Kurt Kitayama’s weekend birdie barrage at the 3M Open not only allowed him to clam the trophy at TPC Twin Cities but also vaulted him into the top 60 in the FedEx Cup playoff standings, likely assuring him of a spot in the first round of the playoffs at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
While Kitayama won’t spend this regular-season finale at the Wyndham Championship sweating his spot in the FedEx Cup standings, other players won’t be so lucky.
With only the top 70 making the playoffs now, several big names will enter the final week on the outside looking in, while others will arrive in Greensboro, N.C., hoping to bolster their position to make the second playoff event at the BMW Championship.
Here are some of the big names who are on the FedEx Cup bubble entering the regular-season finale:
On the outside looking in…
These six players all are outside the top 70 heading into the Wyndham.
Adam Scott
Scott finished T53 at the 3M Open and is now 85th in the standings. The Australian, who had a chance to win the U.S. Open a month ago, needs to contend at the Wyndham to extend his season. Scott has missed the playoffs only once in his career. A two-way tie for third place or better should get Scott into the top 70.
Tom Kim
A missed cut at the 3M bumped Kim down to 89th in the FedEx Cup standings. The 2022 Wyndham Championship winner will have to find something this week to make it to Memphis. Kim needs at least a solo third-place finish this week to make it to the FedEx St. Jude.
Max Homa
Homa has shown flashes of his old self this year, but the consistency has been lacking. After a T5 finish at the John Deere, Homa had a mediocre showing at the Barracuda Championship (T45) and settled for a T39 finish at TPC Twin Cities. Homa is 106 in the FedEx Cup standings and needs a big week to vault into the top 70.
Homa needs at least a two-way tie for second this week to get into the top 70 but could need a win depending on what other players ahead of him do.
Billy Horschel
Horschel hasn’t played since having hip surgery in May. His plan is to return for the FedEx Cup Fall slate. He currently ranks 97th and will not tee it up for at least another month.
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Gary Woodland
The 2019 U.S. Open champion finished T20 in Minnesota and is 75th in the standings. A solid week at the Wyndham should get Woodland back into the playoffs. Woodland has just one top-five finish this season.
Woodland needs at least a solo 27th-place finish this week to get into the top 70, although he could need to do better depending on what those in front of him do in Greensboro.
Joel Dahmen
Like Homa, Dahmen, who is No. 101, needs a top showing at the Wyndham to extend his season or else he’ll be headed to the FedEx Cup fall slate to try to keep his fully-exempt status for 2026.
Dahmen will need at minimum a two-way tie for second this week to make the playoffs.
In but still with work to do…
These three players all are within the top 70 heading into the Wyndham — but not by much!
Rickie Fowler
Fowler made the cut at the 3M and posted a T28 finish to move up to 61st in the standings. He should be good for a trip to Memphis, but will need a solid week at the Wyndham and at the FedEx St. Jude to make it into the top 50 for the BMW.
A solo 12th-place finish this week will allow Fowler to clinch his spot in the playoffs without any help needed.
Tony Finau
It has been a down season for Finau, who hasn’t recorded a top-10 finish since the Genesis Invitational. He missed the cut at the 3M and now sits at 60th in the standings. A good showing in Greensboro will be required for Finau to play past Memphis.
A solo 23rd-place finish this week from Finau will get him through to Memphis with no help needed from those behind him.
Jordan Spieth
Spieth is currently 50th in the FedEx Cup standings. He’ll play in Memphis but is in danger of missing out on the BMW if he doesn’t play well the next two weeks.
Josh Schrock
Josh Schrock is a writer and reporter for Golf.com. Before joining GOLF, Josh was the Chicago Bears insider for NBC Sports Chicago. He previously covered the 49ers and Warriors for NBC Sports Bay Area. A native Oregonian and UO alum, Josh spends his free time hiking with his wife and dog, thinking of how the Ducks will break his heart again, and trying to become semi-proficient at chipping. A true romantic for golf, Josh will never stop trying to break 90 and never lose faith that Rory McIlroy’s major drought will end (updated: he did it). Josh Schrock can be reached at josh.schrock@golf.com.