroke lead for the third consecutive season. Alongside Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy, Scheffler has accumulated a staggering ten PGA Tour victories in 2024, showcasing his formidable form heading into the playoffs.
Rory McIlroy, a favorite at TPC Southwind, boasts an impressive record with four top-12 finishes in seven trips. His T3 finish last year and four top-five results in his last six tournaments underline his consistent excellence. Similarly, Schauffele has shown remarkable consistency, with no finishes outside the top 25 since February's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Chasing Consistency and Breakthroughs
The top 20 of the FedEx Cup standings is not short on talent, featuring names like Collin Morikawa, Ludvig Åberg, Patrick Cantlay, Tony Finau, Sahith Theegala, Sungjae Im, Justin Thomas, and Brian Harman. However, this group has yet to secure a win in 2024. Morikawa, in particular, has shown promise at TPC Southwind, with three top-20 finishes in four appearances. Cantlay also enters the tournament with momentum, having secured three consecutive top-25 finishes, including notable top-five results at the U.S. Open and the Travelers Championship.
The Course and the Stakes
TPC Southwind, playing to a par of 70 and stretching over 7,243 yards, presents a formidable challenge to the field. The St. Jude Championship, scheduled from August 15-18, carries a lucrative purse of $20 million, adding to the high stakes and fierce competition.
As the tournament unfolds, every stroke counts, and the ramifications of each performance will be felt throughout the remainder of the postseason. The drama and intensity are set to escalate as players not only fight for their positions in the playoffs but also seek to set the foundation for a successful 2025 season.