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    FedEx Cup Points 2019: Explaining Distribution and Standings

    Gianni Verschueren@ReverschPassFeatured ColumnistAugust 8, 2019

    Brooks Koepka reacts to missing a birdie putt on the 18th green during the final round of the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, Sunday, July 28, 2019, in Memphis, Tenn. Koepka won the match. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
    Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

    The 2019 FedEx Cup Playoffs have seen a rather dramatic overhaul, with just three tournaments on offer over the course of August and a shift in the scoring system.

    Brooks Koepka will start the first tournament, the Northern Trust in Jersey City, New Jersey, with a healthy 572-point lead over Rory McIlroy. Things can change in a hurry, however, ahead of the Tour Championship in Atlanta, Georgia.

    Here is a look at the current standings (Rank, Player, Events, Points):

    1. Brooks Koepka, 18, 2,887

    2. Rory McIlroy, 16, 2,315

    3. Matt Kuchar, 19, 2,313

    4. Xander Schauffele, 18, 1,858

    5. Gary Woodland, 21, 1,795

    6. Patrick Cantlay, 18, 1,730

    7. Dustin Johnson, 16, 1,686

    8. Paul Casey, 20, 1,629

    FedEx Cup Points 2019: Explaining Distribution and Standings
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    9. Webb Simpson, 18, 1,619

    10. Jon Rahm, 17, 1,447

    The full standings can be found on the PGA Tour's official website.

           

    Format

    Unlike previous years, the FedEx Cup Playoffs will consist of just three tournaments, rather than four. The Northern Trust will be followed by the BMW Championship, before the conclusion at the Tour Championship.

    Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

    The top 125 points leaders will start the first tournament, and the field will drop to 70 and then 30 players for the remaining tournaments.

    Each of the two first playoff events will award 2,000 points to the winner, to be added to their regular-season total. No points will be awarded at the Championship event, however, and instead, the tournament will move to a system in which all the players are staggered by strokes based on the standings.

    The top-ranked golfer will start the tournament on 10-under, followed by the second-placed player, at eight-under. Here is the full breakdown (Seed, Starting Strokes):

    1, -10

    2, -8

    3, -7

    4, -6

    5, -5

    6-10, -4

    11-15, -3

    16-20, -2

    21-25, -1

    26-30, Even

          

    This ensures the winner of the Tour Championship will also be crowned FedEx Cup champion. That didn't happen in the last two editions, and it happened only four times in total during the previous 12 editions of the FedEx Cup.

    Last year, Justin Rose jumped up from fourth place at the start of the playoffs to win the FedEx Cup, even though Tiger Woods won the Tour Championship. Rose finished tied for fourth in that tournament and took second place at the Dell Technologies Championship and BMW Championship.