2021 Northern Trust: Biggest FedEx Cup Risers and Fallers
By DJ Cadden
![JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY - AUGUST 19: Justin Thomas of the United States watches his tee shot on the 16th hole during the first round of THE NORTHERN TRUST, the first event of the FedExCup Playoffs, at Liberty National Golf Club on August 19, 2021 in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY - AUGUST 19: Justin Thomas of the United States watches his tee shot on the 16th hole during the first round of THE NORTHERN TRUST, the first event of the FedExCup Playoffs, at Liberty National Golf Club on August 19, 2021 in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/1789a177ca8b152744c38e459476f6a6b06393c49bdcb25172d6d0ee66ec1815.jpg)
The FedEx Cup Playoffs is a time of nervous anticipation for many golfers hoping to advance. The increased point values of each finishing position makes every shot that much more important, beginning this week at the 2021 Northern Trust.
On a windy day in New York, many golfers struggled to go low. However, a number of golfers persevered through the conditions and made statements on Thursday.
This article will take a look at the biggest movers, both up and down, in the Projected FedEx Cup standings.
Risers
Harold Varner III – Varner was by far the biggest winner on Thursday, finishing the round at 5-under par. Sitting in third behind only Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm, Varner skyrocketed towards the top of the FedEx Cup standings. If the result holds, Varner would catapult himself 48 spots to No. 24 in the FedEx Cup standings.
Keith Mitchell – While Mitchell did not light up the leaderboard like Varner, he did put together a strong 3-under par performance. Entering the week outside the top-100 in the FedEx Cup standings, Mitchell needed a strong performance to reach the next round of the playoffs. Sitting in a tie for tenth place, Mitchell is projected to shoot up 35 spots to No. 66.
Anirban Lahiri – While Adam Scott had a larger jump in the amount of sheer spots, one could argue that Lahiri’s performance was even more impressive. Starting the week at No. 121 in the FedEx Cup standings, Lahiri was on the outside looking in to the top-70 cutoff for the BMW Championship. The Indian’s 2-under par performance was enough to move him to No. 90 in the standings.
Fallers
Sepp Straka – Entering the week at No. 99 in the FedEx Cup standings, Straka was on the outside looking in, in terms of advancing to next week’s BMW Championship. The Austrian did not help his case with a disappointing 2-over par 73, which moved him to No. 106 in the projected standings.
Adam Hadwin – Similar to Straka, Hadwin (No. 96) was in need of a move up entering this weekend. After carding a 4-over par 75, Hadwin fell seven spots and is now No. 103 in the projected standings.
Brandt Snedeker – Snedeker entered Thursday at No. 100 in the FedEx Cup standings. However, following a round of 1-over par, Snedeker finds himself fighting to advance after falling to No. 107.