Tag: FedEx Cup

Jon Rahm returns to BMW Championship as not just a different player, but a better one

Rahm returns to Olympia Fields as a two-time major champion, 11-time winner on Tour and the world No. 3.

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Jon Rahm has loved Olympia Fields since he played here in college with Arizona State and in the 2015 U.S. Amateur, won by Bryson DeChambeau. A lot has changed for the big man from the Basque region since he was last at the famed club outside Chicago.

You remember, right? When the Spaniard shot 66-64 on the weekend to force a playoff with Dustin Johnson and eventually claim his fifth win on the PGA Tour?

Fast-forward three years and Rahm returns to Olympia Fields as a two-time major champion, 11-time winner on Tour and the No. 3 player in the world.

“I don’t know if ‘different’ is the word. I would say better,” Rahm said of his game now compared to then. “I think I’ve improved quite a bit since then.”

Talk about bad news for the rest of the field of 50 players.

“It’s always great to come back to somewhere I’ve already played a tournament and did so successfully. It’s obviously a very different week,” said Rahm, noting how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the tournament that year. “Personally, my life has changed quite a bit, as well. Kelley was pregnant with Kepa, early stages of the pregnancy when we came, and we’re a little bigger family now with two young ones. It’s good that you get to see that after a great win, things have improved so much both on and off the golf course for me.”

BMW: Odds, picks to win | Sleepers | Thursday tee times, how to watch

While Patrick Cantlay is the official defending champion of the event, having won last year when it was held at Wilmington Country Club in Delaware, Rahm won the BMW when it was last held at Olympia Fields and the 28-year-old also enters this week as the leader in the season-long race for the FedEx Cup.

“Well, the point of coming to the Playoffs is to give yourself the best chance to get to East Lake on the No. 1 spot. I’ve done a pretty good job so far,” said Rahm of his season that features four wins, including his first Masters victory. “Hopefully this week I can have a good performance like I did last time and earn it and clinch it and give myself the best shot for the win.”

“It’s been a great year so far, so hopefully I can end it off the way I started it,” he said, making vague reference to his win at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Amid a season that includes four wins, two runner-up finishes, 10 top 10s and just one missed cut, it would only be natural for Rahm to let his mind drift to his incoming postseason accolades. That said, the only time the Player of the Year award crosses his mind is when he’s asked about it by the media.

“Player of the Year is earned on the golf course. That’s what I focus on. Because of what I’ve done this year, I’ve earned the spot to be considered Player of the Year, but we’ve got to finish it off,” he explained. “I would like to play good this week and next week to leave no, let’s say, questionables in there and just clinch it.”

One player who could really challenge Rahm for the end-of-the-year honor is world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. As luck would have it, the two are paired together as the afternoon featured group for Thursday’s first round. Let the fun begin.

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Top 70 bubble watch: PGA Tour players currently in (and out) of the FedEx Cup Playoffs

It’s last call for the FedEx Cup Playoffs and a handful of big names on the PGA Tour are lining up for one last shot.

It’s last call for the FedEx Cup Playoffs and a handful of big names on the PGA Tour are lining up for one last shot.

After the conclusion of this week’s Wyndham Championship, the top 70 players in the FedEx Cup standings will qualify for the first event of the playoffs, the FedEx St. Jude Championship (Aug. 10-13). The top 50 will then advance to the BMW Championship (Aug. 17-20), and the top 30 will ultimately punch their tickets to the season-ending Tour Championship (Aug. 24-27). This year, the total bonus pool for the FedEx Cup Playoffs is a whopping $75 million.

With the regular season coming to a close on Sunday at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, players ranked No. 60 (670) to No. 80  (538) are separated by just 132 points. Each of the last 10 players in and first 10 players out are in the field this week, too.

Cam Davis (No. 69) played his way just inside the top 70 with a T-10 at the 3M Open, same with Lee Hodges, who rose from No. 74 to No. 33 thanks to his win at TPC Twin Cities. Meanwhile, Justin Thomas dropped after his 3M Open missed cut (but more on him to come).

Here are some notable PGA Tour names who are on the outside looking in for the 2023 FedEx Cup Playoffs.

MORE: FedEx Cup Standings

PGA Tour players on the FedEx Cup Playoffs bubble heading into 3M Open

It’s make or break time.

