Scottie Scheffler Dubs PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs Format ‘Silly’

Even if Scottie Scheffler doesn’t leave East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta as the FedEx Cup champion in a few weeks, his 2024 season will still be one for the history books.

At 28 years old, Scheffler secured his second Masters title, became the first player ever to successfully defend his title at THE PLAYERS Championship, earned a gold medal for the U.S. at the Paris Olympics, and claimed victory in four other tournaments — all of which were Signature Events on the PGA Tour.

Despite dominating the regular seasons in both 2022 and 2023, Scheffler has struggled to close out the TOUR Championship at East Lake. Each year, he started the tournament with a 10-under-par score, giving him a two-stroke lead over the other 29 players before even hitting a shot. However, he ultimately handed over the trophy to Rory McIlroy in 2022 and Viktor Hovland in 2023.

Given his history at East Lake, it’s understandable why Scheffler might not be fond of the PGA Tour’s current system for determining its season-long champion.

“I’ve talked about it the last few years, and I think it’s silly,” Scheffler said on Wednesday before the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis. “You can’t call it a season-long race and have it come down to one tournament.”

While Scheffler’s frustration is evident, his critique of the current system is valid. Considering his exceptional performance throughout the season, many would argue that he deserves at least one FedEx Cup title on his résumé.

“Hypothetically, if I get to East Lake and my neck flares up and doesn’t heal like it did at the Players, I could finish 30th in the FedEx Cup because I had to withdraw from the last tournament. Is that really the season-long race? No, it is what it is.”

On the other side of the debate, Rory McIlroy, a three-time FedEx Cup champion, expressed his support for the format, noting that it allows other players a chance to catch up to Scheffler.

“I love this format because if it wasn’t this way, none of us would have a chance against Scottie because he’s so far ahead,” McIlroy said on Wednesday. “So I really like this format.”

Currently, McIlroy sits third in the FedEx Cup standings with 2,545 points, trailing significantly behind Scheffler, who has accumulated 5,993 points — more than double McIlroy’s total. However, with FedEx Cup points quadrupled during the three Playoff events, Scheffler still needs to perform well to maintain his lead.

“I think it makes the Tour Championship more exciting from a consumer standpoint,” McIlroy added. “Is it the fairest reflection of who’s been the best player of the year? Probably not. But at this point, we’re not aiming for total fairness; we’re aiming for entertainment and putting on the best product we can.”

After this week’s postseason opener in Memphis, the top 50 players in the FedEx Cup standings will qualify for the 2024 BMW Championship at Castle Pines Golf Club in Colorado. From there, the top 30 will advance to the TOUR Championship, where the FedEx Cup winner will be determined.

The lingering question is whether Scheffler will finally cap off another remarkable season as the PGA Tour’s end-of-season champion.

“It’s a fun tournament,” Scheffler remarked. “I don’t really consider it the season-long race, as it’s often described. But we need to strike a balance between making it a good TV product and still honoring the idea of a season-long competition.”