It’s a noteworthy accomplishment to make it to the FedExCup Playoffs, which begin this week at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in TPC Southwind.

But in terms of stakes? It’s just ramping up.

The 69 players in the field in Memphis, Tennessee, can’t rest on their laurels, in fact, maybe the biggest carrot is still dangling in front of them: A spot in the top 50 of the FedExCup to move onto next week’s BMW Championship, which not only extends their season another week, but also secures them incredibly valuable spots in the Signature Events in 2026. With it comes the freedom to fully set a schedule for next year, access to bigger purses and FedExCup point pools, and an inside track on keeping status for years to come.

So while the FedEx St. Jude has real short-term implications, the long-term ramifications are even greater. So ahead of the first leg of the postseason, here’s a look at the top players who are at risk of missing the top 50 and the BMW Championship.

Rickie Fowler

FedExCup position: 64th
*Minimum finish needed to make the BMW Championship: Two-way T17

Fowler is back in the postseason for just the second time in the last five years, though he has work to do if he hopes to extend his season beyond the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Fowler needs to finish in a two-way tie for 17th to have any chance to jump into the top 50, and he will likely need something even better with 14 other players he has to pass.

Fowler rebounded after a disappointing 2024, quieting concerns that his top form was gone for good. Still, he expects to do better than just one top 10 in a season, which came at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday. He’s played better since that result, adding top 20s at the John Deere Classic and The Open Championship.

Fowler was a popular pick for sponsor exemptions this season, but he will hope to avoid needing to rely on them for a second year. The only way to do that is to play well in Memphis and reach the top 50.

Tony Finau

FedExCup position: 60th
*Minimum finish needed to make the BMW Championship: Two-way T20

Finau has never missed the postseason in his 11-year PGA TOUR career. In fact, he’s made the TOUR Championship for eight years running. But Finau can’t make it to Atlanta without first reaching Baltimore and Caves Valley, the site of next week’s BMW Championship. To do that, Finau will need to finish in a two-way tie for 20th, at the very least.

Finau’s struggles this season have coincided with a significant dip in his iron play. Finau ranked fifth in Strokes Gained: Approach in 2023 and second in 2024, yet he’s fallen outside the top 100 in the metric this season. Without that consistent ball striking, Finau managed just one top 10 in the Regular Season.

Finau has mixed results at TPC Southwind, though he’s finished inside the top 20 in two of the last three years.

J.T. Poston

FedExCup position: 51st
*Minimum finish needed to make the BMW Championship: Solo 67th

Poston has made it to the BMW Championship in each of the last three seasons, though his play in 2025 has not risen to the same standard as those years. His one top 10 is his fewest in a season since 2016-17, and his seven top 25s are his fewest since 2020-21.

Still, Poston has a better chance than any to play his way into the BMW Championship and is currently the first man out of the postseason at No. 51 in the FedExCup. To get there, he needs a minimum finish of solo 67th, though with increased point totals in the postseason, he will likely need to do a bit better.

Poston’s best finish in three FedEx St. Jude Championship appearances is a T20, relatively middle of the pack in a 70-man field. The good news for Poston is that he may not need something incredibly special to crack the Playoffs. He just needs to survive and advance.

Wyndham Clark

FedExCup position: 49th
*Minimum finish needed to make the BMW Championship: Solo 68th

Clark sits just on the other side of the BMW Championship bubble at No. 49 in the FedExCup, though his spot for next week is very much in peril. With the increased point totals, it’s common to see several names jump in and out, and Clark will be vulnerable to that without a solid week.

Clark finished seventh at TPC Southwind a year ago, a promising result he will look to recreate. Though his season has been up and down, the American is trending really well over the last two months. He’s placed in the top 12 in his last three starts, including a T4 at The Open. Since missing the cut at the U.S. Open, Clark jumped from 80th in the FedExCup to 49th.

Clark began the season ranked seventh in the Official World Golf Ranking, but could find himself out of the 2026 Signature Events if things break against him in Memphis – another illustration of how quickly fortunes can change in pro golf.

Jordan Spieth

FedExCup position: 48th
Minimum finish needed to make the BMW Championship: N/A

Like Fowler, Spieth was fortunate to receive numerous sponsor exemptions into several Signature Events in 2025, but he’d like to avoid a repeat of that in 2026.

Simply keeping the status quo in the standings after Memphis would do the trick, as Spieth clings to his No. 48 position in the FedExCup. Spieth sought out more points (and breathing room) by adding the Wyndham Championship to his schedule. But his T31 finish only kept him treading water, remaining in the same spot in the standings that he began the week.

Spieth said from the start of 2025 that this was always going to be a transition year as he worked himself back healthy from a wrist injury that had nagged him for years. He showed pops of Spieth brilliance but enough rust to believe Spieth’s initial assessment. But if he wants to set himself up for a true comeback year in 2026, getting into the Signature Events is a must.

*Denotes assumption that 50th position gets last place points.