Why Sunday is so meaningful, even for non-contenders

While all eyes are on the leaders at this week’s FedEx Cup Playoffs opener, the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the whole subject has lots to play for.

In addition to an inflated $20 million purse, the FedEx St. Jude has even extra significance than traditional. At the conclusion of the event, the 70-man subject might be whittled right down to the highest 50. Those 50 gamers will transfer on to subsequent week’s playoff occasion, the BMW Championship, however they’ll additionally obtain one other coveted standing: exemption into subsequent yr’s eight “signature events,” which might be limited-field, no-cut tournaments with large purses.

While there are methods to play your means in to these tournaments, spots are restricted. The greatest method to do it is to easily get the job performed with a very good end this week. But as any golfer is aware of, that’s simpler mentioned than performed.

With one spherical remaining in Memphis, there is one participant who stands out above all the remaining as essentially the most vital mover within the rating: event chief Lucas Glover.

Ranked proper on the sting at No. 49 to begin the week, Glover can launch himself all the best way to No. 3 with a win on Sunday. (Check out the PGA Tour’s reside projected rating here.) That’s a transfer of 46 spots! It goes with out saying that this is the very best time within the season to place the pedal to the steel.

Who else is in a precarious place?

Australian Cam Davis’ prospects are at the moment wanting good. Ranked 62nd heading into the week, Davis is T12 by means of three rounds at eight below par, and if he stays the place he is, he’s projected to maneuver as much as No. 49. How’s that for final-round stress?

Then there’s Mackenzie Hughes. Ranked forty seventh to begin the week, Hughes was close to the underside of the leaderboard by means of three rounds in Memphis. He’s at the moment projected to complete at No. 51 except he can conjure a final-round surge.

And Nick Hardy is the person proper on the bubble. Ranked fiftieth to begin the week, he’s at the moment projected to remain there. Heading into the ultimate spherical, he’s T42, so he’ll want to remain the course — and hope too many others don’t go him on the leaderboard.

Additional intrigue like these situations is what makes the playoffs so pleasant from a fan perspective. This yr, there’s lots at stake — from the highest of the leaderboard all the best way right down to the underside.

Who will obtain the coveted high 50 spots? You can watch the motion in Memphis on Golf Channel beginning at 12 p.m. ET.

Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of feminine varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everybody on the masthead. She can out-hustle them within the workplace, too, the place she’s primarily accountable for producing each print and on-line options, and overseeing main particular tasks, akin to GOLF’s inaugural Style Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview sequence, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in each within the journal and in video type on GOLF.com.