Latest news with #JustinThomas
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Who's in, who has work to do to make the top 70 for 2025 FedEx Cup Playoffs?
The race is on to the 2025 FedEx Cup Playoffs. There are just four events left (two this week) over the next three weeks for players to stay or get inside the top 70. That's the new rule in 2025, only the top 70 players earn playoff spots. The three FedEx Cup Playoff events are the same: the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, the BMW Championship, played this year at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland, and then the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta, where a new format will be used this season. FedEx Cup stadings Nos. 1-5 Just a slight change at the top of the standings with Thomas and Henley flipping spots. Position Name 1 Scottie Scheffler 2 Rory McIlroy 3 Sepp Straka 4 Justin Thomas 5 Russell Henley FedEx Cup standings Nos. 26-30 Top 30 is actually the key place to be as only the top 30 advance to the Tour Championship. The last five in for the top 30 looks like this: Position Name 26 Daniel Berger 27 Sungjae Im 28 Ryan Fox 29 Brian Campbell 30 Jacob Bridgeman FedEx Cup standings Nos. 46-50 To make the second leg of the playoffs at the BMW, golfers need to be inside the top 50. Position Name 46 Bud Cauley 47 Joe Highsmith 48 Jordan Spieth 49 J.T. Poston 50 Max Greyserman FedEx Cup standings Nos. 61-70 But you can't make East Lake or the BMW if you don't first make it to Memphis for the St. Jude. Here's the last five in for a top-70 spot: Position Name 66 Matti Schmid 67 Emiliano Grillo 68 Davis Thompson 69 Eric Cole 70 Alex Smalley So that makes Smalley this week's bubble boy. He was No. 70 in the official rankings a week ago as well. FedEx Cup standings Nos. 71-75 And here's the first five out, with Rickie Fowler, playing in the Open Championship this week, the first one on the wrong side of the line. He was 68 a week ago. It's not an unfamiliar position for Fowler, who was hovering around the top 100 cutoff mark a year ago. He's 30 or so spots better this year but because of the reduction to 70, he's walking a fine line once again. Position Name 71 Rickie Fowler 72 Chris Kirk 73 Gary Woodland 74 Kevin Roy 75 Christiaan Bezuidenhout Movers up and down in the latest FedEx Cup Playoffs standings Like Fowler, Chris Kirk has slid from inside the top 70 to out. Kirk was 69th a week ago and now he's 72nd. With someone sliding out, someone else slides in and that someone this week is Matt Fitzpatrick, who went from 73rd to 60th in the standings after a tie for fourth at the Genesis Scottish Open on Sunday. This article originally appeared on Golfweek: FedEx Cup Playoffs 2025: Who's in, who has work to do for a top 70 spot?
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Justin Thomas Takes Bad News Following Open
Justin Thomas Takes Bad News Following Open originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It hasn't been a standout golf season for Justin Thomas. The 32-year-old did grab his first win since 2022 back in April, taking down Andrew Novak at the RBC Heritage. Other than that, his year has been mostly average. In the four major tournaments, Thomas missed the cut twice. At the recent Open Championship, he made the cut but failed to finish inside the top 30. To make matters worse, Thomas has now slipped out of the top six in the FedEx Cup standings. He was sitting in sixth before the Open, but Harris English's strong runner-up finish vaulted him four spots up the rankings, pushing Thomas down to seventh. The entire Ryder Cup rankings can be found here: The top six players in the standings automatically qualify for the Ryder Cup. While there's still time for Thomas to climb back into that group, if he doesn't, his fate will be left to Team USA captain Keegan Bradley and his six captain's picks. Thomas was part of the 2023 Ryder Cup team that lost to Europe. He ranked 15th in points and 24th in the world heading into that event. It was his first Ryder Cup loss after victories in 2019 and 2021. In 2023, he went 1-2-1 and earned 1.5 points. Max Homa led the American side with 3.5 points. The top six players after the BMW Championship on August 17 will automatically qualify for Team USA. Scottie Scheffler has already secured a spot, with Xander Schauffele, J.J. Spaun, Russell Henley, Bryson DeChambeau and Harris English currently rounding out the top six. Thomas has 10,208.09 points, trailing English, who sits at 10,385.65. Right behind Thomas is Collin Morikawa with 9,743.61 points. The next event on the 2025 PGA Tour is the 3M Open in Minnesota, running July 24–27. After that, the schedule includes the Wyndham Championship, FedEx St. Jude Championship and BMW Championship before the season wraps with the Tour Championship at East Lake. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
FedExCup Playoffs: Who is sitting right on the bubble entering the 3M Open?
