The Big Names in Danger of Not Making It Past the FedEx St. Jude Championship

The FedEx Cup playoffs are here, and the top 70 golfers from this season’s standings will be competing in a no-cut tournament at the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southlands in Memphis, Tennessee.

The top 50 in the standings after this tournament will advance to the following week’s BMW Championship. Perhaps more importantly, those 50 will become eligible for next year’s four majors, the Players Championship, and all 2025 Signature Events.

Here are five notable golfers who will need to put forth a great performance this week in Memphis in order to advance and secure their positioning for 2025.

Viktor Hovland

After winning the BMW Championship and Tour Championship last fall to become FedEx Cup champion, the Norwegian hasn’t been able to put it together this year. His only top-10 finish of the season was a third at the PGA Championship, and he missed the cut at the other three majors.

Viktor Hovland is never satisfied.

The reigning #FedExCup champion is always looking to improve his ball-striking. pic.twitter.com/zrMnt0RWHM

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 13, 2024

He’s currently 57^th in the standings. His past success has him in next year’s The Masters, PGA, and The Players, and will likely rely on his Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) to secure a spot in the U.S. Open, Open Championship, and the Signature Events (if he can’t make it past Memphis).

Jordan Spieth

Spieth, who has struggled in recent months, said he will need wrist surgery once his 2024 season is over. The man who joined the PGA Tour Policy Board earlier this year is in 63^rd in the standings and is without a top-10 finish since The Genesis Invitational in February. Spieth has exemptions into all four majors for next year but needs to get into the Top 50 to play in the Players and the Signature Events, if his OWGR of 43rd would, for some reason, not hold up.

Will Zalatoris

Zalatoris, who won this event two years ago before suffering a back injury that needed surgery, is truly on the bubble – sitting at No. 49 going into the St. Jude.

Strokes gained rankings at TPC Southwind vs other courses played

– Will Zalatoris #6 +2.51 (8 rnds)
– Sahith Theegala #13 +1.30 (8 rnds)
– Taylor Moore #13 +1.18 (8 rnds)
– Erik Van Rooyen #15 +1.05 (4 rnds) pic.twitter.com/GzYK6ovPqu

— Byron Lindeque (@TheModelManiac) August 12, 2024

He’s only guaranteed to be in the Masters next year thanks to his runner-up finish in 2021, so there’s a lot of pressure on him this week to keep his trajectory going in the right direction.

Justin Rose

The 2018 FedEx Cup winner vaulted into the top 70 with a runner-up at the Open Championship, but he’s otherwise struggled after a better 2023 that saw him win at Pebble Beach. The only major he’s not lined up for yet is the U.S. Open, but a solid finish will change that.

Max Greyserman

Last year, it was Lucas Glover who won the Wyndham Championship and carried the momentum to a win in Memphis. This year, keep an eye out for Greyserman, who has come in second in his last two events: the 3M Open and the Wyndham. His spirits also appear to remain high after blowing a four-stroke lead on the back nine at Sedgefield on Sunday.

“Just gonna take away that I hung in there, and I played good golf.”

Max Greyserman discusses his final round @WyndhamChamp. pic.twitter.com/Dpe7VW5qIT

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 12, 2024

He was in 114th after the U.S. Open, but since Pinehurst, his worst finish is a tie for 31st in his last six events, moving him up to No. 47 in the standings.

Cover Image via Golfweek