Scottie Scheffler secured his fifth victory of the year with a commanding performance at the 2025 BMW Championship, but the most intense drama unfolded further down the leaderboard as players battled for the final coveted spots in the FedEx Cup finale. The conclusion of the PGA Tour’s second playoff event at Caves Valley Golf Club finalized the field of 30 golfers who will advance to the Tour Championship at East Lake, with the last position decided by a single putt on the 72nd hole.
Scheffler entered the final round trailing Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre but rallied with a 3-under 67 to finish at 15-under par, two strokes clear of MacIntyre. The victory earned Scheffler the $3.6 million top prize from the tournament’s $20 million purse and solidified his position as the No. 1 seed heading into the season finale. Maverick McNealy finished third at 11-under, while Tommy Fleetwood and Sam Burns tied for fourth at 10-under.
While Scheffler celebrated his win, the true nail-biter was the frantic race to finish inside the top 30 of the FedEx Cup standings. A place in the Tour Championship not only offers a shot at the lucrative FedEx Cup bonus but also guarantees entry into three of the four major championships for the 2026 season.
The fate of several players came down to the final moments of play. In a stunning turn of events, Ludvig Åberg’s two-inch tap-in for a double-bogey 6 on the 18th hole proved decisive. That final stroke was just enough to secure the 30th and final spot for Akshay Bhatia. According to reports, had Åberg made a triple bogey, Bhatia would have been knocked out, and Michael Kim would have claimed the last spot. Instead, Kim finished in the unenviable 31st position.
The bubble proved perilous for other big names as well. Rickie Fowler, who was projected inside the top 30 for much of the day, saw his chances evaporate with a double bogey on the 15th hole, ultimately dropping him to 32nd in the standings. Conversely, Harry Hall authored one of the week’s best stories, starting the tournament ranked 45th and surging to a 26th-place finish in the standings to punch his ticket to Atlanta. His ascent knocked Lucas Glover out of the top 30.
With the field now set, the top 30 players will head to East Lake Golf Club for the Tour Championship. The final standings after the BMW Championship are led by Scottie Scheffler (1), Rory McIlroy (2), J.J. Spaun (3), Justin Rose (4), and Tommy Fleetwood (5).
This year’s finale will feature a significant format change. According to the PGA Tour, the controversial strokes-based starting system has been eliminated for 2025. All 30 players will begin the tournament at even par, creating a traditional 72-hole stroke-play shootout for the title. The winner will be crowned both Tour Champion and FedEx Cup Champion, taking home a massive prize from a newly increased $100 million bonus pool.
The Final 30 Advancing to the Tour Championship:
- Scottie Scheffler
- Rory McIlroy
- J.J. Spaun
- Justin Rose
- Tommy Fleetwood
- Ben Griffin
- Russell Henley
- Sepp Straka
- Robert MacIntyre
- Maverick McNealy
- Harris English
- Justin Thomas
- Cameron Young
- Ludvig Åberg
- Andrew Novak
- Keegan Bradley
- Sam Burns
- Brian Harman
- Corey Conners
- Patrick Cantlay
- Collin Morikawa
- Viktor Hovland
- Hideki Matsuyama
- Shane Lowry
- Nick Taylor
- Harry Hall
- Jacob Bridgeman
- Sungjae Im
- Chris Gotterup
- Akshay Bhatia
Notable Players Eliminated (Rank 31-50):
Michael Kim (31), Rickie Fowler (32), Taylor Pendrith (33), Matt Fitzpatrick (34), Kurt Kitayama (35), Lucas Glover (36), Si Woo Kim (37), Jason Day (41), and Xander Schauffele (42) were among the 20 players whose seasons ended at the BMW Championship.
