Aug. 24, 2026, 9:30 a.m. ET
The FedEx Cup Playoffs are over for 20 PGA Tour pros. Time to cancel the hotel reservations in Atlanta and re-book their flights home. That invite to the majors? Better start working on another avenue into the Masters, U.S. and British Opens, and hope that being in the signature events in 2027 will provide a sufficient head start to securing a Tour card for 2028.
But being top 50 and making it to the BMW Championship is nothing to sneeze at, and just because there won’t be a parking spot for a courtesy car at East Lake nor a chance to take home the FedEx Cup trophy doesn’t mean it wasn’t a great year, too.
Here’s a look at the 20 players exiting the playoffs and what they achieved this year.
He made 19 of 21 cuts, including four top 10s and a T-2 at the Genesis Invitational, and banked more than $5 million. Not too shabby for a season without a win. Ball-striking carried him this season. Room for improvement with the short game and putter if he’s going to lift more trophies.
Explore how to live where you love to play Access community guides, golf real estate insights, trusted agent connections, and content built for passionate golfers.32. J.T. Poston
Winning The Memorial marks the biggest of the four victories of his career. He followed it up with a T-4 at the U.S. Open. Those, however, were his only two top-10 finishes of the season. He ranked 84th in SG: Total but he’s one of those guys who knows how to get the ball in the hole. It’s hard to argue with his formula for success. He earned nearly $6 million and won a signature event.
33. Rickie Fowler
Fowler made some good progress this season with Butch Harmon, who says he’s swinging it better than ever. He recorded five top 10s. He was the ‘Bubble Boy’ entering the BMW but struggled to T-37 and missed out on East Lake for the third straight year.
34. Bud Cauley
It was finally his time at the RBC Canadian Open, winning for the first time on the Tour since turning pro in 2011. He got bumped out of the top 30 at the final event, but nonetheless after being in a car accident that nearly ruined his career, he finally lived up to his promise.
35. Nicolai Hojgaard
Both of his top-10 finishes were runner-ups. And if you had him to be low Hojgaard, go ahead and cash your ticket.
36. Alex Noren
The ultimate grinder, he still hasn’t hoisted a trophy on the PGA Tour but the Swede seems to be getting better with age. He had his best finish of the year at the first leg of the playoffs, where he finished T-3 in Memphis.
37. Sungjae Im
He got a late start on the season due to recovering from an injury and still nearly made it to the Tour Championship. An uneven final round at the BMW left him on the wrong side of the cutoff for the first time in his career and snapped his seven-year run at East Lake. Ranked 143rd in SG: Approach to Green. Fix that and he’s due to get back in the winner’s circle for the first time since 2021.
38. Jake Knapp
He had a great West Coast Swing and then dealt with injury for much of the season that kept him sidelined for a stretch. But when he was healthy, he showed that he can hang with the best of them.
39. Aaron Rai
He won the PGA Championship a week after playing in the opposite-field Myrtle Beach tournament the week before. The Englishman etched his name on the Wanamaker Trophy — life is good.
40. Sepp Straka
Straka failed to add to his win total this season. He started hot, notching a T-2 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but since a T-4 in early May at Doral, his game has been MIA, with missed cuts at the PGA and U.S. Open and no top 25s in his last 10 events. He ranked T-113 in Strokes Gained: Total so there is work to do to regain his form in a Ryder Cup year.
41. Ben Griffin
It was always going to be tough to back up his three-win season from a year ago, but Griffin failed to get back in the winner’s circle. He sprinkled in some good results, especially at his title defenses but could use some improvement on his tee to green game to take some pressure off his world-class short game.
42. Maverick McNealy
Given that he’s adjusting to become a parent, busy working on the FCC and other board duties, McNealy’s season was solid and he continues to putt great. He didn’t get a win but made 19 of 21 cuts. Needs to step up his iron play to get in more trophy hunts.
43. Justin Thomas
He’s usually at East Lake but after undergoing back surgery last off-season and getting a later start to the season, it’s admirable that he made it this far and he said he’s giving himself grace. Just two top-10s and none since the PGA Championship in May. Needs to get his usual stellar iron play dialed in again as he ranked 110th in SG: Approach to Green.
44. Michael Thorbjornsen
He won the Rocket Classic, one of three top 10s. He’s one of the top young talents in the game and next year could be his big breakthrough. To do so, he needs to improve his putting (119th in SGP).
45. Nico Echavarria
The Colombian won the Cognizant Classic when Shane Lowry collapsed. It marks the first season that he’s made it to the BMW Championship. He ranked 120th in SG: Total so room for improvement across the board.
46. Michael Brennan
He won the Wyndham Championship to validate his title in the fall in Utah and make it to the playoffs. Then made it to the BMW. Solid season to what really amounted to being his rookie year. He’s another of the new brigade of bombers that don’t need much polish to contend in the big leagues.
47. Ryo Hisatsune
The Japanese pro missed the cut at the season opener and regular season finale and sandwiched 23 made cuts in a row in between. Five top 10s on Tour at age 23 is strong. If he putts better (108th in SGP), he can start giving Hideki Matsuyama some competition for top Japanese player.
49. Eric Cole
It would have been a banner year had he hung on for his first win at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Still, a solid season for a guy capable of making birdies in bunches. Proving that short game and putting can still make up for being short off the tee by today’s standard.
50. Matt McCarty
He rode a T-2 at the American Express into several signature events. But he missed the cut at three of the four majors (T-24 at the Masters) and was just happy to sneak into the top 50 as Jordan Spieth and Keith Mitchell faltered late in the season. He ranked 110th in SG: Total.
Adam Schupak is a senior writer for Golfweek, covering the PGA Tour.