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BLAINE, Minn. — There are only two regular season events left in the 2022-23 PGA Tour season, meaning the FedEx Cup Playoffs are right around the corner.

However, this year, they’re going to be unlike ever before. Only 70 players will qualify for the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, unlike the 125 who have in year’s past. From there, the top 50 make it to the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields in Illinois, and then the top 30 advance to East Lake in Atlanta for the Tour Championship.

The change in amount of players who qualify for the playoffs means some big names joined the field of this week’s 3M Open in Blaine, Minnesota, at TPC Twin Cities.

At the top end, Jon Rahm is No. 1 in the FEC standings, with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler right behind. Rory McIlroy won his third FedEx Cup last year.

Here’s a closer look at some interesting names in the FedEx Cup points standings, including some who have work to do to stay in the top 70 and others who need to make a push to make it to Memphis.

Top 70 bubble watch: PGA Tour players currently in (and out) of this year’s FedEx Cup Playoffs

Check out some notable names who are on the bubble for the season-ending playoffs.

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Believe it or not, just six weeks remain between now and the start of the 2023 FedEx Cup Playoffs.

After the conclusion of the Wyndham Championship (Aug. 3-6), the top 70 players in the FedEx Cup standings will qualify for the first event of the playoffs, the FedEx St. Jude Championship (Aug. 10-13). The top 50 will then advance to the BMW Championship (Aug. 17-20), and the top 30 will ultimately punch their tickets to the season-ending Tour Championship (Aug. 24-27).

This year, the total bonus pool for the FedEx Cup Playoffs is a whopping $75 million.

With the final designated event of the regular season now in the rearview, here’s a look at some players who are currently in – and out – of this year’s FedEx Cup playoff events (if the season were to end today).

FedEx St. Jude Championship

Date: Aug. 10-13
Location: TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tennessee

There’s still time for players to make a move, but it’s tightening up inside and outside the bubble as Nos. 60 and 80 are separated by just 101 points.

Justin Thomas (66) played his way into the top 70 just this week, but a few notable names remain on the outside looking in: Shane Lowry (74), Adam Scott (76), Joel Dahmen (80) and Billy Horschel (109).

BMW Championship

Date: Aug. 17-20
Location: Olympia Fields Country Club, Olympia Fields, Illinois

Projecting ahead to the second leg of the three-event playoffs, those inside the top 40 have pulled away, while the bubble for the BMW Championship is getting congested.

If the season ended today, you could add Hideki Matsuyama (52) to the list of Thomas and Co. who wouldn’t qualify for the event. Rising star Cameron Young (48) and fan-favorite Matt Kuchar (50) are a pair of players to keep an eye on, as well.

Tour Championship

Date: Aug. 24-27
Location: East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta

There’s still so much golf to be played that it’s almost foolish to look this far ahead, but let’s not let that get in the way of a fun thought exercise.

A little more than 200 points separate the last player currently in the field for the Tour Championship, Russell Henley, and the 11 players in tow. Of the 30 players currently qualified, five would be making their debut in the event if they remain inside the cut line: Kurt Kitayama, Denny McCarthy, Taylor Moore, Seamus Power and Nick Taylor.

Jordan Spieth (26) and Matt Fitzpatrick (29) are still inside the line, while Tommy Fleetwood (31) and Collin Morikawa (32) would just miss out.

At the top of the list, Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler have run away from the pack, with 1,162 points separating No. 2 Scheffler from No. 3 Max Homa. Two-time winners this season Wyndham Clark and Keegan Bradley complete the top five, with Viktor Hovland and Rory McIlroy not far behind.

There’s still plenty of golf to be played and the standings will surely fluctuate over the coming weeks. That said, don’t be surprised to see a few new names in playoff events this season.

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Top 50 bubble watch: PGA Tour players currently in and out of next year’s designated events (after Memorial Tournament)

No golfers played their way in our out of the top 50, but the top 30 or so players are beginning to pull away.

For PGA Tour players, being inside the top 50 of the FedEx Cup Standings now comes with more than just a spot in the field at the BMW Championship.

Earlier this year the PGA Tour’s board ratified a new approach for the Tour’s 2024 schedule that will see reduced fields in new designated events that feature increased purses up to $20 million. Fields in designated events will contain between 70 and 78 players and be largely comprised of the top 50 players who qualify for the BMW Championship during the previous season’s FedEx Cup Playoffs, adding some extra intrigue to the season-long race that was desperately needed.

