JERSEY CITY, N.Y. — It’s playoff time, golf style. And there is not much time to get settled and take it all in.
The FedEx Cup playoffs begin this week at the Northern Trust, continue next week with the BMW Championship and conclude a week later with the Tour Championship.
At the end, a PGA Tour player will have earned a $15 million bonus. The last-place player in the 30-man field at the Tour Championship will get paid, too. That is worth $395,000.
This is the 15th year of the FedEx system, the third under a format that has three tournaments, down from four, and featuring a single FedEx Cup champion as opposed to the possibility of a tournament winner and FedEx winner at the Tour Championship.
Here’s a look at what is ahead:
Now things get interesting
The Northern Trust at Liberty National features the top 125 players off the regular season FedEx Cup points list, with no alternates. The tournament has a cut to the top 65 and ties and will offer four times the number of points as players competed for in regular PGA Tour events. So instead of 500 points, the winner gets 2,000, which creates the possibility of volatility and the ability for players who are way back to advance. The top 70 in points following the tournament will advance to the BMW Championship.
The return of Rahm
For the first time since he tied for third at The Open, No. 1-ranked Jon Rahm is playing. It has been a wild summer for the Spanish golfer who twice has contracted COVID-19 and played some of his best golf in the meantime. He was a 6-shot leader after 54 holes at the Memorial when he tested positive and had to withdraw; he then came back to win the U.S. Open, birdieing the final two holes. He finished tied for seventh at the Scottish Open and then made a last-day run at The Open. Then he tested positive again, missing the Olympics. Rahm enters the playoffs fifth in the FedEx Cup standings.
How quickly things can change
Open champion Collin Morikawa is No. 1 in the FedEx Cup standings, but that doesn’t mean much with so many points now at stake. He leads No. 2 Jordan Spieth by just 32 points and is just 450 points ahead of No. 10 Sam Burns. There can be quite the shake-up depending on results.
Jordan says … I’m back
It has been a solid year for Jordan Spieth, who regained his form after a couple of years of struggling, winning the Valero Texas Open and contending several more times. It’s now to the point where Spieth himself believes another victory — or two — is possible. Spieth has not made it to the Tour Championship since 2017.
Back to where Brooks vs. Bryson began
Back where it all started. Well, at least where it escalated. The feud between Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau actually began early in 2019 when Koepka noted DeChambeau’s pace of play at a tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It went to another level when DeChambeau had his issues at the Northern Trust, with Koepka calling him out, words between their caddies, an agreement — allegedly — to not mention each other’s names in such tussles … and then it blowing up big time at the PGA Championship in May this year. And so here we are. DeChambeau is seventh in FedEx points and Koepka is 15th.
Trying to figure out DJ
Dustin Johnson hasn’t been awful — he just hasn’t been as great as he was a year ago at this time, when he won the Northern Trust, lost in a playoff at the BMW, then won the Tour Championship to capture the FedEx Cup.
He is a rather pedestrian 17th in the standings heading into the playoffs and most of it is based on his tie for sixth at the U.S. Open and his victory at the Masters — in November 2020. Remember, this is a six-major season, and Johnson missed the cut in two majors in 2021. He did tie for eighth at the Open, which is his best finish since a tie for eighth at the Genesis Invitational in February.
What about Phil?
Phil Mickelson is proof that all it takes is one good week to position yourself nicely for a FedEx run. Sure, he’d love to be higher than 58th in points. But that number basically assures him of qualifying for the first two playoff events. He has work to do to make it into the top 30 and the Tour Championship. As it stands now, he is 396 points out of 30th. You figure he’ll probably need at least 500 more points to make it. Two top-12 finishes would possibly take care of it. Mickelson, who has made the playoffs every year, was the only player to make it to the second-to-last playoff event every year until the streak ended in 2020.
JT’s quiet year
A strong final round at the Players Championship led to victory for Justin Thomas, but otherwise, this has mostly — by his own admission — been a frustrating year. Since that victory, Thomas has no top-10s on the PGA Tour and didn’t contend in any of the major championships. He enters ninth in the FedEx Cup and can perhaps salvage something by pushing through in the playoffs. He won the FedEx in 2017.
The ongoing Ryder Cup questions
This will be the backstory during the playoffs. The U.S. team’s six automatic qualifiers will be decided following the BMW Championship. U.S. captain Steve Stricker then has six picks following the Tour Championship.
