Rickie Fowler secured a spot inside the FedExCup top 50 standings after finishing tied for sixth at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis. This performance, which moved him from No. 64 to No. 48, qualifies Fowler for next week’s BMW Championship as well as all of next season’s signature PGA Tour events.
Impact of Top 50 Placement on Fowler’s Tournament Eligibility
Before this breakthrough, Fowler had relied on sponsor exemptions to enter signature PGA Tour events this season, appearing in seven of them despite not being exempt. Over the regular season, he earned 665 points, with roughly 318 coming from those high-profile starts, including just two finishes inside the top 15—his best being a tie for seventh at the Memorial Tournament.
Reflecting on his season, Fowler said,
“Being that I got a handful of spots this year, which I’m incredibly grateful for, unfortunately I really didn’t take advantage of many of those opportunities up until Jack’s event,”
Fowler said.
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 have to write notes and calls and ask for favors.
Players Moving Into and Out of FedExCup Top 50 This Week
Fowler was one of five golfers to rise into the top 50 in the current FedExCup standings, displacing an equal number of players. Among those falling out of the top 50 was Jordan Spieth, who had also received sponsor exemptions after returning from wrist surgery but slipped from 48th to 54th following a tie for 38th place this week.
The five players advancing into the top 50 were Kurt Kitayama (52 to 37), Bud Cauley (53 to 46), Rickie Fowler (64 to 48), Jhonattan Vegas (56 to 49), and J.T. Poston (51 to 50). Meanwhile, Aldrich Potgieter (43 to 52), Spieth (48 to 54), Jake Knapp (47 to 55), Wyndham Clark (49 to 56), and Min Woo Lee (50 to 57) moved outside of the top 50.
Implications of Fowler’s Rise for Upcoming Season
By reaching the FedExCup top 50, Fowler not only secures access to the BMW Championship this season but also avoids reliance on sponsor exemptions in 2026. This achievement offers greater stability and the chance to compete regularly among the PGA Tour’s elite, potentially allowing him to build momentum and improve his standing in future tournaments.