Top 5 Players at Risk of Missing the BMW Championship | PGA TOUR Insights

As the FedExCup Playoffs kick off, we analyze the top players who are at risk of missing the BMW Championship. Discover the stakes for Rickie Fowler, Tony Finau, J.T. Poston, Wyndham Clark, and Jordan Spieth as they fight for their spots in the postseason. Learn about their current standings, performance trends, and what they need to do to secure their place in the next round. Don’t miss this in-depth look at the players who could be on the brink of elimination!

Top five players at risk of missing the BMW Championship. PGA Tour Insights. Making it to the FedEx Cup playoffs is no small feat, especially as they kick off this week at the FedEx St. Jude Championship held at TPC Southwind. However, the real stakes are just beginning to unfold. The 69 competitors in Memphis, Tennessee cannot afford to become complacent. In fact, the most enticing opportunity still lies ahead. securing a position in the top 50 of the FedEx Cup standings. Achieving this milestone not only extends their season for another week by qualifying for the BMW Championship, but it also opens doors to invaluable opportunities in the signature events scheduled for 2026. This includes the ability to craft a personalized schedule for the upcoming year, access to larger prize pools and FedEx Cup point distributions and a significant advantage in maintaining their professional status for years to come. While the FedEx St. Jude this is the end Jude championship has immediate consequences, the long-term effects are even more profound. As we approach the first stage of the postseason, let’s examine the top players who are at risk of falling short of the top 50 and missing out on the BMW Championship. Ritzy Fowler, current FedEx Cup position, 64th. Minimum finish required to qualify for the BMW Championship 2-way T7. Fowler has made a commendable comeback after a lackluster 2024 season, alleviating fears that his peak performance might be behind him. Nevertheless, he aims to achieve more than just a single top 10 finish this season, which he secured at the memorial tournament presented by Workday. Since then, he has shown improvement, adding top 20 finishes at both the John Deere Classic and the Open Championship. Fowler was a favored choice for sponsor exemptions this season, but he hopes to avoid relying on them for a second consecutive year. The only way to ensure this is by performing well in Memphis and breaking into the top 50. Tony Fenow, current FedEx Cup position, 60th minimum finish required to qualify for the BMW championship 2-way T20. Fenow has never missed the postseason during his 11-year career and the PGA Tour, making it to the Tour Championship for eight consecutive years. However, he must first reach Baltimore and Caves Valley, the venue for next week’s BMW Championship. To do so, Hino needs to finish at least in a two-way tie for 20th place. This season, he now has faced challenges, particularly with his iron play, which has seen a significant decline. He ranked fifth in strokes gained approach in 2023 and second in 2024. But this year he has dropped out of the top 100 in that category. Lacking consistent ball striking, he has managed only one top 10 finish during the regular season. Feno has had mixed results at TPC Southwind, although he has finished in the top 20 in two of the last three years. JT Poston current FedEx Cup position 51st. Minimum finish required to qualify for the BMW championship solo 67th. Poston has qualified for the BMW championship in each of the last three seasons, but his performance in 2025 has not matched the standards of previous years with only one top 10 finish, his lowest since the 2016 to 17 season and seven top 25 finishes, his fewest since 2020 to 21. He faces an uphill battle. Despite this, Poston has a better chance than most to secure a spot in the BMW Championship. Currently sitting just outside the postseason at number 51 in the FedEx Cup standings. To qualify, he needs to finish at least solo 67th. But given the increased point totals during the postseason, he may need to perform even better. Poston’s best result in three appearances at the FedEx St. Jude Championship is a T20, which places him in the middle of the pack in a 70man field. The silver lining for Poston is that he may not need an extraordinary performance to advance. He simply needs to survive and move forward. Windom Clark current FedEx Cup position 49th. Minimum finish required to qualify for the BMW Championship solo 68th. Clark is currently teetering on the edge of the BMW Championship bubble, holding the 49th position in the FedEx Cup standings, but his place for next week is precarious. With the heightened point totals, it’s commoning for players to fluctuate in and out of the standings, and Clark is at risk without a strong performance this week. Last year, Clark finished seventh at TPC Southwind, a promising result he hopes to replicate. Although his season has been inconsistent, he has shown significant improvement over the past two months, finishing in the top 12 in his last three tournaments, including a T4 at the Open. After missing the cut at the US Open, Clark made a remarkable leap from 80th to 49th in the FedEx Cup standings. At the start of the season, Clark was ranked seventh in the official World Golf Ranking. But if things don’t go his way in Memphis, he could find himself excluded from the 2026 signature events, highlighting how swiftly fortunes can shift in professional golf. Jordan Spe FedEx Cup position 48th minimum finish required to qualify for the BMW Championship, NA. Similar to Fowler, SPE has been fortunate to receive several sponsor exemptions for various signature events in 2025, but he aims to avoid a repeat of that situation in 2026. Maintaining his current standing after Memphis would suffice as speed clings to his number 48 position in the FedEx Cup. He sought additional points and breathing room by adding the Windom Championship to his schedule, but his T31 finish only allowed him to maintain his position in the standings. From the beginning of 2025, SP indicated that this would be a transitional year as he worked to regain his health following a long-standing wrist injury. While he has displayed flashes of his former brilliance, there is enough rust to support his initial assessment. However, if he aspires to set the stage for a genuine comeback in 2026, qualifying for the signature events is essential. Note, we assumption is that the 50th position receives the last place points. But here’s where it gets controversial. Are these players truly at risk or is the pressure of the playoffs just part of the game? What do you think? Are you rooting for any of these players to make it through? Or do you believe it’s time for a fresh wave of talent? Share your thoughts in the comments.