HEADING HOME
Spieth, Mitchell among the 20 exiting FedEx Playoffs before BMW
Keith Mitchell plays his shot from the seventh tee during the third round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, Tenn. Mitchell finished just outside the top 50 and leads the list of players not heading to the BMW Championship.
ON THE TEE
YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEK IN PROFESSIONAL GOLF
Fifty players are moving on but for 20 golfers in the FedEx St. Jude Championship field the playoffs are over.
Jordan Spieth and Keith Mitchell made earlier exits than they hoped. Mitchell started the week at No. 49 and still was projected on the right side of the cutline entering the final round, but the birdies dried up and he was shut out on the back nine.
Spieth was looking good after a bogey-free front-nine 2-under 33. He had climbed to No. 45 until he bogeyed Nos. 11 and 12 and dropped to No. 52.
He birdied 13 but he drove it into a water hazard at No. 15 for a costly bogey. Spieth signed for 70 and finished 52nd.
"You always want to kind of think — push it to maybe a lower number than what's expected, but it didn't like affect the way I played any holes or anything," he said. "So yeah, it was a tall task coming in. I was going to need to finish essentially in the top 10 this week and fell just shy of it."
Mitchell found the water, too, at 18. He was fortunate his tee shot stayed dry, inside the hazard but on the bank of the lake.
Mitchell rolled up his pant legs above the knees and stood in the water to play his second shot from the bank. He made a good strike of the ball but the hook spin got him, and it rolled in the water fronting the green and sealing his fate. He shot 72 and finished T-34, missing by less than 8 points.
Brian Harman was projected inside the top 50 heading into Sunday but got off to a sluggish start and shot 75 and finished 65th.
"That signature series, it's where you want to be," Harman said on Saturday. "It's where the best golf's played. I'd love to have a chance."
51. Keith Mitchell
Someone was going to be the odd man out and it turned out to be Mitchell. he started the week at No. 49 but shot 2-over 72 on Sunday and got bumped out by 7.819 points. Mitchell made 19 cuts in 22 starts but just three top 10s, the best of which was a T-4 at the U.S. Open. Mitchell failed to make a birdie on the back nine in Memphis on Sunday.
52. Jordan Spieth
Back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 11 and 12 were costly for Spieth, who was No. 45 beforehand. he was the only player to make it to Memphis without a top-10 finish this season.
53. Max Homa
The 35-year-old fan favorite made it back to the playoffs after a dip in performance. he finished second at the John Deere Classic and T-9 at the Masters but remains winless since 2023. he will be in the conversation for sponsor exemptions next season for the signature events if he needs them.
54. Harris English
English recorded nine top 25s but only one top 10. he struggled down the stretch with missed cuts in three of his final four starts in the regular season and only a T-71 to show for his payday.
55. Pierceson Coody
The former Texas star enjoyed a stellar West Coast swing. But his season stalled out — no top 10s since Phoenix and finished with two missed cuts and a Wd before a T-24 in Memphis. The 26-year-old, who played this season out of the Korn Ferry Tour graduate category, showed what he's capable of doing.
56. Harry Hall
The Englishman had a Jekyll and Hyde season, making 12 cuts but missing 10. he made the most of the weekends he made with 4 top 10s and 6 top 25s. But after making it all the way to East Lake last season, this was a lackluster year.
57. Sam Stevens
He finished T-7 at the U.S. Open and made 18 of 24 cuts during the regular season but only three top 10s. He's still seeking his first Tour title.
58. Sudarshan Yellamaraju
The Canadian had a solid rookie year playing out of the Korn Ferry Tour category. he notched seven top25s, including a T-5 at the Players Championship. he played his way into the next four signature events, and made it into the PGA Championship and U.S. Open. If you bet him to be low Canadian in the FedEx Cup standings, you're cashing a pretty good ticket.
59. Corey Conners
The Canadian's season was a mixed bag with 18 made cuts in 20 starts but just one top-10 finish, a T-7 at the Travelers Championship.
60. Daniel Berger
DB straight Vibin didn't tee it up in Memphis, a place where he's won twice, which says it all about state of his health. hopefully, Berger can return in the fall and chase getting back into the winner's circle for the first since the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am.
61. Michael Kim
The highlight, of course, was shooting 59 at the 3M Open. he finished T-2 at the Valero Texas Open, his best finish of the season.
62. Shane Lowry
The 39-year-old Irishman did his damage early at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am (T-8) and Cognizant Classic (T-2) but after squandering the title at the latter with some late water balls, he was a non-factor. Next year will be a Ryder Cup year and perhaps that will get the juices flowing again.
63. Nick Taylor
The Canadian probably has mixed feelings about his season. he made the cut in 20 of 22 starts this season, which is strong, but only one top 10 to show for it, and snapped a string of three straight seasons with a victory.
64. Patrick Rodgers
The former Stanford Cardinal great had a great year going up until the PGA Championship but it's been a struggle since: three missed cuts and a Wd and no finish better than T-47.
65. Brian Harman
Only one top-10 finish this season, a T-3 at the 3M Open. Harman will be in all the majors next season as the 2023 Open champion but he had a legit chance to make the top 50 and advance to the BMW Championship but struggled in the final round in Memphis.
66. Jordan Smith
Solid rookie season for the Englishman. he made 15 cuts during the regular season and eight top 25s. But only one top-10 finish: a third at the Valspar Championship.
67. Jackson Koivun
After an electric college season capped off by a team title for auburn, he turned pro in June and proceeded to win the 3M Open in just his third start and make the playoffs in only five starts. But needed a big week in Memphis to move on and didn't have his a game. Making it to the BMW might have been valuable for his U.S. Presidents Cup candidacy. did he do enough to earn a pick?
68. Aldrich Potgieter
The reigning Tour rookie of the year had a pedestrian sophomore year. Not a slump but the Tour's leader in driving distance made just nine cuts in 20 starts, and ended the season with five MC's in his last six starts.
69. Ricky Castillo
The Florida gator made 17 of 18 cuts and won the Puerto Rico for his first Tour title. he had only one other top10 finish but both of them were in March.
70. Matti Schmid
The German made it to Memphis for the second straight year but still hasn't advanced to the BMW. he earned more than half of his FedEx Cup points for his T-4 finish at the PGA Championship in May.
