Tour Championship field set: Scheffler leads, Fowler and JT out
By Staff Writer
3 min read
Key takeaways
- The 2026 Tour Championship field is set at 30 players, led by Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Wyndham Clark.
- The winner takes home $10 million from a $40 million purse.
- Patrick Cantlay, Robert MacIntyre and Gary Woodland played their way into the top 30 at the BMW Championship.
- Rickie Fowler, Bud Cauley and Kurt Kitayama fell out of the top 30 and missed the field.
- Justin Thomas, Sungjae Im, Jake Knapp, Aaron Rai, Sepp Straka and Ben Griffin are among the 20 players eliminated.
The FedEx Cup Playoffs close this week with the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, where 30 players will play a straight 72-hole stroke-play event for a $10 million top prize.
Who made the Tour Championship field?
Scottie Scheffler enters as the FedEx Cup points leader after his BMW Championship performance, with Rory McIlroy and BMW champion Wyndham Clark also headlining the 30-man field. Six players are making their first Tour Championship appearance, including this year's Open champion.
Three players climbed into the top 30 with strong finishes at the BMW Championship at Bellerive Country Club. Patrick Cantlay's runner-up finish moved him from 43rd to 19th. Robert MacIntyre's tie for seventh lifted him from 36th to 25th, and Gary Woodland's tie for fourth pushed him from 31st to 18th.
Who got eliminated from the FedEx Cup Playoffs?
Twenty players saw their seasons end at Bellerive. Three of them had entered the week inside the top 30 and were bumped out by the players moving up. Rickie Fowler started 30th and finished the week 34th after a tie for 37th. Bud Cauley dropped from 29th to 34th following a tie for 44th, and Kurt Kitayama slid from 28th to 31st despite a tie for 26th finish.
Other prominent names among the 20 eliminated include Justin Thomas (finished 43rd in the standings), Sungjae Im (37th), Jake Knapp (38th), Aaron Rai (39th), Sepp Straka (40th) and Ben Griffin (41st).
Three players climbed into the field at Bellerive, and three fell out — the difference came down to a handful of shots apiece.
| Player | Rank before BMW | BMW finish | Tour Championship rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Cantlay | 43rd | 2nd | 19th (in) |
| Gary Woodland | 31st | T4 | 18th (in) |
| Robert MacIntyre | 36th | T7 | 25th (in) |
| Kurt Kitayama | 28th | T26 | 31st (out) |
| Rickie Fowler | 30th | T37 | 34th (out) |
| Bud Cauley | 29th | T44 | 34th (out) |
What is the Tour Championship format?
The PGA Tour has scrapped the staggered "starting strokes" format that once gave the top seeds a head start on the leaderboard before a shot was played. The Tour Championship is now a straight four-day, 72-hole stroke-play event: lowest total score at East Lake wins, with no bonus strokes involved.
East Lake Golf Club ranks among Golfweek's Best classic courses nationally and is a top-five private course in Georgia, giving the finale a proven championship test to close out the season.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the 2026 Tour Championship purse?
The total purse is $40 million, with $10 million going to the winner.
What is the Tour Championship format?
It is a straight 72-hole stroke-play event. The PGA Tour dropped the staggered starting-strokes format that used to give top seeds a head start.
Who qualified for the 2026 Tour Championship?
The top 30 players in the FedEx Cup standings after the BMW Championship, led by Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Wyndham Clark.
Who missed the cut for the Tour Championship?
Twenty players were eliminated, including Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Bud Cauley, Kurt Kitayama, Sungjae Im and Ben Griffin.
- fedex cup
- tour championship
- scottie scheffler
- rickie fowler
- justin thomas
- patrick cantlay
- east lake golf club
- pga tour playoffs
