LA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 24: Scottie Scheffler of the United States \\during the third round of The American Express 2026 at Nicklaus Tournament Course on January 24, 2026 in La Quinta, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
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The PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs begin tomorrow at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, and while every player in the field is looking to advance, the stakes are particularly high for a few players.
From Jordan Spieth trying to find his form, to rookie Jackson Koivun looking to continue a remarkable first season, to Scottie Scheffler chasing another Player of the Year honor, there is plenty to watch as the playoffs get underway.
Jordan Spieth: Searching for His First Top 10
Jordan Spieth enters the playoffs ranked 54th in FedEx Cup points. While his spot in the playoffs was never really in question, his lack of top-10 finishes this season has been a concern.
Spieth’s best finishes came at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Valspar Championship, where he tied for 11th on both occasions.
“I feel better than my results have shown,” Speith said in YahooSports. “Just a mix of reasons why, but a really good opportunity this week to believe that, trust that. The more difficult the venue, it requires me to really dial in mentally a little bit more, which I think is going to be a good thing.”
“Then being able to handle whatever comes your way on a difficult major venue and kind of react a bit less. Should be a really good opportunity this week. Yeah, I feel like I have a lot of great golf in front of me. I feel like I’m way more optimistic than I’ve been at a lot of different points in my career,” Spieth continued.
“I’m quite frustrated with the results considering I know where my game is at.”
This will be Spieth’s 14th consecutive appearance in the FedEx Cup Playoffs. A tie for 25th or better would allow him to advance to the BMW Championship and move into the top 50, making him eligible for Signature Events.
BLAINE, MINNESOTA – JULY 26: Jackson Koivun of the United States celebrates with the Elemental Swing trophy after winning the 3M Open 2026 at TPC Twin Cities on July 26, 2026 in Blaine, Minnesota. (Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)
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Jackson Koivun: The Last Man In
Rookie Jackson Koivun enters the playoffs as the final player in the field after putting together a strong stretch of golf that included finishes at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and Wyndham Championship, as well as his win at the 3M Open.
Making the playoffs was hardly a guarantee for the young player earlier this summer.
“I mean, obviously I wanted to make the Playoffs, and I knew that was a far-fetched goal,” Koivun said in YardBarker.
“If I told myself back in June that I would be sitting at 70 and waiting it out in Greensboro, I think I’d be pretty happy,” he added.
“It’s pretty cool. Obviously, whenever you’re in the record books with Tiger, it’s a good name to get acquainted with. Not quite there yet, so just got to wait it out,” Koivun said.
Now, the rookie has another challenge ahead of him. Koivun will need a seventh-place finish or better to advance to the BMW Championship.
Scottie Scheffler: When Will He Win Again?
Scottie Scheffler enters the playoffs as the FedEx Cup points leader, nearly 800 points ahead of second-place Matt Fitzpatrick.
Scheffler certainly hasn’t struggled to find consistency this season. The World No. 1 has 11 top-10 finishes, but he has only one victory, coming at the American Express.
He has also suffered two losses in extra-hole playoffs, leaving the question of when his next victory will come.
“Busy three-week stretch,” Scheffler said to yourNEWS. “I’m excited. I have three tournaments, three good starts to kind of end the year. Definitely excited to get this week going. I had a couple of good weeks of rest at home, and I’m looking forward to getting this week started.”
Scheffler’s lead in the FedEx Cup standings means he doesn’t necessarily need a win this week to remain in control of the playoff race. But another victory could be significant for a different reason.
A strong playoff run, and particularly a win, could go a long way toward helping Scheffler secure another Player of the Year honor.
Timothy is a founding member of Break80 Golf and a contributing golf and sports writer for Forbes with PGA Tour and LIV Golf media credentials. Timothy can be reached at break80podcast@gmail.com for inquiries or story leads.