While Stricker will soon know who his automatic team members are, he’d undoubtedly like to see some form out of players in the mix. Reed, Cantlay and Finau have been quiet of late. Mickelson said he needs to have some solid results to be considered. Homa and Horschel would seemingly need to do something in the playoffs.
And it wouldn’t hurt if locks such as Johnson, DeChamabeau and Thomas started playing better, too.
The European team will be decided following the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, which concludes on Sept. 12.
Hard-throwing rookie Jacob Misiorowski is a National League All-Star replacement, giving the Milwaukee Brewers right-hander a chance to break Paul Skenes‘ record for the fewest big league appearances before playing in the Midsummer Classic.
Misiorowski was named Friday night to replace Chicago Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd, who will be unavailable for the All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Atlanta because he is scheduled to start Saturday at the New York Yankees.
The 23-year-old Misiorowski has made just five starts for the Brewers, going 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA while averaging 99.3 mph on his fastball, with 89 pitches that have reached 100 mph.
If he pitches at Truist Park, Misiorowski will make it consecutive years for a player to set the mark for fewest big league games before an All-Star showing.
Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander getting ready for his second All-Star appearance, had made 11 starts in the majors when he was chosen as the NL starter for last year’s All-Star Game at Texas. He pitched a scoreless inning.
“I’m speechless,” said a teary-eyed Misiorowski, who said he was given the news a few minutes before the Brewers’ 8-3 victory over Washington. “It’s awesome. It’s very unexpected and it’s an honor.”
Misiorowski is the 30th first-time All-Star and 16th replacement this year. There are now 80 total All-Stars.
“He’s impressive. He’s got some of the best stuff in the game right now, even though he’s a young pitcher,” said Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is a starting AL outfielder for his seventh All-Star nod. “He’s going to be a special pitcher in this game for a long time so I think he deserved it and it’s going be pretty cool for him and his family.”
The New York Yankees‘ Rodón, an All-Star for the third time in five seasons, will replace teammate Max Fried for Tuesday’s game in Atlanta. Fried will be unavailable because he is scheduled to start Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.
In his final start before the All-Star game, Rodón allowed four hits and struck out eight in eight innings in an 11-0 victory over the Cubs.
“This one’s a little special for me,” said Rodón, an All-Star in 2021 and ’22 who was 3-8 in his first season with the Yankees two years ago before rebounding. “I wasn’t good when I first got here, and I just wanted to prove that I wasn’t to going to give up and just put my best foot forward and try to win as many games as I can.”
Mize takes the spot held by Boston‘s Garrett Crochet, who is scheduled to start Saturday against Tampa Bay. Mize gives the Tigers six All-Stars, most of any team and tied for the franchise record.
Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia will replace Tampa Bay‘s Brandon Lowe, who went on the injured list with left oblique tightness. The additions of Estévez and Garcia give the Royals four All-Stars, matching their 2024 total.
The Seattle Mariners announced center fielder Julio Rodríguez will not participate, and he was replaced by teammate Randy Arozarena. Rodríguez had been voted onto the AL roster via the players’ ballot. The Mariners, who have five All-Stars, said Rodríguez will use the break to “recuperate, rest and prepare for the second half.”
Arozarena is an All-Star for the second time. He started in left field for the AL two years ago, when he was with Tampa Bay. Arozarena was the runner-up to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the 2023 Home Run Derby.
Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen, a first-time All-Star, is replacing Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who is scheduled to start Saturday night at Arizona. Rasmussen is 7-5 with a 2.82 ERA in 18 starts.
San Diego added a third NL All-Star reliever in lefty Adrián Morejón, who replaces Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler. The Phillies’ right-hander is scheduled to start at San Diego on Saturday night. Morejón entered the weekend with a 1.71 ERA in 45 appearances.
NEW YORK — Robbed an inning earlier, Cody Bellinger wasn’t sure his first three-homer game had been swiped away again.
“I didn’t know at first,” he said. “For that third one to finally get over feels pretty good.”
Bellinger hit three two-run homers against his former team and was denied a fourth by a spectacular catch, leading the Yankees to an 11-0 rout of the Chicago Cubs on Friday night.
Aaron Judge made a trio of outstanding grabs in right field for the Yankees, who have won five straight games following a a six-game losing streak.
