FedEx Cup Playoffs Start With New Rules Imposed by PGA

The first event of the new-look FedEx Cup Playoffs tees off today with the Northern Trust at Liberty National in Jersey City, New Jersey.

In the revamped format, the 122 golfers (three declined to participate) with the highest point totals from the season-long FedEx Cup standings will take to the links this week. After the Northern Trust, the top 70 golfers in the standings will then qualify for the second event of the playoffs, the BMW Championship in Chicago. Following that event next week, the top 30 golfers will advance to the Tour Championship in Atlanta the following week.

One event shorter than FedEx Cup Playoffs of the past, the new format will end golf’s season before college and pro football kick off in earnest.

There’s also a new points system which makes it easier for players at the bottom of the standings to advance to the top. For example, Brooks Koepka tops the standings with 2,887 points, a huge lead over the player at the bottom, Pat Perez with 376. But, winners of the first two playoff events earn 2,000 points each this year, so anyone in the pool theoretically has a shot at winning it all.

The NYT‘s Bill Pennington likens it to a wild-card team in the baseball or football playoffs. “Getting hot in the postseason is now what matters most, not performance before the playoffs,” he writes.

The last major change is that winning the Tour Championship now comes with a $15 million purse, an increase of 50 percent from last year.

The tee times for The Northern Trust, which is already underway, are below.

I’m having a little trouble breathing right now. pic.twitter.com/SMOLGetxih

— Aaron Flener (@AaronFlener) August 5, 2019

Before play began in New Jersey, Koepka was the 8-1 favorite, followed by Rory McIlroy (12-1), Dustin Johnson (16-1) and Jon Rahm (16-1). Tiger Woods had the 12th-lowest odds to start at 30-1.

Editor’s Note: RealClearLife, a news and lifestyle publisher, is now a part of InsideHook. Together, we’ll be covering current events, pop culture, sports, travel, health and the world. Subscribe here for our free daily newsletter.