This week’s Wyndham Championship is the final PGA TOUR regular-season event and determines who advances to the FedExCup Playoffs.
As the stakes rise, only the top 70 in the standings by Sunday evening will qualify for the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, the first of the three postseason tournaments.
Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, NC, will also impact the top 50 players eligible for next year’s higher-paying Signature Events. The tournament affects the top 100, who will retain their TOUR cards in 2026. This represents a reduction from 125, having earned full-time playing status last year.
In all, 21 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking and 22 of the top 50 in the FedExCup standings are in action. This includes Raleigh native Ryan Gerrard. He’s one of eleven first-time winners here and clings to 29th place in his debut season on TOUR.
“It’s been great to be out here for a full season from start to finish and kind of have the full experience, go through the grind and just really enjoy every second of it,” said Gerrard, who captured the Barracuda Championship the same week Scottie Scheffler was in Ireland winning the Open Championship.
“I learned a lot about myself, I learned about how to travel, how to deal with human interactions, how to deal with all the noise that kind of goes around PGA Tour events. I think it’s allowed me to be more prepared this year, especially seeing some of the courses for the second time, but just being more comfortable in my skin,” Gerrard said. “Seeing guys that you look up to, seen on TV for years and years and years and kind of think of them as peers.”
Ben Griffin’s place is also secure at No. 7 thanks to eight top-ten finishes in 24 starts this season, led by a pair of tournament victories. He’s one of six multiple winners ready to put a tee in the ground for Thursday’s opening round.
“This tournament means a lot to me, growing up in Chapel Hill just up the road. Had some good finishes here,” Griffin said, recalling his two top-tens in four Wyndham Championship starts, including 7th last year and 4th in 2022 on a sponsor exemption while a member of the Korn Ferry Tour.
“This is one of my favorite events of the year, just a lot of family and friends close by. So really excited to come in this week with a lot more freedom than the last couple of years being on the bubble of the playoffs.”
Germany’s Matti Schmid is the “bubble boy,” sitting 70th in the FedEx Cup, and must play his best to hold off those players who are hungry to prolong their season.
Players ranked from Nos. 60 to 80 in the FedExCup standings are all in contention, with those just inside the top 70, such as Tony Finau (No. 60) to Schmid, currently projected to make the playoffs, while Nicolai Højgaard (No. 71) down to William Mouw (No. 80) are seeking to move up by the tournament’s end. So, it all comes down to their performances over the next couple of days.
Aaron Rai, who arrives at No. 58, seeks to become the first player to successfully defend his title since Sam Snead won this event in 1956. This is the 86th edition of the tournament, which debuted in 1938 and was long known as the Greater Greensboro Open, the TOUR’s seventh-longest running event, excluding majors.
Since 2007, the Wyndham Championship has hosted the FedExCup Regular season finale, and all but the first have been played at Sedgefield.
The winner will earn 500 FedExCup points and a two-year exemption. They will also receive nearly $1.5 million and entry to The Sentry, THE PLAYERS Championship, Masters, and PGA Championship in 2026.
On TV:
- CBS and Golf Channel hold the telecast rights, with live streaming options available on PGA Tour Live and Paramount+.
- As usual, PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will provide exclusive early coverage and featured group coverage all four days.
- Golf Channel will air coverage from 3-6 p.m. ET on Thursday and Friday, and 1-3 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday.
- CBS will broadcast the tournament from 3-6 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday.
