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.