Midway through major season, with the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club on the horizon and the Memorial Tournament in the rearview, here’s a look at some players who are currently in – and out – of next year’s designated events.

FedEx Cup: Full standings here

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Bubble watch

Check out the last 10 in and first 10 out as the points stand after the 2023 Memorial Tournament, where No. 40 Hayden Buckley (754 points) and No. 60 J.J. Spaun (549) are separated by a little more than 200 points.

Player Current FedEx Cup ranking Previous FedEx Cup ranking FedEx Cup points
Hayden Buckley 40 38 754
Thomas Detry 41 40 735
Davis Riley 42 41 719
Eric Cole 43 46 713
Patrick Rodgers 44 44 708
Sepp Straka 45 48 692
Nick Hardy T-46 42 684
Cameron Young T-46 43 684
Brandon Wu 48 45 678
Matt Kuchar 49 49 625
Brendon Todd 50 50 613
Tommy Fleetwood 51 51 611
Ben An 52 55 609
Matt NeSmith 53 52 601
Adam Hadwin 54 53 599
Ben Taylor 55 54 586
Sam Stevens 56 57 575
Hideki Matsuyama 57 62 572
K.H. Lee 58 56 564
Sam Ryder 59 58 562
J.J. Spaun 60 61 549

Biggest movers

Despite coming up short in the playoff to Viktor Hovland at the Memorial, Denny McCarthy was the big mover of the week, jumping 21 spots to No. 26 to find a little breathing room from the top-50 cutoff. Hovland’s fourth win on Tour saw him move up 10 spots to fourth.

No golfers played their way in or out of the top 50 this week, but the top 30 or so players are beginning to pull away and secure their safety.

Notables inside the top 50

The usual suspects this season of Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Max Homa are all Nos. 1-3 in the standings, with the newcomer Hovland in fourth and Tony Finau dropping to fifth.

Kurt Kitayama (14) has reached as high as fifth this season but moved outside the top 10 this week.

Thomas Detry has come out swinging in his first full season on Tour. The Belgian has eight top 25s and three top 10s in 19 starts and currently sits 41st. Same with 34-year-old Eric Cole (43), who has either finished in the top 25 or been cut in 11 of his last 13 starts.

Fan favorites Jason Day (7) and Rickie Fowler (22) are both inside the top 25, same with Jordan Spieth (18), who continues to climb after a slow start to the season.

Notables outside the top 50

Only 127 points separate Nos. 51 Tommy Fleetwood (611) and 70 Justin Suh (484).

Justin Thomas is currently No. 75 but would still qualify for the designated events due to his top-30 place in the Official World Golf Ranking (15), same with Tommy Fleetwood (51) and Hideki Matsuyama (57). Cameron Young – ranked 17th in the world – sits 47th in the FedEx Cup standings just inside the line.

Other notable players currently outside the top 50 (ranking in parentheses):

  • Keith Mitchell (61)
  • Joel Dahmen (72)
  • Adam Scott (80)
  • Shane Lowry (88)
  • Gary Woodland (93)
  • Billy Horschel (108)
  • Webb Simpson (156)

There’s still plenty of time for players to make their moves up the standings, and we’ll be here to keep you updated on the top 50 storylines for the rest of the season.

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PGA Tour announces 2023 fall schedule, expands on FedEx Cup standing qualifications for 2024 season

The FedEx Cup Fall is coming.

It has been known for some time that the PGA Tour’s fall schedule was going to look a bit different in 2023. On Wednesday, the Tour detailed those changes.

There will be 10 events in the fall, seven of those where golfers can earn FedEx Cup points and three Challenge Season events in December. Two events not on the schedule in the fall are the CJ Cup and the Cadence Bank Houston Open. Golfweek reported in January the Houston Open was eyeing a return to the spring portion of the schedule.

Along with the new FedEx Cup fall schedule is what it means for qualification and exemptions for the calendar-year schedule, which runs from January to August.

A win during the fall will earn a two-year Tour exemption, 500 FedEx Cup points, entry to the season-opening Sentry Tournament of Champions and the Players Championship as well as eligibility into majors that have invited Tour winners in the past.

