This week is the final reprieve before a frenetic finish to the FedExCup Fall. The final three tournaments of the year will be played in successive weeks, beginning with the World Wide Technology Championship next week. There, the top-100 bubble will take center stage. No longer do 125 players maintain status for the new year. With 25 cards eliminated from a year ago, expect a more cutthroat conclusion. But before we get there, let’s catch our breath and get caught up on the first half of the FedExCup Fall. Whether you’ve followed along every week or are just beginning to engage for the home stretch, here are five stories that have defined the fall season.

Michael Brennan’s arrival

You’re forgiven if you weren’t locked into the happenings on PGA TOUR Americas this summer, but Michael Brennan’s breakthrough at the Bank of Utah Championship didn’t come out of the blue.

Brennan, 23, dominated in his brief stint on PGA TOUR Americas. In addition to winning three times, which earned him automatic status on the Korn Ferry Tour, Brennan was a hallmark of consistency. He notched top 10s in 12 of 16 events and missed only one cut. The long-hitting Wake Forest alum is just the latest of an incredible wave of speedsters that are reaching the PGA TOUR with increased regularity. He’s also a shining example in a growing list of PGA TOUR University success stories. Brennan did not top the standings like Ludvig Åberg or Michael Thorbjornsen or jump straight to the TOUR through the Accelerated path like Luke Clanton and Gordon Sargent – instead finishing 12th in the 2024 rankings. That earned him the Americas status that he capitalized on this year.

How high can Brennan ascend? Given his run of form, he shouldn’t be dismissed as a contender the rest of the fall, primed to supercharge his career even further than he already has.

Billy Horschel returns

Billy Horschel returned to pro golf quietly earlier this fall, teeing it up on the DP World Tour in September for the first time since April. Horschel’s 2025 TOUR season was derailed by a hip injury that required surgery earlier this year – knocking him out of three major championships and a Ryder Cup that Horschel was intent on making.

Horschel is back now, and it hasn’t taken him long to regain form. While he missed the cut in his return at the BMW Championship and had an up-and-down week at the Baycurrent Classic, Horschel strung together three straight 66s to finish T11 at the Bank of Utah Championship.

Horschel’s card is secure for 2026 via a previous victory, but the American is not yet in any Signature Events. Horschel has two paths to get there – both contingent on good golf the rest of the way. Currently 101st in the FedExCup Fall standings, Horschel can secure his place in the first two Signature Events of the year if he can climb into the top 60 by season’s end. He’s also within range to qualify via the Official World Golf Ranking. The top 30 ahead of each Signature Event gain access. Horschel is currently 40th and is only a few good results from cracking that important threshold.

Xander Schauffele back in the winner’s circle

Xander Schauffele was blunt in his assessment of his year at the conclusion of the FedExCup Playoffs. There, he admitted 2025 was his worst season on TOUR. And while that disappointment will linger, Schauffele’s fall performance will lessen the sting.

The world No. 3 won the Baycurrent Classic in Japan, his first victory since the 2024 Open Championship. That came on the heels of an impressive effort at the Ryder Cup, one of the U.S. Team’s bright spots in an otherwise disappointing week at Bethpage Black.

Schauffele’s fall flashes are notable, if for no other reason than as positive fodder for the two-time major winner entering what he hopes will be a bounce-back 2026 season. A year ago at this time, Schauffele was neck-and-neck with Scottie Scheffler as the best player in the sport and in conversation for Player of the Year. Now, there seems to be some distance between Schauffele at No. 3 and Scheffler and Rory McIlroy as a two-headed monster at the top of the rankings. Schauffele’s fall flurry is a reminder of how quickly that could change again.

Rookies struggling to make an impact

In many respects, the FedExCup Fall should be the time for rookies to shine. After the grind of their first full year on TOUR, the rookies have a chance to catch their breath, refine their games and prepare for the final sprint of the season with increased understanding of how to be a TOUR pro.

Aside from Steven Fisk, that has not materialized. Fisk won the Sanderson Farms Championship, assuring his status for next year and beyond, but he’s one of the few success stories. With three events to play, only five of the 35 rookies are projected to earn their cards. Those five are: Fisk, Aldrich Potgieter, William Mouw, Karl Vilips and Rasmus Højgaard.

There are four other rookies within striking distance. Isaiah Salinda, Jesper Svensson, Jackson Suber and Ricky Castillo are within the top 125. In previous years, that would have been good enough to keep their cards. Instead, they will all need a standout finish or two to maintain their status. Time is running out. Will they be one and down on TOUR? Or can they put together some late-season magic?

Notable names straddling the bubble

It will be a stressful month for some of the PGA TOUR’s popular journeymen.

Joel Dahmen and Harry Higgs, two of the most likable personalities in professional golf, both find themselves outside the top 100 with three events to play. Dahmen ranks 108th; Higgs ranks 125th. They will be prominent characters in what should be a tense finish to the year. Dahmen needs to reverse his fortunes. He was 93rd in the standings when the fall began, but has missed three cuts and finished T69 in the limited field, no-cut Baycurrent Classic. Higgs' struggles are similar, though not as deep. Higgs has made two of three cuts this fall, but has dropped from 112th to 124th.

Here’s a look at the current top-100 bubble.

*Previously exempt for 2026