Fantasy primer: Get to know the FedExCup Fall

Out with the wraparound, in with the overlap.

If you’re a fantasy gamer, the latest iteration of the PGA TOUR season requires you to keep two thoughts in your head at the same time, at least for a while. This is because the 2023-24 PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf season begins with the Fortinet Championship on Sept. 14-17, while the official PGA TOUR season is returning to calendar-year scheduling in January of 2024.

The Fortinet is the first of seven tournaments of the newly dubbed FedExCup Fall. So, when The Sentry opens the 2024 season on Jan. 4-7, it naturally will be the first tournament of the 2024 PGA TOUR season, but it also will be the eighth stop of PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf for 2023-24 and the first of Segment 2.

In all, 40 tournaments will be contributing to the 2023-24 fantasy season. All seven in the FedExCup Fall comprise Segment 1. The remaining three Segments will feature 10, 11 and 12 tournaments, respectively. Quite simply, the fantasy season is the same. Only the official PGA TOUR season is changing.

Rules and regulations for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf also are the same, but PGA TOUR membership will be turning over at the conclusion of Segment 1. That’s an important alignment because all gamers will remain restricted to three starts per golfer per Segment. Everyone begins anew in Segment 2 at The Sentry. That’s when you effectively can reset your mindset and begin to utilize a bevy of fresh talent.

All seven tournaments of the FedExCup Fall will be contested familiarly from Thursday through Sunday and all but the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP (Oct. 19-22) will include the standard 36-hole cut of low 65 and ties. Field sizes and constructs in Segment 1 are similar to previous editions, including the ZOZO that reserves space for only 78, all of whom are guaranteed four rounds in Japan. The same distribution of sponsor exemptions also will apply.

All winners of FedExCup Fall tournaments will be rewarded with the typical platter of perks. They include official PGA TOUR victories, membership exemptions in the winners category through at least 2025 and exemptions into the 2024 editions of The Sentry, THE PLAYERS Championship, the Masters and the PGA Championship.

For other fantasy gamers, here’s what new…

FEDEXCUP FALL POINTS LIST

The top 125 in total FedExCup points at the conclusion of The RSM Classic (Nov. 16-19) will serve as the traditional cutoff for fully exempt status in 2024. The top 70 at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season (or those who qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs) already have secured their cards, but all are welcome to play in the FedExCup Fall.

Eight Signature Events are scattered across the 2024 season. The top 50 in the 2022-23 FedExCup standings are automatically eligible for all eight, so any who play in the FedExCup Fall will not be accruing FedExCup points.

THE NEXT 10

With new field constructs for the Signature Events (known as Designated events in 2023), PGA TOUR members can qualify for them via a parade of checkpoints, the first of which is at the conclusion of the FedExCup Fall when the top 10 in points will earn exemptions into the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Feb. 1-4) and The Genesis Invitational (Feb. 15-18).

All golfers outside the top 50 at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season will carry over their FedExCup points into the FedExCup Fall and add to their totals in pursuit of being a member of the first class of The Next 10.

Winners during the FedExCup Fall earn exemptions into The Sentry but they are not guaranteed placement in other Signature Events. Once the 2024 season begins, all tournament winners will be automatically eligible for all Signature Events that follow the victories.

THE SWING 5

This new method of entry into the Signature Events begins with the Sony Open in Hawaii (Jan. 11-14) and pays forward first for the AT&T Pebble Beach. The top five, not otherwise exempt, in total FedExCup points earned in each series of contributing tournaments will qualify for the immediately ensuing Signature Event. (Refer to this page for the schedule of all sequences of The Swing 5.)

There is no impact or benefit of The Swing 5 in the FedExCup Fall and the turnover of membership for 2024. However, all gamers are advised to plan on monitoring projected qualifiers for valuable bonus starts in real time.

QUALIFIERS

Eligibility for THE PLAYERS Championship and all four majors in 2024 will be determined in time, so my dedicated page for qualifiers into all five tournaments will be updated when qualifying criteria are official. However, because all gamers will appreciate having the 50 automatic qualifiers into the eight Signature Events on the same shelves for their one-stop shopping experience, I will be adding them to the page. Tournament winners previously not yet eligible for all remaining Signature Events will be added when necessary.

KORN FERRY TOUR GRADUATE RESHUFFLE

This dedicated page will be updated weekly as usual throughout the FedExCup Fall. There are no more reorders but there will be value in monitoring FedExCup ranking for some gamers.

The category will be evolving in 2024. It will consist primarily of the top 30 from the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour points list, the top 10 eligible from the DP World Tour Race to Dubai standings and the top five (and ties) from Qualifying school. Once it’s solidified after the conclusion of the FedExCup Fall, the page will turn over in preparation for 2024.

MEDICAL EXTENSIONS

When the 2022-23 season ended, only six golfers still had a medical extension. All totals and targets will carry over into the FedExCup Fall during which all can nibble away at their objectives.

Medical extensions for 2024 will be determined after the FedExCup Fall.

ROOKIES

Eric Cole was the only PGA TOUR rookie who advanced to the BMW Championship, so he’s the leader in the clubhouse to be voted the Rookie of the Year, but it ain’t over yet. Candidacy will include the FedExCup Fall, so ballots will not be distributed until late November.

If you’ve missed it, I moved my Rookie Ranking to X, formerly known as Twitter, for the 2022-23 season and it’s been a weekly thread since. As of this writing, the latest version can be read here. It includes an expansive table of all 30 rookies, three of whom qualified midseason after achieving and accepting Special Temporary Membership.

X (FORMERLY TWITTER)

Remember, registration now is required to read all posts, formerly tweets, on X, but when you do, you’ll be able to communicate directly with me, publicly or privately. There have been and will continue to be many questions and lessons as the PGA TOUR transitions into 2024, so reach out anytime.