The most unusual of golf seasons will come to an end this week in Greensboro, North Carolina. Well, the regular season will. Golf is an all-year deal, but the PGA Tour’s version will conclude at the Wyndham Championship, to be followed by three playoff events to determine its season-long champion.
This week is important because it will help determine the top 125 on the FedEx Cup points list. Only those players can advance to the playoffs and next week’s Northern Trust tournament. And without some other type of exemption, those who fall outside lose their PGA Tour card and are faced with playing the Korn Ferry Tour Finals or having to rely on other means to get into tournaments in the 2021-22 season.
Hoffman, Mickelson, Watson and Snedeker are safe. The others have some work to do. Howell is not entered at the Wyndham, so he will not make it for the first time.
Other things are in play this week. Those outside of the top 70 can further their chances of qualifying for the BMW Championship in two weeks. Others will have their eye on qualifying for the top 30 and the Tour Championship to end the season.
And, of course, there are Ryder Cup points to be earned. The Wyndham as well as the Northern Trust and BMW Championship are the last qualifying events for the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
So after a “season” that featured six major championships — including two U.S. Opens, two Masters — and dates to early September, here is a look at a few of the players who are fighting to advance:
It has been a tough time for the 2013 Masters champion. He does not live in the United States and has faced quarantine issues every time he has visited his family. Scott won the Genesis Invitational just prior to the shutdown. Nothing has been the same since. He got COVID-19 last fall and has struggled to regain form, dropping from as high as sixth in the world early last year to 43rd now. He tied for 36th last week at the FedEx St. Jude Invitational, an 11th straight finish outside of the top 10. Scott can advance without a strong finish this week, but then he leaves his fate up to others. No matter what, Scott doesn’t have to worry about keeping his Tour card. He has fully exempt status.
One of the game’s most consistent players for more than a decade, Kuchar has run into a stretch of bad form, missing four consecutive cuts, including last week’s Barracuda Championship. He did not make the weekend at any of this year’s majors nor at the Tour Championship. In fact, Kuchar missed the cut at all three majors last year. (The Open was not played in 2020 because of COVID-19.) He still has a chance mostly on the back of his third-place finish at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship in March. Like Scott, his Tour status is secure.
Battling a slump for much of the past 18 months, Fowler has shown signs of breaking out. He just hasn’t been able to push forward enough for the big result that would change his year. He declined to play last week’s opposite-field Barracuda Championship and dropped five spots in the FedEx Cup standings. There’s no reason to play safe this week; he needs to make the cut and make a move. He has never failed to make the playoffs in his pro career, dating to 2010. Even if he doesn’t make the playoffs, he too has exempt Tour status.
It has been a quiet year for the Englishman who starred on the 2018 European Ryder Cup team. Although still ranked 35th in the world, he has played just 15 PGA Tour events, as he also competes in Europe. And he has posted just two top-10s. He will need at least that and probably more to continue his PGA Tour season.
The Englishman won the FedEx Cup title just three years ago — the same day Tiger Woods won the Tour Championship — and was No. 1 in the world early in 2019. He has dropped all the way to 48th in the world and has struggled with his game for the better part of two years. Rose did manage to contend at the Masters, where he finished seventh. And he rallied to tie for eighth at the PGA Championship. But in just five tournaments since, there has been nothing better than a tie for 20th. Rose needs a big week to keep his playoff streak alive. If he doesn’t, he also has a spot on Tour next season, considering he is fully exempt.
Like Rose, nothing short of a high finish will keep Moore’s playoff streak alive. He missed seven cuts this year, didn’t play in any of the majors (he was an alternate for The Open but passed when his name came up) and tied for 35th at the Players Championship.
The asterisk denotes that Zalatoris is only a special temporary member of the PGA Tour. Because he is not a full member, he is not eligible for the FedEx Cup playoffs, even though the number of points he has earned would have him 26th in the standings. Zalatoris started earning his way last fall when he got into a few tournaments, had some high finishes and earned special temporary status, which means he can accept unlimited sponsor exemptions. He will be a fully exempt member of the tour next season due to the number of points earned. His only way into the playoffs — and a shot at all the money at stake in two big-money tournaments plus the FedEx bonus money — is to win this week. A victory automatically makes him a PGA Tour member.
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Reds right fielder Jake Fraley was activated from the 10-day injured list on Saturday.
He had injured his right shoulder while trying to make a diving catch June 23 against the New York Yankees.
An MRI revealed a partially torn labrum that will eventually require surgery. Fraley received a cortisone shot and will try to play through it for the rest of the season.