The PGA Tour Does Not Need To Make Changes... FedEx Cup Fall Critics Are Completely Missing The Point

Now that the FedEx Cup Playoffs have concluded for another year and the Ryder Cup is behind us, all focus in terms of top-level men's golf in the USA falls to the FedEx Cup Fall.

Those who failed to reach the top-50 prior to the Playoffs can still earn points across the five remaining events between now and late-November with a view to wrapping up their PGA Tour status for 2026 or attempting to squeeze into positions 51-60.

Anyone who holds one of those leading 10 places once the music stops after the RSM Classic will book their spot in the second and third Signature Events next season - the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational.

Otherwise, it's about survival. The number of full PGA Tour cards available has dropped from 125 to just 100, so being among that century of elite professionals is all that really matters at this point.

As a result, the pressure has been turned right up because the up-and-coming pros or those veteran journeymen involved know the difference between sticking around and dropping to the Korn Ferry Tour or DP World Tour is significant.

The prize funds are often much smaller, the exposure available to them and their sponsors usually reduces, and the titles they're competing for - in some cases - are not as prestigious.

But, because it's now more about surviving than thriving, it could be argued this section of the season is the most entertaining.

Nonetheless, TV ratings habitually decline at this point of the year as the NFL returns and the casual fan's interest wanes.

So, what can be done? Does the PGA Tour need to pull its finger out and make radical changes? Or does the narrative just need to be tweaked somewhat to help people understand what they're missing out on.

While we'd like you to leave your thoughts in the comments, three Golf Monthly writers have had their say below...

Elliott Heath

If we’re asking what, if anything, needs changing about the FedEx Cup Fall then I’d struggle to find much that can change what I believe is actually a very important part of the calendar.

The PGA Tour does well from January-August in running its core season and it’s very understandable that things drop off post-East Lake. The NFL has started and the world’s best players want a break, so the FedEx Cup Fall steps in to give journeymen, up-and-comers and players who have not quite had the year they hoped the chance to cement their status for the following year.

With all of the gross talk of money in the game, this part of the PGA Tour calendar is far more about saving peoples’ jobs and changing careers rather than the rich just getting richer.

The 100-card cut-off has real meaning with players desperate to get themselves into position for the future. Overall, I think it’s just a good proving ground where we get to see who will be keeping and losing their cards.

If you don’t want to pay much attention then go ahead and tune out, but we’ve already seen two very entertaining finishes at the Procore Championship (helped by the Ryder Cup) and Sanderson Farms Championship.

Scheffler, McIlroy and co. won’t be featuring in any of the upcoming events, but that’s fine. The standard of golf is still very high and there will undoubtedly be some very entertaining and important stories told.

Matt Cradock

The FedEx Cup Fall has many positives and negatives and, overall, I don't think it's a bad system to have in place, especially as most eyes will be fixated on the NFL as professional golf goes into its off-season.

Certainly, for the lower ranked players, it's a great opportunity to save their PGA Tour careers, and that's where the drama is made. What's more, it gives screen time to those who are usually in the shadows of the big players like Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler etc.

Personally, though, I feel the FedEx Cup Fall is just more golf for the sake of golf. What I mean is that the regulation PGA Tour season ends so early, so organizers seem to have said: 'what do we do for the remaining four months?'

Already, the PGA Tour has limited the number of players who keep their playing rights from 125 to 100, and that could well be the reason that the FedEx Cup Fall has become more established, so that people will tune in as players fight it out for the now fewer remaining spots available.

I can understand what they're going for, especially as it gives players more time to establish themselves for the next year. However, following an already tiring eight-month-long season, it now means we have these seven smaller events where certain players could miss out on opportunities that would have been guaranteed in the regulation season.

Overall, I would say that there are more positives than negatives, but there are ways to improve it. For example, why can't the PGA Tour perhaps spread their calendar out, or even work closer with the DP World Tour and heighten their events during the fall to give the incentive to players to go and play outside of the United States?...

Jonny Leighfield

As someone who is a huge supporter of the DP World Tour and loves finding out about those up-and-coming stars in Europe, I would implore golf fans to stick on the FedEx Cup Fall and enjoy getting to know players you might not be too familiar with as the stories behind these pros are often fascinating.

Another reason the FedEx Cup Fall is, in my view, deeply disrespected is the relatability of the players. To be clear, I'm not saying from a skill point of view, certainly. These guys are still world-class with a capital W while we're hacking our way around our local muni.

I mean more from a personal point of view. Think about the journey they're on and compare it to your own. They are desperate to prove their worth and repay all the faith their support network has shown them throughout their lives. Despite operating right near the very top of the mountain, they feel like they haven't made it and every bit of success means the world to them and their loved ones.

We watch golf on the PGA Tour all year and some players don't bat an eyelid after they've just won $4 million. Four. Million. That's life-changing for 99% of the world. I can't believe they don't just melt in a puddle on the floor after winning one of those big events.

The fact that some barely cheer is unbelievable and so frustrating for many fans. It does feel like the mind-bending level of finance now involved in men's professional golf has numbed those involved to the scale of what they're competing for.

Then you look at the guys who win during the FedEx Cup Fall. Pros who might have might have won $4 million in their career, but have spent the same figure trying to reach this point, cry their eyes out as soon as the final putt drops. These are real tears shed by men who realize their life's work has led to this point.

Those who criticize the FedEx Cup Fall are completely missing the point. The PGA Tour does not need to make major changes to this part of the season. Actually, it arguably needs to try harder in putting these players on a pedestal and telling their stories because the human-interest aspect of the FedEx Cup Fall is what makes it special.

If there is one slight tweak I'd like to see in the FedEx Cup Fall, it's the number of points on offer. Really, I think the total should drop to maybe 300 or 400 points per event, reflecting the fact that Scheffler and McIlroy et al are not around.

It doesn't make sense for the WM Phoenix Open to offer the same number of points as a FedEx Cup Fall tournament, in my view, especially when Signature Events and Majors increase by 200 from regular PGA Tour events.

Aside from that, I really enjoy the FedEx Cup Fall and have been glad to see the PGA Tour continually make tweaks as the seasons have progressed. I for one will be watching the rest of the season with great anticipation, and I hope you all do the same.