The 2026 FedExCup Playoffs will determine the PGA Tour’s season-long champion through a three-tournament postseason featuring the best players on the FedExCup points list.
The playoffs begin with 70 golfers before the field is reduced to 50 and eventually 30 for the season-ending TOUR Championship. Once the final 30 reach East Lake Golf Club, the format becomes simple: the player who wins the TOUR Championship also wins the 2026 FedExCup.
Here is everything you need to know about how the 2026 FedExCup Playoffs work, including the format, qualification process, schedule and TOUR Championship rules.
How do the 2026 FedExCup Playoffs work?
The FedExCup Playoffs consist of three tournaments:
| Tournament | Dates | Field |
|---|---|---|
| FedEx St. Jude Championship | August 13-16, 2026 | Top 70 |
| BMW Championship | August 20-23, 2026 | Top 50 |
| TOUR Championship | August 27-30, 2026 | Top 30 |
Players qualify based on their position in the FedExCup standings. The postseason begins with the top 70 players before the field is progressively reduced.
Top 70 → Top 50 → Top 30 → FedExCup champion
FedEx St. Jude Championship: Top 70
The FedEx St. Jude Championship is the first tournament of the 2026 FedExCup Playoffs.
The event will be played from August 13-16 at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.
The top 70 eligible players in the FedExCup standings qualify for the tournament. Players continue earning FedExCup points during the event, with their playoff performances determining whether they advance.
Following the FedEx St. Jude Championship, only the top 50 players in the updated FedExCup standings move on to the BMW Championship.
The winner of the FedEx St. Jude Championship receives 750 FedExCup points under the 2026 points structure.
BMW Championship: Top 50
The second round of the FedExCup Playoffs is the BMW Championship, scheduled for August 20-23, 2026.
Only the top 50 players in the FedExCup standings following the FedEx St. Jude Championship qualify.
Once the tournament is complete and the FedExCup standings are updated, only the top 30 players advance to the TOUR Championship.
Like the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the BMW Championship winner receives 750 FedExCup points.
That makes the BMW Championship the final opportunity for players to secure enough points to reach East Lake.
How many players make the TOUR Championship?
Only 30 players qualify for the 2026 TOUR Championship.
Those players are determined by the FedExCup standings following the BMW Championship. Reaching the TOUR Championship is significant because every golfer who makes the final 30 has an opportunity to win the FedExCup.
How does the 2026 TOUR Championship work?
The 2026 TOUR Championship will be held from August 27-30 at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia.
The tournament features the final 30 players remaining in the FedExCup Playoffs and uses a traditional 72-hole stroke-play format.
All 30 players begin the tournament on equal footing.
There are no Starting Strokes, meaning the FedExCup points leader does not begin the tournament several strokes ahead of the rest of the field. Instead, everyone starts at even par.
The golfer with the lowest cumulative score after 72 holes wins the TOUR Championship.
Most importantly, the TOUR Championship winner is also crowned the 2026 FedExCup champion.
Does the FedExCup points leader get an advantage at the TOUR Championship?
Not through Starting Strokes.
Previous versions of the FedExCup format gave the highest-ranked players a scoring advantage entering the TOUR Championship. That system is no longer used.
The 30 qualifiers start the TOUR Championship at the same score, meaning the FedExCup championship ultimately comes down to performance over four rounds at East Lake.
However, FedExCup points remain extremely important during the regular season and first two playoff events because they determine which players qualify for each stage.
Why are FedExCup points important?
FedExCup points determine whether a golfer advances through the playoffs.
A player who begins the postseason near the bottom of the top 70 may need a strong performance at the FedEx St. Jude Championship to move into the top 50.
The same situation applies at the BMW Championship, where players around the top-30 cutoff are battling for the final spots at East Lake.
The 2026 playoff points structure also places greater emphasis on season-long performance.
Winners of the FedEx St. Jude Championship and BMW Championship receive 750 points, reducing the ability of one tournament victory to completely transform a player’s position compared with previous playoff formats.
What happens if a player is eliminated from the FedExCup Playoffs?
Once a golfer falls outside the qualifying cutoff after a playoff event, that player’s FedExCup Playoffs run is over.
Players outside the top 50 following the FedEx St. Jude Championship do not advance to the BMW Championship, while players outside the top 30 following the BMW Championship do not advance to the TOUR Championship.
There is no opportunity to re-enter the playoffs once eliminated.
2026 FedExCup Playoffs format at a glance
The postseason begins with the top 70 players in the FedExCup standings at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
The field is then reduced to 50 players for the BMW Championship. After the BMW Championship, the top 30 advance to the TOUR Championship at East Lake.
At that point, FedExCup points have accomplished their primary purpose of determining the final field.
All 30 players start the TOUR Championship at even par and compete over 72 holes. Whoever wins the tournament becomes the 2026 FedExCup champion.
70 players. Three tournaments. One FedExCup champion.