As the last regular tournament before the FedEx Cup Playoffs, the Wyndham Championship takes on greater significance as a last-chance saloon for those battling to make the top 70. But who needs what to make it through?
Top of that list is Jackson Koivun as the 21-year-old tees it up in North Carolina in that final 70th spot in the FedEx Cup standings despite making just five pro starts on the PGA Tour.
Since the FedEx Cup Playoffs went to a 70-man field the fewest numbers of starts a player has made to qualify is 13 – Rory McIlroy has played in just 11 this season, but Koivun is aiming to do it in just six, and his first six as a pro at that.
Koivun’s incredible victory at the 3M Open catapulted him into the top 70 in the standings, along with the Presidents Cup reckoning, and a T31 at last week’s Rocket Classic kept him there.
He’s right on the bubble at Sedgefield Country Club with a trip to the FedEx St Jude Championship and also a possible spot in Brandt Snedeker’s Team USA on the line – so it’s another big test of nerve for the impressive 21-year-old.
Koivun sits in that 70th and final place to make the St Jude Championship, but holds just under a 12-point advantage over Mac Meissner in 71st, with Keegan Bradley in 72nd just over 17 points in arrears.
Young Koivun will feel good about his chances, as he finished tied for fifth at last year’s Wyndham Championship as an amateur, but if he’s not challenging he’ll face an anxious look around the leaderboard to see if anyone’s close to knocking him out.
So with plenty to play for and the likes of Bradley, Jason Day and Brooks Koepka among the big names in danger of missing the FedEx Cup Playoffs, it looks like an exciting finish in store to the regular PGA Tour campaign.
FedEx Cup Playoffs standings & top 70 scenarios
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The current top 59 in the FedEx Cup standings have already booked their spots in the top 70, while Shane Lowry has skipped the Wyndham but is all-but in at 60th and with a healthy cushion.
You’d expect the bottom five in the current top 70 to be most at risk, ranging from number 65 Aldrich Potgieter, who should be fine with a 45-point gap, while Steven Fisk, in 69th, is just 27 points ahead of Meissner.
There’s not normally too much movement in the final event of the regular season, but a couple of big weeks for players just outside the top 70 can really shake things up.
The chasing pack have plenty to do though, with just the top seven being able to finish outside the top 10 and still have a chance of making it to Memphis.
Here’s what the closest challengers need at the Wyndham Championship to stand any chance of cracking the top 70. The minimum finishes below are the least they need to overhaul Koivun if he fails to secure any points this week so they’ll likely need even more.
2026 FedEx Cup Playoffs qualifying bubble
|
Rank |
Events |
Points |
Min Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
|
65. Aldrich Potgieter |
19 |
591 |
Current top 70 |
|
66. Ricky Castillo |
17 |
582 |
Current top 70 |
|
67. Matti Schmid |
20 |
580 |
Current top 70 |
|
68. Jordan Smith |
20 |
574 |
Current top 70 |
|
69. Steven Fisk |
19 |
573 |
Current top 70 |
|
70. Jackson Koivun |
5 |
558 |
Current top 70 |
|
71. Mac Meissner |
20 |
546 |
Solo 44th |
|
72. Keegan Bradley |
19 |
540 |
2-way T38 |
|
73. Andrew Putnam |
20 |
533 |
2-way T31 |
|
74. Johnny Keefer |
23 |
504 |
Solo 15th |
|
75. Jason Day |
16 |
495 |
2-way T12 |
|
76. Austin Smotherman |
20 |
495 |
T12 |
|
77. Stephan Jaeger |
20 |
494 |
3-way T11 |