Additionally, players who finish 70th or better in the FedEx Cup Playoffs and Eligibility Points List through the 2023 Tour Championship are exempt for 2024. But – new this year – players ranked No. 51 and beyond will carry their FedEx Cup points from the regular season and first playoff event into the FedEx Cup Fall and continue to accumulate points to finalize eligibility for the 2024 season.

The FedEx Cup Fall will finalize the priority ranking entering the 2024 season, including the top-125 category for those who finished outside the top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings. Standard FedEx Cup points will be issued in the seven events, including 500 points awarded to the winner.

Ten players, not previously eligible, with the most season-long FedEx Cup points through the FedEx Cup Fall will earn exemptions into the first two designated events that follow the Sentry Tournament of Champions (to be announced at a later date).

“We are launching the most meaningful updates to the PGA Tour season since 2007, the first year of the FedEx Cup,” said Tour President Tyler Dennis. “The reimagining of our schedule – from the regular season with designated and full-field events to the FedEx Cup Playoffs and culminating with the FedEx Cup Fall – creates distinct but connected ‘chapters,’ and within this new framework, the FedEx Cup Fall is now more than ever an integral part of that compelling story. There will be so much at stake – and more immediate payoffs – as opportunities are unlocked in the FedEx Cup Fall for the season to come.”

The fall schedule will begin in Napa, California, at the Fortinet Championship, from Sept. 14-17. Then there are two weeks off, the second being the week of the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone in Rome, Italy. This is followed by three straight returning Tour events, the Sanderson Farms Championship, the Shriners Children’s Open and Zozo Championship in Japan, before another week off. Then, three events lead into Thanksgiving, the World Wide Technology Championship in Mexico, Butterfield Bermuda Championship and the RSM Classic. Then come the Challenge Season tournaments in December: the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, the Grant Thornton Invitational in Naples, Florida, and the PNC Championship in Orlando.

Here’s a look at the PGA Tour’s 2023 fall schedule

Date Tournament Course City Purse
Sept. 14-17 Fortinet Championship Silverado Resort and Spa (North Course) Napa, California $8.4 million
Oct. 5-8 Sanderson Farms Championship The Country Club of Jackson Jackson, Mississippi $8.2 million
Oct. 12-15 Shriners Children’s Open TPC Summerlin Las Vegas, Nevada $8.4 million
Oct. 19-22 Zozo Championship Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club Chiba, Japan $8.5 million
Nov. 2-5 World Wide Technology Championship El Cardonal at Diamante Los Cabos, Mexico $8.2 million
Nov. 9-12 Butterfield Bermuda Championship Port Royal Golf Course Southampton, Bermuda $6.5 million
Nov. 16-19 RSM Classic Sea Island Golf Club (Seaside and Plantation Course) St. Simons Island, Georgia $8.4 million
Nov. 30-Dec. 3 Hero World Challenge Albany Albany, Bahamas $3.5 million
Dec. 8-10 Grant Thornton Invitational Tiburon Golf Club Naples, Florida $4.0 million
Dec. 16-17 PNC Championship Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando, Florida $1.085 million

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Top 50 bubble watch: PGA Tour players currently in and out of next year’s designated events

Here’s an early look at the top 50 in the FedEx Cup Standings.

For PGA Tour players, being inside the top 50 of the FedEx Cup Standings now comes with more than a spot in the field at the BMW Championship.

The Tour’s board recently ratified a new approach for the Tour’s 2024 schedule that will see reduced fields in new designated events, as well as the removal of the 36-hole cut. Fields in designated events will contain between 70 and 78 players and be largely comprised of the top 50 players who qualify for the BMW Championship during the previous season’s FedEx Cup playoffs, adding some extra intrigue to the season-long race that was desperately needed.

Golfweek provided the first bubble watch to track top-50 movement after the Players Championship, the 20th tournament of Tour’s 2022-23 schedule, and will continue to provide updates throughout the season. With major season just around the corner and the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play behind us, here’s a look at some players who are currently in and out of next year’s designated events.

FedEx Cup: Full standings here

Bubble watch

Check out the last 10 in and first 10 as the points stand after the 2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, where No. 40 Jordan Spieth (510 points) and No. 60 Sam Ryder (387) are separated by a little more than 100 points.

