PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan unveiled new innovations designed to elevate the FedExCup season – from the Regular Season through the FedExCup Playoffs and the TOUR Championship. Changes include a simplified scoring system at the TOUR Championship that will determine the FedExCup Champion and a new $10 million program for the FedExCup Regular Season sponsored by Wyndham Rewards: the “Wyndham Rewards Top 10.” The FedExCup Playoffs, which have been reduced from four to three events beginning next season, will feature fields of 125 for THE NORTHERN TRUST, 70 for the BMW Championship and 30 for the TOUR Championship, where the FedExCup Champion will be determined.
While the points structure for the first two events will remain the same, there will be a big change to the format for the TOUR Championship. Instead of a points reset at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, beginning with the 2018-19 event, a strokes-based bonus system will be implemented for the FedExCup standings through the BMW Championship. The FedExCup points leader after the first two Playoffs events will begin the TOUR Championship at 10-under par. The next four players will start at 8-under through 5-under, respectively. The next five will begin at 4-under, regressing by one stroke per five players until those ranked Nos. 26-30 start at even par.
“This is a significant and exciting change for the PGA TOUR, our players, our partners and – most importantly – our fans,” said Monahan. “As soon as the TOUR Championship begins, any fan – no matter if they’ve followed the PGA TOUR all season or are just tuning in for the final event – can immediately understand what’s going on and what’s at stake for every single player in the field. And, of course, players will know exactly where they stand at all times while in play, which will ratchet up the drama, consequence and volatility of the competition down the stretch.