With the final major championship now in the books, only two weeks remain in the PGA Tour's regular season schedule. That's leaving limited time for those right on the bubble to earn a spot in the FedExCup Playoffs. The top 70 golfers in the FedExCup standings will earn entry into the FedEx St. Jude Championship next month, which marks the first of the Tour's three playoffs events. This is the third year of the Tour's new postseason system, which cut the field size down from 125 to 70 for the first playoff event. After the tournament in Memphis, the top 50 golfers will earn entry into the BMW Championship the following week. Those who make it into the BMW Championship will also earn automatic entry into the eight signature events on Tour next season. Then the top 30 will qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta. That tournament is set to kick off on Aug. 21, and will feature a traditional start this season rather than the staggered starting strokes format it's used in the past. The 3M Open marks the first of two final chances for golfers right on the cusp to make a jump in the standings. Here's a look at who needs a big week at TPC Twin Cities outside of Minneapolis: FedExCup standings: Top 10 As of Monday, July 21 Position Name Points 1 Scottie Scheffler 4,806 2 Rory McIlroy 3,444 3 Sepp Straka 2,595 4 Russell Henley 2,391 5 Justin Thomas 2,280 6 Harris English 2,232 7 Ben Griffin 2,212 8 JJ Spaun 2,144 9 Tommy Fleetwood 1,738 10 Keegan Bradley 1,749 FedExCup standings: Just inside the bubble As of Monday, July 21 Rickie Fowler and Ben An are probably the biggest names in this group, and they're both in the field this week at the 3M Open. A solid finish here would undoubtedly take any stress out of next week, and allow them to shift their focus to the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Keith Mitchell, however, is just barely safe. He's got a two-point lead over Emiliano Grillo, so a big week is critical. Position Name Points 61 Kevin Yu 645 62 Erik van Rooyen 634 63 Rickie Fowler 632 64 Nico Echavarria 628 65 Cam Davis 616 66 Patrick Rodgers 616 67 Ben An 595 68 Matti Schmid 590 69 Nicolai Højgaard 590 70 Keith Mitchell 589 FedExCup standings: Outside looking in As of Monday, July 21 Emiliano Grillo is easily in the best position among this group, as he's just two points shy of catching Keith Mitchell. That's something he could easily do this week. Rasmus Højgaard is last on this list, and he has more than 100 points to climb. He, however, is not playing in Minneapolis. Position Name Points 71 Emiliano Grillo 587 72 Davis Thompson 552 73 Eric Cole 546 74 Alex Smalley 544 75 Christiaan Bezuidenhout 534 76 Kevin Roy 532 77 Chris Kirk 530 78 Gary Woodland 521 79 Ryo Hisatsune 504 80 Rasmus Højgaard 480
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Justin Thomas Tries Luck With Harry Potter-Style Magic, But Birdie Doesn't Drop
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Currently ranked sixth in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings with 10,078.31 points, Justin Thomas kicked off his Friday round at The Open Championship just around 5 a.m. ET, paired with Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood. With Bethpage Black looming in September, Thomas knows the final major of this season could be pivotal in securing automatic qualification, and he's treating it like it. PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 18: Justin Thomas of the United States hits his second shot on the 1st hole on day two of The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July... PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 18: Justin Thomas of the United States hits his second shot on the 1st hole on day two of The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 18, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland. (Photo by) More Getty Images Coming off a 1-over 72 in Round 1, the 32-year-old looked sharp early in Round 2, carding a birdie at the second. But it was his near-miss on the third hole that stole the spotlight and gave fans a moment of Harry Potter moment. On the par-3 third, Thomas faced a slippery 29-foot right-to-left birdie putt. He struck it cleanly. The ball curled toward the cup, slowed, and came to rest right on the edge. "Fall in, it has to!" exclaimed the Sky Sports commentator, as per their video posted on X. Another broadcaster added, "He should blow on it," capturing the