GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA – AUGUST 11: Keith Mitchell of the United States putts on the tenth green during the third round of the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club on August 11, 2024 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)
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One tournament, the Wyndham Championship, remains before the PGA Tour playoffs, and only the top 70 players in FedExCup points will stamp their tickets to Memphis and the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
The top 70 players qualify for the St. Jude Championship, the top 50 for the BMW Championship (formerly the Western Open), and the top 30 for the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. Here are the players on the cusp:
Keith Mitchell
Mitchell is currently 5 points behind the top-70 cutoff. After a missed cut at the 3M Open and a lackluster finish at The Open Championship, he’ll need a strong performance this week to make it to Memphis.
Chris Kirk
Kirk has had a strong summer, with a T-13 at the 3M Open and a runner-up finish at the Rocket Mortgage Classic after a playoff. Since the Memorial Tournament, he has missed just one cut and is the most likely candidate among the bubble players to advance. Kirk isn’t a long hitter, but Sedgefield Country Club, this week’s course, rewards accuracy and approach play more than distance. He currently sits 12 points outside the top 70.
Eric Cole
Cole has faltered in the second half of the season. A solid start and strong spring had him safely inside the top 70, but three missed cuts, one withdrawal, and a T-60 in his last five events have dropped him to 79th in the standings. He’s unlikely to make the playoffs.
FORT WORTH, TX – MAY 24: Bud Cauley plays his shot out of the bunker on the fifth hole during Round Three of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial at the Colonial Country Club on May 24, 2014 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
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Matti Schmid
Schmid currently holds the 70th spot, just inside the playoff cut. The German could secure his place at the St. Jude with a made cut and boost his Ryder Cup resume with a strong finish. He’s played in the Wyndham Championship twice, finishing 64th and 22nd. While his overall approach game isn’t a strength, his wedge play is elite. At just over 7,000 yards, Sedgefield is a short course, and Schmid should have wedges into many greens.
Bud Cauley
Cauley is safe for the St. Jude, currently ranked 51st in points, but he’s on the bubble for the BMW Championship. He’s appeared on several leaderboards this year, has four top-10 finishes, and has missed only three cuts all season.
Cauley’s comeback story is remarkable: he suffered serious injuries in 2018 after a car accident following the Memorial Tournament, six broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and a broken femur. After a full return to the Tour last year, he’s reestablished himself in 2025 as a legitimate contender.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/break80/2025/07/30/playoff-bubble-watch-five-players-fighting-for-fedexcup-survival/