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FedEx Cup: The History of Golf’s Current Playoff System

By Matt Coles

RIDGEWOOD, NJ - AUGUST 23: FedEx Cup signage is displayed on the 15th hole during the first round of The Northern Trust on August 23, 2018 at the Ridgewood Championship Course in Ridgewood, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
RIDGEWOOD, NJ - AUGUST 23: FedEx Cup signage is displayed on the 15th hole during the first round of The Northern Trust on August 23, 2018 at the Ridgewood Championship Course in Ridgewood, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA – SEPTEMBER 27: Tiger Woods poses with the 2009 FedExCup after the final round of THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, the final event of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, at East Lake Golf Club on September 27, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
ATLANTA – SEPTEMBER 27: Tiger Woods poses with the 2009 FedExCup after the final round of THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, the final event of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, at East Lake Golf Club on September 27, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images) /

2007-2009: The Tiger Era

2007 – Tiger Woods

The very first FedEx Cup Playoffs took place back in 2007, with Tiger Woods coming into the playoffs as the strong favourite, having accumulated over 50% more points than his nearest competitor during the regular season.

The World No.1 did not play in the first event, the Barclays (now Northern Trust), with Steve Stricker winning the first-ever FedEx Cup event to then rank 1st in the points list with three events to play.

However, from there, Tiger took over and finished T2 at the Deutsche Bank (pre-Dell Technologies) before winning both the BMW Championship and Tour Championship to dominate the end of the season running.

He eventually finished over 12,500 points clear of Stricker, taking home the $10 million prize pot for winning the FedEx Cup, the first in its history.

2008 – Vijay Singh

PALM HARBOR, FL – MARCH 12: Vijay Singh of Fiji walks off the third tee during the first round of the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook Resort Copperhead Course on March 12, 2015 in Palm Harbor, Florida. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
PALM HARBOR, FL – MARCH 12: Vijay Singh of Fiji walks off the third tee during the first round of the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook Resort Copperhead Course on March 12, 2015 in Palm Harbor, Florida. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) /

The man who finished in 2nd in the regular season in 2007 was Vijay Singh. The Fijian had a chance to overhaul Woods, but only finished inside the top 60 in one of the four playoff events.

A year later, he wanted revenge. Woods was unable to play in the FedEx Cup playoffs in 2008 due to injury, and Singh took his chance, climbing from 7th in the points rankings pre-playoffs to take the title.

The former World No.1 won the Barclays and the Deutsche Bank Championship, which effectively guaranteed him the FedEx Cup victory without performing well in the last two events of the season.

Singh finished in T44 at the BMW Championship and T22 at the Tour Championship, finishing just 600 points ahead of Colombian Camilo Villegas, who had the best playoff run of anybody.

After the Barclays, where he missed the cut, Villegas was sat in 68th in the points standings. However, he finished in a tie for third at the Deutsche Bank, before winning both the BMW and the Tour Championship, narrowly missing out on glory.

2009 – Tiger Woods

2009 saw Woods return with a vengeance, having been unable to defend his crown a year previous. Once again, the American topped the points standings following the regular season, by a similar commanding margin as he did in 2007.

Woods finished inside the top 11 in all four playoff events to secure another FedEx Cup victory, and to date, he is the only man to have won the Playoffs twice.

He did so thanks to a T2 finish at the Barclays and a T11 finish at the Deutsche Bank before he took victory at the BMW Championship for the second time in three years. The World No.1 then finished the Tour Championship in 2nd play to secure the FedEx Cup.

Relative unknown Heath Slocum, who only qualified for the event by finish 124th in the FedEx Cup standings, won the Barclays to move into the top ten in the points standings.

Steve Stricker then won a second FedEx Cup Playoff event at the Deutsche Bank, with Phil Mickelson taking the win at East Lake in the season finale, but Woods did enough to claim a second FedEx.

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