{"id":50350,"date":"2026-08-14T14:14:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T14:14:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/50350\/"},"modified":"2026-08-14T14:14:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T14:14:13","slug":"the-fedex-cup-playoffs-greatest-finishes-most-electric-closing-stretches-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/50350\/","title":{"rendered":"The FedEx Cup playoffs\u2019 greatest finishes: Most electric closing stretches ever"},"content":{"rendered":"

The FedEx Cup playoffs are when PGA Tour golf<\/a> gets serious.<\/p>\n

Down the final stretch, there\u2019s zero room for error. One bad swing or missed putt can wipe out four days of brilliant golf, while one clutch shot can turn a tight battle into a career-defining win.<\/p>\n

That kind of pressure has delivered some legendary finishes over the years. Players have had to pull off miracle shots from terrible lies, sink monster putts and survive sudden-death playoffs in front of roaring crowds with everything on the line.<\/p>\n

MORE: 6 ultimate FedEx Cup pressure players: Who gets better when playoffs start?<\/a><\/p>\n

The closing holes tell the whole story. A player can look completely out of it one minute, only to flip the leaderboard on its head the next. When the heat is on, even a basic routine shot can feel like the heaviest moment of the entire season.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what makes these finishes so special. It\u2019s not just about lifting a trophy, it\u2019s about who can handle the absolute highest level of pressure when there\u2019s nowhere left to hide.<\/p>\n

From crazy comebacks to flat-out impossible shots, here are the most electric playoff finishes in FedEx Cup playoffs history.<\/p>\n

5. Rory McIlroy, 2016 Tour Championship<\/p>\n

\"\"Rory McIlroy plays his shot from the first tee during the first round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship golf tournament. Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Rory McIlroy needed a big finish at the 2016 Tour Championship. His FedEx Cup hopes depended on winning the tournament.<\/p>\n

McIlroy found himself trailing late in the final round. Then came the 16th hole.<\/p>\n

From 137 yards in the fairway, McIlroy holed his approach for eagle. The shot changed the entire tournament. He followed it with a birdie on the 18th.<\/p>\n

That finish forced a three-man playoff with Ryan Moore and Kevin Chappell. McIlroy stayed alive through three playoff holes. On the fourth extra hole, he buried a 15-foot birdie putt to win. His huge roar showed exactly what the moment meant.<\/p>\n

McIlroy won<\/a> the Tour Championship and the $10 million FedEx Cup prize.<\/p>\n

4. Tiger Woods, 2018 Tour Championship<\/p>\n

\"\"Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links GC tees off during match against Los Angeles Golf Club during the TGL finals at SoFi Center. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

Tiger Woods entered the 2018 Tour Championship with a chance to win his first tournament<\/a> since 2013.<\/p>\n

The victory would also mark his 80th PGA Tour title. Woods held the 54-hole lead at East Lake and had to close the deal on Sunday.<\/p>\n

His final hole became one of the most famous scenes in FedEx Cup history.<\/p>\n

As Woods walked toward the 18th green, thousands of fans broke through the ropes. The crowd followed him down the fairway in a massive stampede.<\/p>\n

Woods then tapped in for par to complete the victory. The celebration showed how much his return meant to golf fans.<\/p>\n

Justin Rose birdied the 18th at the same time. That result gave Rose the overall FedEx Cup title, but Woods\u2019 closing scene remains unforgettable.<\/p>\n

MORE: The Open vs. every other major: Why Royal Birkdale\u2019s week is golf\u2019s purest test<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Patrick Cantlay, 2021 BMW Championship<\/p>\n

\"\"Patrick Cantlay lines up a putt on the ninth green during the third round of the Rocket Classic golf tournament. Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The 2021 BMW Championship at Caves Valley turned into a battle between Patrick Cantlay and Bryson DeChambeau.<\/p>\n

Cantlay shot a final-round 66<\/a> to reach 27-under par. DeChambeau matched him, sending the tournament into a playoff.<\/p>\n

The extra-hole battle lasted six holes. DeChambeau repeatedly drove the ball 40 to 50 yards farther than Cantlay.<\/p>\n

That distance put constant pressure on Cantlay. He answered with outstanding iron play and clutch putting.<\/p>\n

Cantlay had already produced one of the best putting weeks of the ShotLink era. He gained more than 14 strokes with the putter during the tournament.<\/p>\n

His putting stayed sharp when the pressure peaked. Cantlay kept matching DeChambeau and eventually won the marathon playoff.<\/p>\n

The performance helped create his famous \u201cPatty Ice\u201d reputation. Then, he followed the BMW title with a Tour Championship win to close out the FedEx Cup crown.<\/p>\n

2. Bill Haas, 2011 Tour Championship<\/p>\n

\"\"Bill Haas eyes his second shot on 15 during the third round of the Myrtle Beach Classic golf tournament. Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Few shots in FedEx Cup history compare with what Bill Haas did at East Lake in 2011<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Haas faced Hunter Mahan in a sudden-death playoff. The TOUR Championship and the overall FedEx Cup title were both at stake.<\/p>\n

On the second playoff hole, Haas found trouble on the par-4 17th. His ball rolled down the bank and stopped partly submerged in the water hazard.<\/p>\n

Mahan was safely on the green. Haas appeared to be in serious trouble.<\/p>\n

Instead of taking the easy way out, Haas played the ball from the water. He struck it cleanly and somehow controlled the shot perfectly.<\/p>\n

The ball came out, reached the green and stopped about 2 feet from the hole. Haas saved par and kept his season alive. He then won on the next hole.<\/p>\n

The win earned him the FedEx Cup and nearly a $11.5 million payday.<\/p>\n

MORE: 8 reasons Royal Birkdale turns ordinary golf fans into Open Championship diehards<\/a><\/p>\n

1. Jon Rahm, 2020 BMW Championship<\/p>\n

\"\"Jon Rahm of Legion XIII reacts to making his putt on the 18th green in a playoff hole during the finals of the LIV Golf Michigan Team Championship at The Cardinal at Saint John\u2019s Resort. Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Jon Rahm\u2019s finish at the 2020 BMW Championship stands above the rest.<\/p>\n

Rahm had played brilliant golf over the weekend at Olympia Fields. He shot 66 and 64 in the final two rounds and reached 4-under par.<\/p>\n

Dustin Johnson still had one chance on the 72nd hole.<\/p>\n

Johnson faced a 43-foot birdie putt with a playoff spot on the line. He rolled it in. The massive putt tied Rahm and seemed certain to change the tournament.<\/p>\n

Rahm had one answer. On the first playoff hole, the players returned to the 18th. Rahm faced a 66-foot putt <\/a>that crossed a ridge before running downhill toward the hole.<\/p>\n

The putt looked almost impossible. Rahm judged the speed perfectly and watched the ball disappear into the cup.<\/p>\n

Johnson\u2019s incredible putt had lasted only about 20 minutes as the tournament\u2019s biggest moment.<\/p>\n

Rahm\u2019s response was even better. The 66-footer gave him the BMW Championship and nearly $2 million. It also created one of the most remarkable walk-off finishes the FedEx Cup Playoffs have ever seen.<\/p>\n

It was but a momentary setback for Johnson. He went on to win the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup title the next week at East Lake.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter\u00a0<\/a>\u2014<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The FedEx Cup playoffs are when PGA Tour golf gets serious. Down the final stretch, there\u2019s zero room…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50351,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[9061,253,2357,44,528,144],"class_list":["post-50350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-jon-rahm","tag-best-of","tag-featured","tag-fedex-cup-playoffs","tag-golf","tag-jon-rahm","tag-pga-tour"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50350"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50350\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}