It’s the first event of the FedExCup Playoffs, with a tighter field and stakes that have never been higher.

The PGA TOUR returns to Memphis, Tennessee, for the FedEx St. Jude Championship to kick off the FedExCup Playoffs with only the top 70 in the Regular Season standings eligible to tee it up – down from 125 players in years past.

The top 50 after this week will advance to the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields outside Chicago, and from there the top 30 will head to East Lake in Atlanta for the TOUR Championship.

Points are quadrupled for the first two Playoffs events, with the winner earning 2,000 points and 70th earning 12 points.

Justin Thomas finished at No. 71 on the FedExCup Regular Season standings and will be on the outside looking in after a heartbreaking finale at the Wyndham Championship. His birdie attempt on the 72nd hole careened off the flagstick, leaving him a singular stroke out of a Playoffs spot. It was the first time he’s missed the Playoffs in his eight-year TOUR career.

Meanwhile, Adam Scott will miss the Playoffs for the first time, leaving Matt Kuchar (at No. 60 heading into Memphis) as the lone man to make the FedExCup Playoffs each year since the series’ 2007 inception.

Plenty of the game’s biggest names, though, are headed to Memphis, including each of this year’s Comcast Business TOUR Top 10, led by No. 1 Jon Rahm and No. 2 Scottie Scheffler.

It’s time for the FedExCup Playoffs, a three-tournament stretch unlike any other on the PGA TOUR.

FIELD NOTES: Jon Rahm leads the way in the FedExCup standings after his four-win Regular Season, including a victory at the Masters. He leads Scheffler by 174 points heading into the Playoffs… Scheffler, meanwhile, has won twice and recorded 19 top-25s in 20 starts this season. His spectacular body of work featured seven straight top-fives before a T23 at The Open in his most recent start… Defending FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy enters the Playoffs at No. 3 in the standings. McIlroy, a two-time winner this season, rides a streak of seven straight top-10 finishes into Memphis… Max Homa and Wyndham Clark – both two-time winners this season – round out the top five in the standings… Wyndham Championship winner Lucas Glover was the only player to jump into the top 70 of the FedExCup standings at the Regular Season finale. He vaulted from No. 112 to No. 49 with the title… Ben Griffin earned last-man-in honors at No. 70, just nine points ahead of Justin Thomas at No. 71. Griffin had a nail-biting wait after missing the cut at the Wyndham Championship. The North Carolina native’s season is highlighted by a T3 at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship… Six PGA TOUR rookies, including Griffin, earned their way into the FedExCup Playoffs… Austin Eckroat, who was No. 70 heading into the Regular Season finale, was bumped to No. 74 after missing the cut at both the 3M Open and the Wyndham Championship… Will Zalatoris will not be in the field to defend his title from Memphis a year ago, as he continues to recover from back surgery.

STORYLINES:

1) Back-to-back for McIlroy?

While Rory McIlroy became the PGA TOUR’s first three-time FedExCup winner last season, a player has yet to win it in consecutive years. McIlroy, whose summer has included a win at the Genesis Scottish Open, is hoping to lift the Tiffany & Co. trophy once again.

2) Heavyweights on top

The story on the PGA TOUR for the balance of the 2023 calendar year has been Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler. The two have battled for No. 1 in the FedExCup standings, and while Rahm – with four wins – has a 174-point lead on Scheffler going into Memphis, Scheffler has been authoring an all-time statistical campaign. Will one of them put a bow on their year by winning their first FedExCup?

3) No one is easing into East Lake

With the tweak to the FedExCup standings for the 2023 season and the breakdown going from the top 70 to the top 50 to the top 30, this is not the time for the world’s best to rest on their laurels. Points are quadrupled, however, meaning a nice result early could mean a serious setup for the final two events.

FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 2,000 FedExCup points.

COURSE: TPC Southwind, par 70, 7,243 yards. The Ron Prichard design was established in 1988, with Hubert Green and Fuzzy Zoeller as player consultants. This spring marked the course’s full conversion to Zeon Zoysiagrass (the last were Nos. 1, 2, 16, and 18) while some fairways were re-contoured after new internal drainage was added. The course boasts numerous lakes, streams and ponds and features the added charm of two grain silos and a windmill – remnants of a dairy farm formerly on site.

72-HOLE TOURNAMENT RECORD: 254, Dustin Johnson (2020 – TPC Boston)

TPC SOUTHWIND RECORD: 264, Brooks Koepka (2019), Abraham Ancer (2021), Hideki Matsuyama (2021), Sam Burns (2021).

18-HOLE TOURNAMENT RECORD: 60, Dustin Johnson (Second round, 2020 – TPC Boston)

TPC SOUTHWIND RECORD: 61, Tom Lewis (third round, 2020), Bob Estes (first round, 2001), Jay Delsing (fourth round, 1993).

LAST TIME: Will Zalatoris finally broke through for his first PGA TOUR title by winning the FedEx St. Jude Championship in a playoff. Zalatoris, who had already lost two previous playoffs by that point in the year, defeated Sepp Straka on the third playoff hole in Memphis. He holed a 7-foot bogey putt for the win after Straka put his tee shot on the devilish par-3 in the water. Zalatoris’ final tee shot wasn’t much better – he hit it off the rock wall and needed to drop – but it was good enough and the winning wait for Zalatoris was over. He shot a final-round 66 that started with three straight birdies and ended with a nervy 10-foot par saver. Brian Harman and Lucas Glover finished tied for third while a seven-way tie for fifth included Jon Rahm and Tony Finau.

HOW TO FOLLOW:

Television: Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel).; Saturday, 1-3 p.m (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (CBS); Sunday, noon-2 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2-6 p.m. (CBS)

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PGA TOUR LIVE:

PGA TOUR LIVE is available exclusively on ESPN+

• Main Feed: Primary tournament-coverage featuring the best action from across the course
• Marquee Group: New “marquee group” showcasing every shot from each player in the group
• Featured Groups: Traditional PGA TOUR LIVE coverage of two concurrent featured groups
• Featured Holes: Combination of par-3s and iconic or pivotal holes

Radio: Thursday-Friday, 12 p.m.–6 p.m. ET. Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio)