FedEx Cup Fall: Young Stars and Stalwarts Vie for Victory

When the PGA Tour communicated the inauguration of FedEx Cup Fall in April 2023, its intention was to amplify the suspense of the off-season while also functioning as an adjunct to the reinstatement of the conventional year schedule. It was official — the epoch of players capitalizing on the absence of prominent figures during the autumn to gain an initial advantage in the FedEx Cup rankings for the subsequent season had concluded.

Upon the calendar’s transition to the new year and the commencement of the PGA Tour’s inaugural tournament, everyone commenced from a level playing field. The elite players on the circuit were no longer in a perpetual state of catching up, and an offseason, to a considerable extent, materialized for those who had rightfully earned it.

Since then, the PGA Tour has intensified its efforts to render the FedEx Cup Fall even more riveting. It decreased the number of tournaments from eight to seven between 2024 and 2025 — bidding farewell to the Shriners Children’s Open — and concurrently diminished the quantity of cards distributed.

Initially conceived as a contest to secure a position within the top 125, the FedEx Cup Fall now concentrates on the top 100, as the PGA Tour has subsequently redefined the starting point for the cut-off. Attaining a position within this range grants a player full-time membership on the PGA Tour and an invitation to participate in the Players Championship. Conversely, failing to do so results in conditional status — involving a scramble for starts in the upcoming year — or nothing at all.

All of this intensity and apprehension is prominently showcased, culminating in the RSM Classic, the year’s concluding event, where each putt assumes magnified significance. However, while attention is directed towards those aspiring to earn the privilege of competing on the PGA Tour in the upcoming season, the central narrative in the FedEx Cup Fall’s concise history has revolved around those who are not … the players who are essentially playing with borrowed time and seizing the opportunity to the fullest extent.

Sunday at the Bank of Utah Championship provided the latest illustration, as Michael Brennan decisively outperformed the competition in his third professional PGA Tour appearance, securing his place in the winner’s circle. Brennan dedicated his previous 18 months to PGA Tour Americas, where he concluded the season at the summit of the standings, propelled by three victories in a recent sequence of four tournaments.

The Power 18 golf rankings: Xander Schauffele returns to top five, Cameron Young among most notable movers

Patrick McDonald

His reward consisted of membership on the Korn Ferry Tour. Nevertheless, upon the 23-year-old’s triumph at Black Desert Resort, where he gained entry to the field via a sponsor’s invitation, Brennan bypassed that phase entirely, securing a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour alongside his victory. 

“[My caddie Jeff] has been conveying to me, ever since we accomplished a remarkable year, that we would not be proceeding to the Korn Ferry Tour, regardless of whether it transpired through an event such as this or Q-School,” Brennan stated. “I am incredulous that he was accurate.”

Brennan’s triumph held significance for numerous reasons. It introduced a new luminary to the PGA Tour’s prominence. It secured him starts at the Players Championship, PGA Championship, and the RBC Heritage. It expedited his career trajectory. Moreover, it once again underscored that, during the fall season, those who compete with unrestrained freedom and without the burden of job security are the ones poised to attain considerably more.

First-time winners in FedEx Cup Fall

Brennan became the latest first-time victor on the PGA Tour to emerge from the FedEx Cup Fall. He aligns with emerging talents such as Ludvig Åberg, Maverick McNealy, and Sahith Theegala in achieving this milestone. In a parallel vein, the previous year’s champion of the Bank of Utah Championship, Matt McCarty, entered the week of his triumph following a three-win promotion from the Korn Ferry Tour.

McCarty’s victory secured him an invitation to the Masters, where he confided in CBS Sports that he acquired more profound insights into himself and his game than during any other tournament he participated in during his rookie season on the PGA Tour. Similarly, his career underwent acceleration.

It has been observed repeatedly that young players are now more adept at securing victories than ever before. Nick Dunlap achieved this as an amateur in 2024, and Luke Clanton nearly replicated the feat last fall, ultimately falling short to McNealy in Sea Island. 

The narratives of journeymen persist — evident in Campos’ poignant triumph in Bermuda — but they are progressively diminishing in frequency. This is attributable not only to the accelerated pace, heightened talent, and increased fearlessness of young prodigies, coupled with a unique form of obliviousness that proves advantageous to their cause, but also to the purposeful intent exhibited by established figures — such as Scottie Scheffler — when they opt to participate.

Other notable winners in FedEx Cup Fall

While the rationale differs for each individual, their possession of one constitutes the crucial factor. In Scheffler’s case at the Procore Championship, his objective was to prepare for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. He was accompanied by his American teammates, and had he not lifted the trophy in Napa, Ben Griffin would have assumed the role instead.

For Morikawa and Schauffele at the Baycurrent Classic, their motives stem from their affiliations with the Land of the Rising Sun. Their enthusiasm for being present is genuine. They harbor a desire to perform well and secure victory. The tournament holds a prominent place on their annual calendars, a sentiment reflected in their performance.

“I’ve been visiting my grandparents here since I was approximately 9 years old,” Schauffele remarked. “I developed an affection for this country a considerable time ago. I eagerly anticipate bringing my son here when he attains an age of comprehension and appreciation for the culture of Japan. Indeed, the Schauffele family maintains deep-rooted ties here in Japan.”

For others, the motivation could be a title defense or potentially a return to a golf course that once formed part of the regular season but no longer does, yet their games harmonize with it so effectively that they have opted to maintain their participation. 

The overarching point is that a driving force underlies these players’ involvement during this period on the PGA Tour. In contrast to their counterparts, who participate out of necessity, some of these individuals — encompassing both the luminaries of today and the rising stars of tomorrow — engage out of luxury, rendering them even more formidable than usual.