5 surprising golfers at risk of missing PGA Tour playoffs

The race for the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Playoffs is shaping up to be particularly dramatic this season. With the field cut to just 70 players (down from 125 previously) and only one event remaining in the regular season, many big names find themselves on the brink of elimination from the FedEx Cup chase. The Wyndham Championship, taking place this week, will be decisive for dozens of players aiming to keep their postseason hopes alive.

A New Reality for the PGA Tour Playoffs

The landscape has shifted this year. Only the top 70 players in the FedEx Cup standings will earn a spot in the first round of the playoffs. This is a significant reduction from previous seasons, where 125 participants qualified for the postseason. The final list will be finalized after the Wyndham Championship concludes. It's important to note that missing the playoffs doesn't automatically mean losing your PGA Tour card; the fall schedule remains in place, offering 100 spots. However, for those aiming for top honors and substantial prize money, the playoffs are the primary objective.

Michael Thorbjornsen's recent win at the Detroit event, where he jumped from 69th to 38th in the FedEx Cup standings, illustrates how quickly fortunes can change. Other players will be looking to make similar breakthroughs in the final week of the regular season.

Who's Already Out?

According to the PGA Tour, there are 219 golfers who have earned at least one FedEx Cup point this season. Among those who no longer have a mathematical chance of cracking the top 70, even with a win at the Wyndham Championship, are familiar names like Ryan Palmer, Jason Dufner, and Kevin Kisner. Their seasons will conclude without any points. Also out of contention are Neal Shipley (No. 184), who gained fame through a Netflix series, the injured Will Zalatoris (No. 189), and heralded rookie Christo Lamprecht (No. 198).

There are also those who could make the playoffs solely through a miraculous victory at the Wyndham Championship. These include Chris Kirk (No. 127), Matt Kuchar (No. 142), and Luke Clanton (No. 147). Other players, such as Lucas Glover (No. 96), Billy Horschel (No. 107), and Joel Dahmen (No. 119), will need at least a podium finish to crack the top 70.

Five Surprising Names on the Bubble

However, the most attention is drawn to players who, by all accounts, should be safe but are now under threat of missing the playoffs. Here are five surprising names:

1. Jackson Koivun (No. 70)

For young Jackson Koivun, simply being this close to the playoffs is an achievement. His impressive season, including a recent win at the 3M Open, solidifies his status as a rising star on the PGA Tour. Although he only recently joined the Tour, his chances of making the top 70, and perhaps even the top 50 or 30, remain high. It's unlikely he'll let this opportunity slip away.

2. Keegan Bradley (No. 72)

Reigning U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley is experiencing a less-than-stellar year. Despite missing only one cut in his last 14 starts, he hasn't managed a top-10 finish. Six results inside the top 21 haven't yielded significant points. "It's annoying, but in a weird, like, demented way, it's kind of fun that I have to go out and try to do it," Bradley said at The Open Championship. He has one shot left to turn things around.

3. Jason Day (No. 75)

Jason Day's game began to falter after his T12 at The Masters. His best result in seven starts since then is a T38, and he withdrew from last week's 3M Open due to a back injury. Statistics suggest issues with his swing, particularly his iron play, which is well below his usual standard. At the Memorial Tournament, he explained his search: "The guys that are playing well typically know exactly what their tendencies are when it does go off, so it's easy to get things back in order. For me, I'm still trying to figure that out. The hard thing is that I've always got to, in the back of my mind, make sure that I have some sort of focus on my back because if I'm trying to make some change for better shots and better overall results, I also won't trust it if it hurts my back." He is in the Wyndham field, and one hopes for a healthy week and a strong run at the playoffs.

4. Brooks Koepka (No. 86)

Brooks Koepka's season has been unpredictable from the start, especially following his return to the PGA Tour. The uncertainty surrounding his status has added unfortunate elements late in the year. He withdrew from the RBC Canadian Open, missed his next two cuts, and pulled out of the Rocket Classic pre-tournament, indicating underlying issues. His Florida Swing performances (T9 at PGA National, T13 at TPC Sawgrass, T18 at Innisbrook) seem like distant memories, as does his T12 at The Masters. Perhaps he'll find his form at Sedgefield this week.

5. Tony Finau (No. 89)

There's a trend on this list: players we've grown accustomed to seeing perform at a certain standard are now struggling, showing the effects of golf, life, or time—or a combination thereof. Tony Finau hoped to turn his season around with a T6 at the Byron Nelson, but that remains his lone bright spot; he's finished T40 or worse in his last five starts. His Sunday 77 at the Rocket Classic was one of the day's highest scores, and he finished the week second-to-last in Strokes Gained: Putting. Something is clearly off. Can he get it right just in the nick of time?

The Bubble Picture

Here's the complete bubble, from the locked-in Harry Hall at No. 62 to A.J. Ewart at No. 100:

62 – Harry Hall 63 – Brian Harman 64 – Patrick Rodgers 65 – Aldrich Potgieter 66 – Ricky Castillo 67 – Matti Schmid 68 – Jordan Smith 69 – Steven Fisk 70 – Jackson Koivun – cut line – 71 – Mac Meissner 72 – Keegan Bradley 73 – Andrew Putnam 74 – Johnny Keefer 75 – Jason Day 76 – Austin Smotherman 77 – Stephan Jaeger 78 – David Lipsky 79 – Tom Hoge 80 – Matt Wallace 81 – Davis Thompson 82 – Jackson Suber 83 – Brandt Snedeker 84 – Denny McCarthy 85 – Taylor Pendrith 86 – Brooks Koepka 87 – John Parry 88 – Kevin Roy 89 – Tony Finau 90 – Chandler Phillips 91 – Andrew Novak 92 – Christiaan Bezuidenhout 93 – Zach Bauchou 94 – Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen 95 – Ben Kohles 96 – Lucas Glover 97 – Doug Ghim 98 – Taylor Moore 99 – Max Greyserman 100 – A.J. Ewart

The complete FedEx Cup points list can be found on the PGA Tour's website.