The 2024 postseason is upon us, as the PGA Tour makes its annual pilgrimage to TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, to ignite the FedEx Cup Playoffs for the third consecutive year. The prestigious St. Jude Championship opens its doors to the top 70 players from the regular season, offering a lucrative purse of $20 million, and setting the stage for intense competition.
The Path to the BMW Championship
From this elite group of 70, only 50 will advance to the next stage, the BMW Championship. By the end of the week, the leaderboard will shrink, guaranteeing those finishing inside the top 50 a spot in every PGA Tour signature event for the 2025 season. As the tension mounts, players precariously teetering on the edge of elimination include Jordan Spieth, Min Woo Lee, Justin Rose, Nick Dunlap, and Nick Taylor.
Hovland's High Stakes
Among the standout names, Viktor Hovland's current ranking at No. 57 in the standings leaves him in a tenuous position. Hovland has shown glimmers of brilliance this season, including a third-place finish at the PGA Championship. However, his performance in approach and around the green statistics, where he ranks 175th out of 176 players, could be a critical vulnerability.
Scheffler's Dominance
Scottie Scheffler remains a formidable force on the tour, seeking his eighth victory of the year. Scheffler aims to stride into the Tour Championship with a commanding two-stroke lead for the third consecutive season, solidifying his status as a relentless competitor. Alongside Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy have also dominated the 2024 season, with the trio amassing an impressive ten PGA Tour victories.
Top Contenders Without Victories
Interestingly, notable talents like Collin Morikawa, Ludvig Åberg, Patrick Cantlay, Tony Finau, Sahith Theegala, Sungjae Im, Justin Thomas, and Brian Harman all sit within the top 20 of the FedEx Cup standings despite not securing any victories this year. Their consistent performances, however, demonstrate that victories are not the sole metric of success in the grueling PGA Tour.
Consistent Performers at TPC Southwind
TPC Southwind, playing to a par of 70 and stretching over 7,243 yards, has been a testing ground for numerous stalwarts. Rory McIlroy, with his four top-12 finishes in seven trips to this course, stands out. Last year, McIlroy secured a tie for third place and has carded four top-five results in his last six tournaments, highlighting his red-hot form.
Collin Morikawa has also exhibited a strong showing at TPC Southwind, boasting three top-20 finishes in his four appearances. Meanwhile, Xander Schauffele has managed to avoid any finishes outside the top 25 since February's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, though his best result here was a lone top-20 finish back in 2020.
Patrick Cantlay arrives with a series of impressive performances, including notable top-five results at the U.S. Open and the Travelers Championship. Cantlay's three consecutive top-25 finishes underscore his consistency and potential threat in the upcoming rounds.
The Road Ahead
With the St. Jude Championship slated for August 15-18, the stakes couldn't be higher. The coming days at TPC Southwind are set to be a thrilling spectacle as elite golfers vie for progression in the FedEx Cup Playoffs. As the dust settles, the most consistent and clutch performers will advance, inching closer to glory. The competition will be fierce, but that's the allure of the PGA Tour's postseason — only the best rise to the occasion.