FedExCup scenarios for FedEx St. Jude Championship

This week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship marks the first leg of the three-event FedExCup Playoffs, and the stakes have never been higher, with eligibility implications for next year’s eight Signature Events.

The starting field features 70 players, significantly reduced from the longtime 125 number, and No. 50 is the all-important mark come Sunday afternoon at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.

The top 50 on the FedExCup standings after this week will advance to the BMW Championship and qualify for next year’s eight Signature Events, which feature elevated purses and point totals:

• The Sentry (Jan. 1-7)
• AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Jan. 29-Feb. 4)
• The Genesis Invitational (Feb. 12-18)
• Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard (March 4-10)
• RBC Heritage (April 15-21)
• Wells Fargo Championship (May 6-12)
• the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (June 3-9)
• Travelers Championship (June 17-23)

Click here for a breakdown of the FedExCup Playoffs format and how it works.

The first two Playoffs events offer quadruple FedExCup points (2,000 to the winner) compared to a standard Regular Season event (500 points to the winner). It means increased volatility in the standings as the week unfolds. The FedEx St. Jude Championship features a $20 million purse with the winner of the no-cut event receiving $3.6 million.

Only one player moved inside the top 70 at last week’s Wyndham Championship, winner Lucas Glover. Don’t expect that to be the case this week.

Here’s a look at the minimum finish needed for players who entered the week outside the top 50 to advance to the BMW Championship.

Minimum finish needed to make BMW Championship

Note: With no cut this week, all players who complete 72 holes are assured a minimum of 70th-place points.