The PGA Tour has entered the "War of Money," with a staggering prize pool of $180 million (approximately 256.4 billion won) following the conclusion of the regular season. Korean golfers Kim Si-woo, Kim Joo-hyung, and Im Sung-jae are set to compete.
The FedEx St. Jude Championship, taking place at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, kicks off the three-week FedEx Cup Playoffs on August 13 (local time).
Only the top 70 players in the FedEx Cup standings can participate in the first round, the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The top 50 players from this round will advance to the second round, the BMW Championship, on August 20. Qualifying for the second round also grants entry into all signature events in 2027. Finally, only the last 30 players will compete in the Tour Championship, starting on August 27.
The total prize money for the three events is $80 million (approximately 114 billion won), with $20 million (about 28.5 billion won) for each of the first two rounds and $40 million (about 57 billion won) for the final round. Additionally, a separate bonus pool of $100 million (approximately 142.5 billion won) is available. All three events will proceed without a cut, meaning the longer players survive, the larger their potential earnings.
Kim Si-woo, ranked 7th in the FedEx Cup standings, is the highest-ranked Korean player entering the playoffs. Although he did not secure a victory this season, he demonstrated consistent performance by making the cut in 20 of 21 tournaments. He also finished in the top 10 ten times, including two runner-up finishes. Having placed 14th at last year's St. Jude Championship, he aims to leverage his current ranking to reach the final round.
Kim Joo-hyung, who is riding a strong wave of momentum, enters the first round ranked 26th. After winning the Genesis Scottish Open in July, he broke a lengthy slump and recently finished tied for 5th at the Wyndham Championship, significantly improving his ranking. Returning to the playoffs for the first time in two years, he is in a strong position to qualify for the final round if he maintains his ranking.
In contrast, Im Sung-jae faces a challenging situation. Struggling with injuries early in the season, he has only three top-10 finishes in 20 tournaments, placing him 53rd in the FedEx Cup standings as he heads into the first round. He has a remarkable streak of seven consecutive appearances in the final round from 2019 to last year, and to continue this record, he must significantly improve his ranking in this first round.
The playoffs will feature the world's top players competing for the championship. Scottie Scheffler, ranked first in the FedEx Cup standings, has had one victory this year but has maintained his position with five runner-up finishes and 11 top-10 finishes.
Rory McIlroy, ranked second in the world and the winner of this year's Masters, is also making his first appearance in the playoffs in two years. He has only participated in 11 regular tour events this season, resulting in a drop to 12th in the rankings.
Defending champion Justin Rose of England, who won the first round of the playoffs last year, is also among the participants.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.