Justin Rose Wins Dramatic Playoff, FedEx Cup Bubble Bursts for Spieth, Clark, and Others at St. Jude Championship
The first FedEx Cup Playoffs event of the postseason concluded with a thrilling victory for Justin rose over J.J. Spaun in a dramatic playoff at the 2025 fedex St. Jude Championship,but the real drama unfolded further down the leaderboard as players battled to secure their place in the BMW Championship and extend their playoff lives. The top 50 in the FedEx Cup standings not only continue their postseason journey but also gain automatic qualification for all eight signature events in 2026, offering a important advantage in scheduling and financial rewards.
“Well, being that I got a handful of spots this year, which I’m incredibly grateful for, unluckily I really didn’t take advantage of many of those opportunities up until Jack’s event,” said Rickie Fowler, reflecting on his climb inside the top 50 thanks to a T6 finish. “Didn’t play that well in any of them.those elevated fields and maybe some more points, I didn’t really get them. But it was great to have a tee time in them this year, and didn’t really want to bank on that for next year.Yeah, nice to be in a position where we’ll be able to be back in those and not
Fowler’s performance was notably noteworthy, as the former Players Championship winner dramatically improved his standing. His T6 finish, representing his best result of the season, came at a critical time given the increased FedEx Cup points awarded during the playoffs.
Vegas, meanwhile, faced a challenging Sunday, starting with four bogeys in his first ten holes. However, he rallied with a remarkable 3-under performance over his final eight holes to secure his place in the next stage. “It was a fight. It was one of the hardest rounds of the year I would say,” Vegas explained. “Didn’t feel great physically. It’s been a long week, heat, all of it. Didn’t feel 100%. I started kind of shaky the first six holes. I knew that my best wasn’t out there, so I just had to fight, and I had to get my mind in the right frame. Luckily, [I] was able to do that and turn around and make some great birdies on 7 and 8 that kind of got the ship pointed the right direction. But it was a fight all the way. I knew it was going to be that way today. That’s kind of what this time of the year is all about. You know you’re going to have to sweat it out out hear.”
Players Falling Outside the Top 50
Unfortunately, several notable players were unable to maintain their position within the top 50, resulting in their elimination from the playoffs.
- 52nd (-9): Aldrich Potgieter finished at T59,just missing the cut.
- 54th (-6): Jordan Spieth finished at T38,but it wasn’t enough to avoid falling outside the qualifying range.
- 55th (-8): Jake Knapp finished at T62.
- 56th (-7): Wyndham Clark finished at T56.
- 57th (-7): Min Woo Lee finished at T68.
The loss of major champions Spieth and Clark represents a significant shakeup, with both players missing out on the BMW Championship. Spieth’s chances were effectively extinguished when his second shot on the 72nd hole found the water, while Clark will miss the season finale despite strong finishes in the past two years. Lee, who entered the week as the bubble boy, struggled throughout the tournament and ultimately saw his playoff run come to a swift end.
The FedEx Cup Playoffs continue next week with the BMW Championship, where the field will be further narrowed as players compete for a chance to advance to the Tour Championship and contend for the ultimate prize. The stakes are high,and the pressure will only intensify as the season reaches its climax.
