6 playoff bubble players to watch at the BMW Championship Sunday

You probably know the drill when it comes to the FedEx Cup Playoffs by now, but let’s offer a refresher anyway. The top 70 made the playoffs and played the FedEx St. Jude Championship last week, 50 advanced to this week’s BMW Championship, and just 30 make it to the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta next week.

There was little movement around the top-50 cutoff last Sunday, as Sungjae Im was the only player to move inside the top 50 to get into the BMW. He tied for 5th to leap from 53rd to 40th, and Keith Mitchell, who tied for 34th at the St. Jude, fell from 49th to 51st.

Those who made it into the BMW Championship already got a nice perk for next year with a spot in every big-money Signature Event. But advancing to the Tour Championship has perks of its own: Those who snag a ticket to East Lake receive a two-year exemption on Tour and get a spot in next year’s Masters.

Oh, and another chance at lots of money.

The PGA Tour pays out nearly $100 million in FedEx Cup bonuses at the conclusion of the BMW Championship, although Scottie Scheffler has already locked up the $23 million first-place check. But there’s still plenty of money to go around. The Tour pays out the top 125 in the standings, which then clears the slate for the Tour Championship and another $40 million purse to dish out, including $10 million for the winner.

So, yes, a lot is on the line come Sunday at the BMW Championship, and for some more than others. According to DataGolf, every player who entered the week 24th or better has a 100 percent chance of making the Tour Championship, which means there’s little wiggle room for players ranked 25-30 as well as the ones just outside the top 30.

At the BMW, Wyndham Clark is 17 under and has a commanding lead over Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay, who are tied for second at 12 under. But there’s still plenty to sort out, including which players sneak inside the top 30. Here are six bubble players to watch on Sunday.

6 Tour Championship bubble players to watch

Gary Woodland — Woodland entered the week 31st, but after three strong days in St. Louis — 11 under, tied for 4th — he’s now projected for 19th. Woodland, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, underwent brain surgery in 2023 and has been open about his battle with PTSD since. He’s now in good position to earn a spot in the Tour Championship for the first time since 2019.

Rickie Fowler — Fowler finished T6 and T7 in the first two playoff events last year yet still, at 32nd in the standings, missed out on the Tour Championship. He now has another chance to get back to East Lake for the first time in three years, which would also get him into next year’s Masters for just the second time in the past seven years. He entered the BMW 30th in the standings, clinging to the final spot, but he’s tied for 35th after 54 holes and is now projected to finish 32nd. He’s got work to do on Sunday.

Justin Thomas — JT has missed just one Tour Championship in the past 10 years (2023) but might be in trouble now. He’s tied for 15th after 54 holes and needs to finish solo seventh or better to qualify for the Tour Championship. He’s got a chance, and we know he can go as low as anyone.

Patrick Cantlay — Cantlay has made the biggest jump this week, as he entered the tournament 43rd in the standings but now, after rounds of 67-65-66, is tied for second with McIlroy and projected for 22nd in the FedEx Cup. He needs to finish solo seventh or better, and he’s put himself in a great spot so far. Cantlay’s missed just one Tour Championship in the past nine years, and it was back in 2020 (and he followed it up by winning it the next year). He’s always played well at East Lake and tied for second last year.

Sungjae Im — He continues to climb. Im advanced to the Tour Championship in each of his first seven years on the PGA Tour, and now thanks to another nice run of golf (he’s seventh at the BMW), he might make it eight. He started the week 40th in the standings, is now projected for 30th and needs one more strong Sunday to stay there.

Adam Scott — Last month, Adam Scott played in his 101st consecutive major. While he doesn’t have a similar epic streak of playing in the Tour Championship, getting there next week would be his 14th appearance, another feather in his cap. He missed the Tour Championship last year after tying for 4th in 2024. Tied for 28th in St. Louis, he entered the week 27th in the standings and is projected for the 29th spot right now.

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