However the $40 million prize pool is doled out next week, each player to compete at next week’s Tour Championship will earn “official money” in the eyes of the PGA Tour.
The entire purse at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta will be considered “official money,” Front Office Sports and others reported this week.
It’s a departure from how the tour tabulated career earnings from 2019-24. During that time, the FedEx Cup playoffs were contracted from four to three tournaments and the Tour Championship introduced the “starting strokes” staggered start that rewarded players for their standing in the season-long points race.
This year, the tour is doing away with that start, so all 30 players to qualify for the Tour Championship will start at even par rather than, say, Scottie Scheffler opening at 10 under par.
The leader after 72 holes of stroke play at East Lake will be crowned not only the winner of the Tour Championship but also the FedEx Cup champion. Because of that, the PGA Tour changed how it hands out bonus money for the season-long points race.
The winner of the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup will receive $10 million that counts toward that player’s official career earnings, rather than a bonus.
The change makes the Tour Championship the most lucrative tournament of the season, as the $40 million total prize purse easily outpaces the $25 million on offer at The Players Championship.
Tour Championship counts toward career earnings for first time since ‘18