moment's absurdity. Thomas, ever the showman, leaned over and jokingly tried to cast a Harry Potter-style spell on the ball. The crowd burst into laughter, but even wizardry couldn't coax it in. McIlroy and Fleetwood paused mid-stride, watching to see if gravity would grant Thomas a delayed birdie. It didn't. The ball hovered, refused to drop, and Thomas tapped in for par. Despite the magical miss, Thomas kept his momentum. He birdied the 13th and 17th holes on the back nine, finishing the day with a 4-under 67, a solid bounce-back from Thursday's round, where he made three bogeys and finished T45. If Thomas continues this upward spirit and clinches the win, it would mark his first Open Championship title and third major overall, following victories at the 2017 and 2022 PGA Championships. His best Open finish remains a T-11 at Royal Portrush in 2019, the same venue hosting this year's showdown. More Golf: Jon Rahm's Frustration Boils as Fan Disrupts Tee Shot at The Open
NBC Sports
6 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
U.S. captain Keegan Bradley puts self in mix for big Ryder Cup points — and Open title
Justin Thomas almost sinks the birdie putt, but the ball somehow doesn't find the bottom of the hole in stunning fashion during Round 2 of The Open Championship at Royal Portrush. PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland – The Open Championship is the final chance this year for American players to earn a higher percentage of Ryder Cup points. And the captain is poised to take advantage. For the first time since 2018, Keegan Bradley will play the weekend at The Open after a bogey-free 67 in ideal conditions Friday at Royal Portrush. He was at 3-under 139, four shots off the clubhouse lead. It was fortuitous timing for a player who might soon become the first U.S. playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963. Bradley is up to No. 9 in the team standings, his candidacy getting a significant boost after his victory last month at the Travelers Championship, a signature event on Tour. Bradley didn't figure to get much of a lift from his week at The Open; in 11 tries, he has never been better than 15th in the year's final major. And before Friday's 67, he had gone 17 consecutive rounds without a score in the 60s. But Bradley said that he's a more well-rounded player than he's been at any point in his career, particularly around the greens, and that is already starting to pay off at Portrush. 'I have to keep going,' he said. 'I really need to play well at this event and then in the playoffs.' Bradley was also quick to point out that there's still a chance for 'extreme movement' over the next month and a half, since the six automatic spots are finalized on Aug. 17 and the six wildcard selections are made following the Tour Championship. The Open awards 1 ½ points for every $1,000 earned – up from the usual one point – and the three FedExCup playoff events all feature $20 million-plus purses. The halfway leaderboard at Portrush shows just how much volatility is possible. Brian Harman, the 2023 Open champion who was a late addition to the squad that lost in Rome, has once again put himself in position through two rounds. He was No. 12 on the list. Another team contender, Harris English, a member of the 2021 U.S. squad, is No. 10 in the standings and among the chasing pack at Portrush. 'I'm happy that some Americans are up at the top of the leaderboard,' Bradley said. 'It's really such a different experience for me to look at a leaderboard now because I look up there and I'm like, Brian is playing good, and that's awesome; or Harris is playing (well). I really feel excited about it, which is really fun.' Bradley said the only time he tunes out the Ryder Cup distraction is while he's inside the ropes. And when he finishes his round, he's jumping back into the text thread with his vice captains – what's the latest, what the guys are hearing, who's trending well. Even if the conversation sometimes turns to his own play. 'I'm going to look at myself as just another player,' he said. 'It's tough for me, but we have to look at every single possibility, just like we'd look at any other player in my position. Anybody in the top 12 or top 15 or top 20 – you want to look at the player that's playing the best. 'We've still got two months left before the Ryder Cup, and if I continue my play, then we'll talk about this. But you never know how this golf thing is.'
