The FedEx St. Jude Championship concluded Sunday afternoon at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tenn., for the first leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
The tension and adrenaline are rising as the race for the FedEx Cup is coming to an end in a couple of weeks.
For the second consecutive year, two players were tied at 15-under par after 72 holes, resulting in extra holes to determine the winner. Last year, Will Zalatoris edging out Sepp Straka for his first PGA Tour title. This year, it was Patrick Cantlay and Lucas Glover facing off.
On the 18th hole for the first playoff hole, it ultimately came down to the tee shot as Cantlay went into the water and Glover was right in the middle of the fairway. Glover went on to make par as Cantlay missed his par putt one ball right of the cup for par, resulting in Glover recording his second straight PGA Tour win after last week’s victory at the Wyndham Championship.
In total, there were 70 players in this week’s field as a result of accruing points to the FedEx Cup standings during the regular season to make the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Here are four takeaways from the first tournament of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Lucas Glover remains undefeated in extra play
Lucas Glover, who started the FedEx Cup playoffs at No. 49, needed birdie or better on the final hole to win or par to force a playoff with Cantlay.
Glover, who was trying to hold his No. 49 placing to stay above the top 50, was able to get his approach shot to within 23 feet of the pin to set up an opportunity for the win. The putt was on line but was short, forcing a playoff with Cantlay.
With this win, he became the first golfer to win back-to-back events since Tony Finau won the Rocket Mortgage Classic and the 3M Open last year. In addition, the 43-year-old Glover also became the first player to win one week then win the following week in a playoff since 2005, when Tiger Woods won the PGA Championship, followed by a playoff win at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational.
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Glover remained afloat as the day progressed, birdieing once through the first 13 holes, including clutch putts. Despite going into the water hazard on the par-3 14th, Glover was able to make a 30-foot putt to save a bogey and immediately got that stroke back with a birdie on the par-5 16th.
The putting improvement was on full display this week. Glover, who ranked 166th season in strokes gained putting, was 12th this week in strokes gained: putting, taking about three shots off the board. Glover, who co-led the field in strokes gained: total, won his first playoff since the 2011 Wells Fargo Championship.
With the win, Glover rises 45 spots to No. 4 in the FedEx Cup standings and vaulted up 181 spots since missing the cut at the Memorial Tournament in early June.
Patrick Cantlay continues his FedEx Cup Playoffs success
As the final round progressed, Patrick Cantlay was looking for his fourth win in the last six FedEx Cup playoff starts and trying to become the first player to win all three events in the FedEx Cup playoffs since 2019.
Cantlay, who recorded the lowest round of the day on Sunday with a 6-under 64, went bogey-free during the final round as he made three birdies on the front nine and the back nine.
The UCLA alumnus was able to get going on Sunday with back-to-back birdies on the par-5 third and the par-3 fourth as he led the field in strokes gained: around the green and tee to green while co-leading in strokes gained total with glover.
Although Cantlay did not get the win, Cantlay rises eight spots to No. 5 in the FedEx Cup standings as he goes into next week looking to defend his BMW Championship title from last year.
Two top Europeans – Rory McIlroy & Tommy Fleetwood – finish right behind the leaders
Rory McIlroy has continued to play excellent golf and this week was no different. McIlroy, who has finished inside the top 10 in each of his previous seven tournaments, dating back to the PGA Championship in May, once again found himself in contention on Sunday.
McIlroy finished one stroke short of the playoff between Cantlay and Glover, recording 14-under par after a final round 5-under 65.
One of the keys this week for McIlroy was his putting, as he was playing with a new putter this week after testing it out before Thursday’s first round. His new putter led to McIlroy placing 23rd in strokes gained putting after ranking 86th in that category during the regular season.
McIlroy had opportunities late to at least get into the playoff. He missed a couple of 15-foot birdie putts on the par-5 16th and the par-4 17th. McIlroy still remains in prime contention to defend his FedEx Cup title from a season ago in a couple weeks.
Joining McIlroy at 14-under was Tommy Fleetwood, who also recorded all four rounds under par. Like McIlroy, Fleetwood was unable to make putts as he missed three putts inside 10 feet on the first six holes. In addition, Fleetwood recorded a bogey on the par-4 12th, which also set him back as he missed from 10 feet.
However, Fleetwood’s third-place finish vaulted him up 16 spots to No. 10, putting him in a good position in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Cam Davis & Hideki Matsuyama get inside top 50, move on to BMW Championship
Not only are the players focused on winning but they are also trying to raise or hold their position in the FedEx Cup standings ahead of the Tour Championship in a couple weeks.
In order to move on in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, players have to be in the top 50 in the FedEx Cup Standings to play in next week’s second leg, the BMW Championship.
As a result, next week’s field is cut down by 20 shots, which means those outside the top 50 entering this week need to make a move.
Two of those golfers who made a move were part of last year’s International Team during the Presidents Cup last September.
2021 Masters Champion Hideki Matsuyama, who started the week at No. 57 in the standings, recorded all four rounds at par or better to finish at 9-under par. Despite a bogey on the par-4 12th, Matsuyama recorded his best round of the week in Sunday’s final round as he would immediately respond by shooting 5-under over his next five holes, including an eagle on the par-5 16th.
Matsuyama would go on to shoot 5-under 65 in his final round and rise up ten spots to No. 47 in the standings and lives to play another four rounds in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Matsuyama’s Presidents Cup teammate Cam Davis also made a move this week. Davis, who entered the FedEx Cup Playoffs at No. 62, recorded all four rounds under par, including a bogey-free final round 3-under 67.
Davis vaulted up 18 spots to No. 44 in the standings, which gives him the opportunity to play in Chicago for next week’s BMW Championship.
However, the benefits of playing in next week’s BMW Championship go well beyond next week. Not only are players competing to be one of 30 names in the Tour Championship field in Atlanta the following week, but every single player in the top 50 receives entry into next season’s signature events, which hold the biggest purses on the PGA Tour schedule.