Player Current FedEx Cup ranking Previous FedEx Cup ranking FedEx Cup points
Jordan Spieth 40 38 501
Ben Taylor 41 35 500
Danny Willett 42 36 492
Davis Thompson 43 41 487
Denny McCarthy 44 40 480
Matt Wallace 45 108 476
Sepp Straka 46 43 473
Eric Cole 47 42 468
J.J. Spaun 48 59 449
Brandon Wu 49 44 442
Keith Mitchell 50 46 442
Joel Dahmen 51 48 435
Patrick Rodgers 52 47 434
Matthew NeSmith 53 49 418
Alex Smalley 54 50 407
Adam Hadwin 55 56 405
David Lingmerth 56 51 404
Maverick McNealy 57 53 403
K.H. Lee 58 54 401
Nico Echavarria 59 55 388
Sam Ryder 60 57 387

Biggest movers

Matt Wallace was the big mover of the week, jumping 63 spots into the top 50 after his win at the 2023 Corales Puntacana Championship, the event held opposite the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

The Tour’s last Match Play event for the foreseeable future saw Sam Burns move 44 spots inside the top 10 (8th) after his defeat of Cameron Young, 6 and 5, in the final match at Austin Country Club. Despite the loss, Young took home a whopping $2.2 million and climbed 50 spots to No. 33 on the FedEx Cup Standings.

J.J. Spaun played his way into the top 50 (48th) and moved 11 spots into the designated zone with his Round of 16 appearance in Austin.

Notables inside the top 50

The usual suspects this season of Jon Rahm, Max Homa and Players champion Scottie Scheffler are all Nos. 1-3 in the standings, with Keegan Bradley in fourth and a newcomer in fifth. Kurt Kitayama cracked the top five with his run to the quarterfinals at the Match Play.

Thomas Detry has come out swinging in his first full season on Tour. The Belgian has five top 25s and two top 10s in 12 starts and currently sits 29th. In his second season, Brandon Wu (49th) has found a bit of form with three top 25s in 16 starts with a T-2 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Fan favorites Jason Day (17) and Rickie Fowler (25) are both inside the top 25.

Notables outside the top 50

Only 81 points separate Nos. 51 to 70.

Joel Dahmen (51), Patrick Rodgers (52), Matthew NeSmith (53) and Alex Smalley (54) have all moved outside the top 50.

Justin Thomas is currently No. 63 but would still qualify for the designated events due to his top-30 place in the Official World Golf Ranking (11th). Same with Tommy Fleetwood, Hideki Matsuyama and Will Zalatoris.

Other notable players currently outside the top 50 (ranking in parentheses):

  • Matt Kuchar (66)
  • Corey Conners (82)
  • Shane Lowry (97)
  • Billy Horschel (100)
  • Webb Simpson (132)
  • Adam Scott (137)

It’s still relatively early in the season, but certainly not as early as you may think. There’s still plenty of time for players to make their moves up the standings, and we’ll be here to keep you updated on the top 50 storylines for the rest of the season.

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Top 50 bubble watch: PGA Tour players currently in and out of next year’s designed events

Here’s a way-too-early look at the top 50 in the FedEx Cup Standings.

For PGA Tour players, being inside the top 50 of the FedEx Cup Standings now comes with more than a spot in the field at the BMW Championship.

The board recently ratified a new approach for the 2024 schedule that will see reduced fields in new designated events, as well as the removal of the 36-hole cut. Fields in designated events will contain between 70 and 78 players and be largely comprised of the top 50 players who qualify for the BMW Championship during the previous season’s FedEx Cup playoffs, adding some extra intrigue to the season-long race that was desperately needed.

While it may seem like it’s too early in the season to be following the top-50 movement, the Players Championship was the 20th tournament of the PGA Tour’s 2022-23 schedule, as well as the fifth designated event. With major season looming, here’s a look at some players who are currently in and out of next year’s designated events.

Bubble watch

Check out the last 10 in and first 10 as the points stand after the 2023 Players Championship, where Nos. 40 and 60 are separated by just 101 points.

