After a season with a record 50 PGA Tour events, including six major championships, Patrick Cantlay survived a challenge by Jon Rahm on the back nine of the Tour Championship to win the FedEx Cup and its $15 million first prize. Cantlay had entered the tournament in the top spot in the standings following his win in the BMW Championship the previous week, which gave him a starting score of 10 under par to begin the event.
Tony Finau won the Northern Trust, the first playoff tournament, and was in second place at the start of the Tour Championship with a score of eight under par, followed by Bryson DeChambeau in third at seven under, fourth place Rahm at six under, and Cameron Smith in fifth spot starting at five-under-par. Cantlay took full advantage of the two-shot cushion and was able to maintain at least a share of the lead throughout the tournament.
Rahm and third-place finisher Kevin Na shot the low scores of the week at 14 under par 266, but neither one was able to make up the deficit they had to Cantlay…
The Final FedEx Cup Standings
Rahm and third-place finisher Kevin Na shot the low scores of the week at 14 under par 266, but neither one was able to make up the deficit they had to Cantlay, who managed a 10 under par 269. For coming in second place, Rahm was awarded $5 million and Na picked up $4 million for third.
Former FedEx Cup champion Justin Thomas shot a disappointing final round 70, but his birdie on the 72nd hole was worth an extra $533,000 for finishing in fourth all by himself, giving him a total of $3 million. Xander Schauffele and Viktor Hovland shot 268 and 269 respectively to tie for fifth, sharing the money for fifth and sixth place for a $2.2 million each.
Bryson DeChambeau stumbled with a third-round 72 on Saturday but recovered with a closing 66 to capture seventh place by himself for a payday of $1.3 million. Like DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson had struggled late in the season, but the defending FedEx Cup champion was able to string together four rounds in the ’60s to capture eighth place alone and $1.1 million.
Rounding out the top ten were Abraham Ancer and 2014 FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel, both of whom lost four spots on Sunday with even-par ’70s, resulting in payouts of $890,000. Among three players who tied for 11th was Tony Finau, who’s even par score of 280 was among the worst of the week and resulted in him dropping from second and having to settle for $705,000 from the $46 million bonus purse.
Other former FedEx Cup winners in the field included two-time champion Rory McIlroy, who shot himself out of contention with a third-round 74 and eventually finished in a four-way tie for 14th, good for $583,750. Jordan Spieth, the 2017 winner, got off to a decent start, but rounds of 70 and 74 on the weekend doomed his chances at capping off a good comeback season with a FedEx Cup championship, settling for a tie for 20th and $497,500.
Two other stories of the week were the return of Patrick Reed, who missed the first two playoff events due to complications from Covid-19 and pneumonia, and the withdrawal of Brooks Koepka with an ankle injury during Saturday’s third round. Reed had squeaked into the field in the 30th spot and had moved up to 21st before a closing 71 sent him into 25th and winnings of $445,000.
