GREENSBORO, N.C. — Shawn Stefani burst into tears. Chesson Hadley celebrated in his now infamous flying giraffe leap and Nick Taylor and his wife treated themselves to Frostys.
The Wyndham Championship has traditionally been the PGA Tour’s last-chance saloon, the final of 44 regular-season events to earn a spot into the FedEx Cup Playoffs and lock up a card for the following season.
At the 2016 Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club, Stefani shot a pair of 66s on the weekend to finish T-14 and qualify for the playoffs at No. 123 in the standings. That year, he shed tears of joy when the PGA Tour’s Tom Alter broke the good news to him but two years later he suffered the agony of defeat, a T-22 left him on the outside looking in at No. 127.
In 2018, Canadian Nick Taylor fired a final-round 63 to make the playoffs and celebrated with wife Andie by going through the drive-thru window later that day at Wendy’s for a frosty.
But no one can match the 11th-hour heroics of Chesson Hadley, who in 2021 aced the par-3 16th and shot 62 to finish T-15 and No. 125 in the FedEx Cup standings, securing his card for next season and nabbing the final spot in the playoffs. (Justin Rose bogeyed the last hole to fall to No. 126.)
Who will salvage his season and who will have his bubble burst Sunday is the tournament within the tournament this week.
Some, like past champion J.T. Poston (No. 49) and Hideki Matsuyama (No. 56) are simply vying for spots in the top 50 to guarantee spots in the 2024 Designated Events. There’s a new wrinkle to the Sunday drama this season as only the top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings will qualify for the first playoff event, the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, down from 125 (2009-2022).
Still some time to earn Tour card
There isn’t as much pressure this week as in past years to lock up a card for the next season because players from Nos. 71 to 125 in the standings still have a chance to do so during the fall portion of the schedule.
Two players have qualified for the playoffs in each season since the inception of the FedEx Cup in 2007:
- Matt Kuchar, who enters the week No. 59 in the standings and should be safe
- Adam Scott (No. 81), who needs a minimum of a two-way T-9 to have a chance to move into the top 70 and a three-way T-3 or better based on the Tour’s projection
Rookie Austin Eckroat enters the week on the hot seat at No. 70.
Two-time major winner and former world No. 1 Justin Thomas has missed the cut in five of his last seven starts and enters this week at No. 79 in the standings and in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in his career. The 2017 FedEx Cup champion has advanced to the Tour Championship in each of the last seven seasons and finished in the top-10 of the FedEx Cup standings in six straight years but needs a minimum of 46 points – if no one in front of him earned a point this week – to qualify for the playoffs.
“It’s just been kind of one of those seasons, I guess, if you will,” he said. But he hasn’t given up hope. Thomas needs a solo-18th or better to have a chance to move into the top 70 and a 3-way T-4 or better to reach the top 70 based on the Tour’s projection. “I have a chance to have one of the craziest endings to a PGA Tour season and I’m going to try to do that,” he said.
Veterans battling for a spot
Among those players fighting to keep their season going include Scott, a former Masters champion and world No. 1, 2019 British Open champion Shane Lowry (No. 76) and 2013 FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel (No. 116). Players from No. 122-No. 163 in the season-long standings are mathematically alive but have only one scenario: win and they would be in.
“Sometimes when you’re up against it like this, there’s only one real outcome,” Scott said. “It’s like qualifying for a tournament except this is kind of a four-day qualifier for me. So sometimes that can really help you, it can intensify your focus and get the job done.”
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