Player Current FedEx Cup ranking Previous FedEx Cup ranking FedEx Cup points
Xander Schauffele 40 43 441
Keith Mitchell 41 41 435
Denny McCarthy 42 49 432
Joel Dahmen 43 38 426
Patrick Rodgers 44 39 418
Matthew NeSmith 45 40 418
Nico Echavarria 46 44 388
Adam Hadwin 47 59 388
Robby Shelton 48 45 382
J.J. Spaun 49 46 380
Alex Smalley 50 47 380
Maverick McNealy 51 48 380
David Lingmerth 52 66 378
Wyndham Clark 53 56 365
K.H. Lee 54 50 355
Garrick Higgo 55 53 354
Tyson Alexander 56 51 349
Sam Ryder 57 55 347
Taylor Moore 58 58 347
S.H. Kim 59 52 346
Hideki Matsuyama 60 90 342

Biggest movers

Tyrrell Hatton was the big mover of the day on Sunday after an impressive 7-under 65 at TPC Sawgrass to finish solo second at 12 under and claim $2,725,000. Not only that, he flew 43 spots up the FedEx Cup points list to sit No. 26.

Hideki Matsuyama moved 30 spots up to No. 60 after his fifth-place showing at the Tour’s flagship event.

Notables inside the top 50

The usual suspects this season of Jon Rahm, Max Homa and Players champion Scottie Scheffler are all Nos. 1-3 in the standings, with Keegan Bradley in fourth and Seamus Power in fifth.

Taylor Montgomery, in his first full season on the PGA Tour, is currently 17th thanks to his eight top 25 finishes (four in the top 10) over his 14 events so far this season.

Jason Day (20) and Rickie Fowler (22) are both inside the top 25, while fellow fan favorites Xander Schauffele (40) and Joel Dahmen (43) are just inside the line.

Robby Shelton finished 167th last season after missing 21 cuts over 32 tournament starts, but currently finds himself at No. 48.

Notables outside the top 50

Around 100 points separate Nos. 50 to 72.

David Lingmerth moved up 14 spots to No. 52 after his T-6 showing at the Players, while Maverick McNealy (51) and K.H. Lee (54) have both played their way out.

Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas are Nos. 65 and 66, respectively, but each has yet to play more than seven events this season.

Other notable players currently outside the top 50 (ranking in parentheses):

  • Sam Burns (68)
  • Cameron Young (79)
  • Will Zalatoris (85)
  • Matt Fitzpatrick (92)
  • Shane Lowry (96)
  • Tommy Fleetwood (97)
  • Billy Horschel (115)

As stated before, it’s still relatively early in the season, but certainly not as early as you may think. There’s still plenty of time for players to make their moves up the standings, and we’ll be here to keep you updated on the top 50 storylines for the rest of the season.

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With PGA Tour schedule changes coming, Sanderson Farms Championship comfortable with fall position

“I honestly think the fall is gonna keep getting better.”

JACKSON, Miss. – There’s plenty of uncertainty surrounding the PGA Tour’s fall series schedule beginning next season. Yet for Steve Jent, the Sanderson Farms Championship executive director, he’s comfortable with his tournament’s position.

Although the Tour’s best players have agreed to play against one another in at least 20 events between January and August starting in 2024, the Tour’s nine official fall events are about to receive a demotion, beginning in 2023.

The top 70 in the FedEx Cup regular season points race will qualify for the playoffs and retain their cards for the next season. Nos. 71-125? They will battle during the fall to retain playing privileges in what will essentially become eligibility events. Without FedEx Cup points at stake or any punishment for not playing during the fall, the top players have been given the option of an extended vacation from September through December.

That means the fields in the fall likely won’t have as many top stars. It could be something that pushes title sponsors away. The interest in the events may not be as high for the fans, yet for the players, they’ll be some of the most important events of the year.

There has even been some concerns from players about the events and what the future will look like. But Jent is enthusiastic about the future.

Sanderson Farms: Friday tee times | PGA Tour live on ESPN+

“We like being in the fall,” Jent said. “I mean, obviously, we’re always gonna go up against football in the fall, but the fall is the perfect time of year for this golf course with the weather, this community.”

This year’s field is the strongest the Sanderson Farms Championship has ever had, Jent said. Sam Burns, the defending champion, has headlined the field, but former major winner Gary Woodland and 2021 United States Ryder Cup member Harris English were also in town. Scottie Scheffler was in the field last year, too.

“I have 144 of the best players in the world here this week. Right? And the best golf in the world is taking place in Jackson, Mississippi,” Jent said. “So we’re just going to focus on that. Be proud of that. Every year, our field has gotten better. It’s just it’s a great time of year for us and our community.

“I honestly think the fall is gonna keep getting better. I mean, we’ve all done a great job in the fall of making the events awesome.”

Jent said the Sanderson Farms Championship will remain popular because a win can do a lot for players, like earn exemptions into the Masters and the Tournament of Champions.

