The Wyndham Championship marks the final tournament of the PGA regular season. After this week, the top 70 FedEx Cup point-getters will play in the first round of the postseason at the St. Jude Championship. Earning a playoff spot means you are guaranteed to retain top-100 status for next season. This gives players exemptions for all full-field events and the ability to compete in THE PLAYERS Championship. The further they advance in the playoffs, the more exemptions and access they receive for signature and major tournaments.
Anyone not in the FedEx Cup top 70 will have to compete in the FedEx Cup Fall series to stay inside the top-100. Failure to do so will result in conditional status on the PGA Tour. This means anyone who finishes outside the top 100 after the Fall will have limited entry into tournaments next season.
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With only one more opportunity to tee it up for postseason status, time has officially run out. Those in the top 70 will be playing at Sedgefield Country Club to climb further into the rankings. Everyone on the outside looking in will attempt to push their way in. As the pressure builds, there are several up-and-coming players trying to earn a playoff spot for the first time in their careers. Some are locks to qualify, while others will need their best week of golf.
Lock For the Playoffs
Alex Fitzpatrick – 17th
After securing a victory in the Zurich Classic in his 11th career start alongside his brother, Alex Fitzpatrick officially became a member of the PGA Tour. With the 400 points he earned for winning back in April, he vaulted to 45th in the FedEx Cup standings. He was then granted a spot in the remaining signature events and the PGA Championship.
Since then, the 27-year-old out of Wake Forest has found success on tour. He has four top-10 finishes and has earned a weekend tee time in all three majors he has played. With only missing the cut in one event this season, Fitzpatrick will be someone to monitor during the postseason.
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Ryo Hisatsune – 42nd
Ryo Hisatsune is having the best season of his career. After turning pro at 18 years old and starting on the Japan Challenge Tour, Hisatsune earned his PGA card after one year on the DP World Tour at the age of 21. The Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year on the DP World Tour finished 18th in the tour’s championship to earn the 10th and final PGA Tour card.
In his 2026 breakout campaign, Hisatsune has only missed one cut. Since failing to make the weekend in his first start at the Sony Open, the 23-year-old has made 21 straight cuts. Two weeks after the Sony Open, he notched his career-best finish at the Farmers Insurance Open at T2. He has seven top 25 finishes, with five of those being in the top 10.
Currently sitting at 10th in the Presidents Cup Rankings, Hisatsune will be getting his first taste of playoff golf and potentially Presidents Cup golf.
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Matt McCarty – 46th
In his second full season on the PGA Tour, Matt McCarty finds himself in a good spot to qualify for his first career postseason appearance. After winning three times on the Korn Ferry Tour in the summer of 2024, McCarty earned his full-time PGA card. He also won on tour that year and became the first person to win three times on the Korn Ferry Tour and on tour in the same season since Jason Gore in 2005.
This year, the 28-year-old out of Santa Clara has eight top 25 finishes. His runner-up at The American Express in his second start of the year pushed him up 49 spots in the FedEx Cup rankings. He is pairing that with an additional three top 10s he earned in three consecutive weeks at the end of April and into May. McCarty has put himself in a good position to qualify for the FedEx St. Jude Championship and potentially the BMW Championship if he can stay in the top 50.
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Pierceson Coody – 53rd
Pierceson Coody has never been this close to making the postseason in his career. His best finish of 120th came back in 2024. Currently sitting at 53rd, he is in prime position to finally get a chance to play in the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Coody will hope to play his way into the top 50 to put himself in a better spot to make it to round two.
In his third full PGA Tour season, the former three-time winner on the Korn Ferry Tour is finishing towards the top on the leaderboards. Although he’s only made 15 cuts in 23 starts, he’s finished top 25 in 10 events. Coody finished T2 at the Farmers Insurance Open and responded with a T10 the following week at the WM Phoenix Open. The Texas Longhorn also found some success at the U.S. Open and Open Championship, where he finished T23 and T28, respectively.
On The Bubble
Ricky Castillo – 66th
Ricky Castillo needs a good performance at the Wyndham Championship to stamp his ticket to his first career postseason bid. He hasn’t had many quality finishes since he won back in March. Although he’s made cuts in every event he’s played in besides the PGA Championship, he only has three top 25s.
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A big reason for his current position in the rankings is due to his performances in his winning month. Finishing fifth at the Cognizant Classic and winning the Puerto Rico Open, Castillo shot up the FedEx rankings. He hasn’t secured many FedEx points since his win, but he is coming off his third top 25 and best finish since then. The Florida Gator will need to find similar success to stay inside the top 70.
Jordan Smith – 68th
Jordan Smith is looking to make the playoffs in his first season on the PGA Tour. Smith earned his tour card last season on the DP World Tour. As part of the partnership with the PGA Tour, the top 10 finishers at the end of the DP World Tour season earn a PGA Tour card. Smith finished 11th in 2024 and was the first man left off that list. He would redeem himself the following year and earn his dual membership with a 10th-place finish.
In his first full season on tour, Smith has made 14 cuts in 20 starts. Collecting seven top 25s, his best finish of third place came at the Valspar Championship. Sitting at 68th in the FedEx Cup standings, the Englishman is once again on the bubble, just like in 2024. This time, it’s on the PGA Tour. The 33-year-old needs to put together one of his best weeks of golf at Sedgefield Country Club to stay inside the top 70 and not be one of the last men left out again.
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Steven Fisk – 69th
Steven Fisk debuted on tour in 2025 after earning his PGA Tour status via the Korn Ferry Tour. The road to the PGA has not been an easy one for the Georgia Southern alum. During the early stages of his career, Fisk was battling carpometacarpal bossing in his left hand. Fisk would get surgery on his hand in 2019 after failing to qualify for the Korn Ferry Tour. After earning his way on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2022, his hand injury began to re-aggravate him. As he continued to grind, he later found out that his unique grip and swing of the golf club were what caused his injury.
In his second year on tour, Fisk’s recent success on tour has enhanced his postseason chances. With his second career win last month at the ISCO Championship, he jumped from 99th on the leaderboard all the way to 66th. He has since dropped a few spots due to missing back-to-back cuts in his last two starts. To go along with his win, he has one top 10 at the Charles Schwab Challenge and two top 20s. The 29-year-old will need a successful bounce-back week to earn his way into the postseason.
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Jackson Koivun – 70th
Last year, Auburn sophomore Jackson Koivun became the third player ever to earn their tour card via PGA Tour University Accelerated. He would decide to return to college for one more season and turn pro after his junior year. Having one of the greatest freshman seasons in college golf history, Koivun quickly became viewed as golf’s next biggest star.
The 21-year-old made his first start of the 2026 season in the U.S. Open. After he finished T23, he decided to go pro. Missing the cut in his first event as a professional, he would respond with a T10 at the ISCO Championship and a win at the 3M Open. He quickly surged into the top 70 with his victory. Coming off a T31 finish at the Rocket Classic, Koivun holds the final playoff spot.
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As the PGA Tour regular season comes to an end, the Wyndham Championship will determine who earns a spot in the postseason. For rising stars already in position, it’s a chance to build momentum heading into the playoffs. For those on the bubble, each shot could decide whether or not they earn a postseason debut.
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