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The new FedEx Cup format for the PGA Tour apparently also comes with much, much less money for the year-long event’s winner. After paying the winner a record $25 million in 2023 and 2024, the 2025 will receive only $10 million in prize money.
David Rumsey of Front Office Sports reports that the change in payout is part of a larger overhaul of the FedEx Cup and Tour Championship formats. Since 2019, the Tour Championship has used a starting strokes format that gave a leg up to golfers based on prior performances. Though that format was universalled panned by players as well as fans.
This season, the Tour Championship, which takes place from Aug. 21-24 at historic East Lake Country Club, reverts back to normal with a standard 72-hole stroke-play format, with no starting advantages.
In order to adjust for the change to the Tour Championship format, and to more fairly compensate golfers for their year-long performance, the PGA Tour is making a significant change to its payment model.
Rather than paying out the entire $100 million FedExCup purse after the Tour Championship, the tour will now pay out golfers in three installments. The installments will be based on FedEx Cup standings following the end of the regular season, the second of three playoff events, and the playoff finale.
As Rumsey reports, the PGA Tour will split $20 million between the top 10 golfers in the standings following the regular-season ending Wyndham Championship. It will then pay out $22.93 million to the top 30 after the BMW Championship. And, finally, the tour will pay out $57.08 million following the Tour Championship, including $40 million to the top 30 and an additional $17.08 in deferred money paid to players ranked 31-150.
“I didn’t love the previous format of starting strokes, and I really like the direction where we’re going,” world No. 1 and reigning FedEx Cup champion Scottie Scheffler said recently. “I think the Tour Championship’s going to be difficult to qualify for. Making the Tour Championship is truly going to be the results from a great body of work over the course of a season, and then you have an opportunity to win the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup.”
Ultimately, with the tournament format change, the payout change was extremely necessary. But it’ll be interesting to look back and see how the money ultimately compares from last season to this season when it’s all said and done.