The 2025 Tour Championship, the final event of the FedEx Cup playoff series, will begin on August 21 at East Lake Golf Course. The top 30 players in the FedEx Cup standings following last week’s BMW Championship earned spots to compete for the FedEx Cup title and a prize purse nearing $40 million. However, Xander Schauffele misses Tour Championship contention this year, joining four other prominent golfers who also failed to qualify.
Overview of the Tour Championship and Leading Contenders
The Tour Championship brings together the season’s top-performing golfers for a four-day competition, determining the FedEx Cup winner. This year, Scottie Scheffler leads the FedEx Cup standings after securing victory at the BMW Championship, positioning him as the rider most expected to capture the FedEx Cup trophy along with the substantial prize money.
Notable Golfers Absent from the Tour Championship Field
Though the competition promises a strong lineup, several well-known names will be absent from the East Lake Golf Course event. Below are the five key players missing the Tour Championship:
1) Xander Schauffele
Xander Schauffele will not participate in the Tour Championship for the first time in his career, finishing 42nd in the FedEx Cup standings after tying for 28th at the BMW Championship. The world No. 3’s season-high achievement was a tie for seventh place at the Open Championship with a score of 10 under par.
Currently ranked 32nd in the FedEx Cup standings, Rickie Fowler narrowly missed qualifying for the Tour Championship. His best results this season include finishes at the Memorial Tournament and the BMW Championship, where he posted scores of 1 under and 7 under, respectively.
Matt Fitzpatrick, placed 34th on the FedEx Cup leaderboard, will also miss out this year. He most recently tied for 17th at the BMW Championship, finishing 1 under par. Fitzpatrick’s top season performances came with two ties for fourth, achieved at both the Genesis Scottish Open and the Open Championship.
4) Jason Day
Jason Day concluded the BMW Championship in a tie for 23rd with a score of 1 over par and finished 41st in the FedEx Cup rankings. His best 2025 finish was a tie for third at the American Express tournament, where he impressively scored 22 under par.
5) Ryan Fox
Ryan Fox, who placed 43rd after the BMW Championship and also holds the same spot in the FedEx standings, will not compete in the Tour Championship. Fox captured two tournament victories so far this season at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic and the RBC Canadian Open, but those wins were not enough to secure a top-30 FedEx Cup position.
Implications of This Year’s Absences on the Tournament
The absence of Xander Schauffele and other notable players such as Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick, Jason Day, and Ryan Fox opens the field for other competitors to contend for the FedEx Cup and the lucrative prize fund. For Schauffele, missing the Tour Championship marks a significant moment in his career, reflecting the challenges of maintaining consistent top-tier finishes throughout the season.
As the Tour Championship unfolds this week at East Lake Golf Course, attention will focus on how Scottie Scheffler and the other qualified golfers perform under pressure to clinch one of golf’s most prestigious titles. The dynamics of the competition may shift without these big names, potentially allowing emerging talents to make their mark on the final stage of the FedEx Cup playoffs.