The growth of the LIV Golf has also raised questions as to whether certain events may jump ship from the Tour, but Jent said his tournament is committed to the Tour and had had no conversations with the Greg Norman-led, Saudi Arabia-backed series.

The Sanderson Farms Championship, like other PGA Tour events, has changed names and venues over the years, but has been a part of the PGA Tour schedule since 1968. It moved back to The Country Club of Jackson in the fall of 2014. In the past, it was played as an opposite-field event and eventually moved to the fall.

The purse is up $900,000 this time, matching a trend of other PGA events to get boosted money.

Numerous changes are coming to future Tour schedules, but Jent is comfortable with the position of the Sanderson Farms Championship now and into the future.

“Don’t get me wrong, would I love to have some of the top names come here? Yes. And they’ve been here,” Jent said. “There’s 47 events on PGA Tour. No one can play them all. All we can do is, great golf course, treat people well, great food, put on a great event. I love our spot.”

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Morning rise: Scottie Scheffler opens up 6-stroke lead at Tour Championship, FedEx Cup title in his sights

“An $11.5 million difference can change your tempo a little bit. I think he survived the day he didn’t have it.” — Paul Azinger

ATLANTA – When play was suspended on Saturday, Scottie Scheffler was fighting his swing, if not the pressure of trying to clinch his fifth win of the season at the Tour Championship, the FedEx Cup and $18 million in bonus money from the season-long competition, not to mention the PGA Tour Player of the Year award. His lead was down to a single stroke.

But Sunday represented a new day and a fresh start, and Scheffler took advantage when the third round resumed at 9:45 a.m. He made birdie at his first hole of the morning, No. 13, and closed his weather-interrupted third round with four birdies in his final six holes to open up a six-stroke lead on Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy. Scheffler signed for 4-under 66 at East Lake Golf Club and improved to 23 under for the tournament and the largest lead after any round since Starting Strokes began in 2019. (Scheffler began the week at 10 under in the staggered-start scoring.)

Schauffele, in contrast, never found his rhythm, making bogey at 14 and all pars to shoot even-par 70, tying his worst score in 23 rounds at East Lake.

“Shooting even par out here on Tour is never going to get it done, unless it’s blowing 100 miles an hour,” said Schauffele, who blamed a cold putter, and added, “that’s the worst I’ve ever putted here.”

Rory McIlroy birdied each of his two remaining holes on Sunday morning to complete a round of 7-under 63, his low score in 35 rounds at East Lake, to tie Schauffele at 17 under. McIlroy and Scheffler will be in the final pairing, teeing off at 1:50 p.m. ET Sunday.

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Sungjae Im and Patrick Cantlay, the defending FedEx Cup champion, both shot 66 and are tied for fourth at 16 under.

NBC’s Paul Azinger told Golfweek that Scheffler caught a huge break in having the third round suspended due to lightning on Saturday.

“The significance of what it means to him was evident yesterday. He looked lethargic to me, he wasn’t his normal self. An $11.5 million difference can change your tempo a little bit,” Azinger said. “I think he survived the day he didn’t have it, which was yesterday. He comes out this morning and shoots 4 under; that wasn’t going to happen. Now he gets to finish without another night’s sleep. I expect him to be in great rhythm the rest of the day.”

The largest final-round comeback in Tour Championship history came from Camilo Villegas in 2008 when he trailed Sergio Garcia by five shots and posted a final-round 66, defeating Garcia in a sudden-death playoff. McIlroy, who is bidding to become the first player to win the FedEx Cup three times, is on a serious heater. He’s 17 under since being 4 over through his first four holes on Thursday, and would be tied for the lead with Scheffler through 54 holes without the starting strokes.

Schauffele won the 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions with a final-round 61 to erase a five-stroke deficit, and already has shot 63 once this week at East Lake, his favorite hunting ground on Tour.

“He’s the sneaky, little pesky silent-assassin just quietly plodding along,” Azinger said of Schauffele. “He and Rory both like to come from behind. They know how to get it going early and go bananas.”

Schauffele summed up the prevailing sentiment that the chasers will try to carry into the final round in hopes of tracking down Scheffler.

“You’ve got nothing to lose. There’s no target on your back,” Schauffele said. “Fortunately I’ve been on both sides of that now, so I need to tap into some older wins that I’ve had.”

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