Bellinger, whose dad Clay played for the Yankees from 1999 to 2001, is a two-time All-Star and 2019 NL MVP.
He spent 2023 and 2024 with the Cubs, hitting .266 with 18 homers and 78 RBIs in 130 games last year while missing time because of a broken right rib. The Cubs traded him to New York in December with $52.5 million remaining on his contract and agreed to pay the Yankees $5 million.
He homered in a three-run third off Chris Flexen and in the fifth against Caleb Thielbar for this 18th multihomer game. Bellinger nearly went deep in the seventh but was robbed by Kyle Tucker on a drive above the right-field wall.
“I was watching it. He timed it up perfect, so I was a little sick about it, honestly,” Bellinger said. “But it was a good catch.”
“Boys were giving me a hard time after he robbed it. Boonie was giving me hard time,” Bellinger added.
A four-time All-Star and a Gold Glove winner, Tucker snatched the ball as a fan tried for it, the spectator clasping both sides of the outfielder’s glove.
“I caught the ball and he caught my glove, so I figured even if I dropped it they’d probably look at it and get it overturned,” Tucker said. “I’ve probably had some encounters with me trying to go into the stands and catching a ball and me hitting someone’s hand or whatever but I don’t know if anyone’s ever actually kind of caught my glove while doing it.”
Bellinger homered in the eighth off Jordan Wicks, just above the red glove of leaping center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and into the dark glove of a kid in the front row.
“The fan just beat to the spot,” Crow-Armstrong said. “He just had a better chance of catching it higher than I did.”
Bellinger, who had rounded first, watched and then smiled when he saw he had hit No. 3.
“Glad the fan caught it before PCA could grab it,” said Bellinger, who met the boy after and got the ball back. “I’ve seen PCA rob so many homers. He’s a freak athlete out there.”
Bellinger is batting .406 over a career-high 16-game hitting streak, raising his average to .285 with 16 homers and 54 RBIs.
He had spoken with his Cubs ex-teammates during batting practice.
“No, no, no revenge,” he said. “Honestly, ultimately it was just fun to be out there. I saw a bunch of guys I hadn’t seen in a while and I shared a bunch of good memories with them for these past two years.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. and manager Aaron Boone encouraged Bellinger to emerge from the dugout for a curtain call.
“He was a little reluctant, but then the Bell-lin-ger” over the dugout got pretty loud. So I think he succumbed to it,” Boone said. “Belly’s loved being here and loved playing here in a meaningful place to him, going back to his childhood.”
Bellinger turns 30 on Sunday and can opt out of the final season of his contract this fall. With long balls and wide smiles, he seems to have found a home in the Yankees clubhouse.
He tried not to make much of getting the three homers against the Cubs, but Bellinger’s teammates could sense the significance.
“It’s always good to go against your old teammates that you spend a lot of time with, you know, you respect,” Boone said. “To perform right away against them I’m sure probably is a little cherry on top for him.”
DETROIT — Cal Raleigh hit his 37th and 38th home runs in Seattle‘s 12-3 victory over Detroit on Friday night to move within one of Barry Bonds’ 2001 major league record for homers before the All-Star break.
Raleigh hit a solo homer off former teammate Tyler Holton in the eighth to tie the American League record of 37 before the All-Star break set by Reggie Jackson in 1969 and matched by Chris Davis in 2013.
“[Holton] and I are really good friends, and I’ve caught a lot of his pitches,” said Raleigh, who was in the lineup as the designated hitter instead of at catcher. “I don’t think that helped much, but I’m sure he’s not very happy with me.”
Raleigh hit a grand slam off Brant Hurter in the ninth.
“I didn’t even know it was a record until just now,” Raleigh said. “I don’t have words for it, I guess. I’m just very grateful and thankful.”
It was Raleigh’s eighth multihomer game this season, tying Jackson (also in 1969) for the most such games before the All-Star break in MLB history, according to ESPN Research. He also tied Ken Griffey Jr. for the most multihomer games in Mariners franchise history.
Seattle has two games left in Detroit before the break.
“Cal Raleigh … this is just unbelievable,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “He’s already set the AL record and now he’s only one short of Barry. There are two games, so who knows?”
Raleigh hit 10 homers in March and April, 12 in May, 11 in June and has five in July.
“This is a very boring comment, but baseball is all about consistency,” Wilson said. “This hasn’t been one hot streak, he’s doing this month after month. That says everything.”