On the bubble: A closer look at a few notable PGA Tour players ahead of the FedEx Cup Playoffs

Adam Scott and Matt Jones during a practice round for the 2021 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s Golf Course in Sandwich, England. Photo by Sandra Mailer-USA TODAY Sports

Adam Scott is currently on the right side of 125. He checks in at No. 121, up two spots from the previous week, but he’s flirting with trouble. He’s one of nine golfers to make the FedEx Cup field all 14 years of its existence. Scott has made 16 of 17 cuts this season, has five top-25 finishes and one top-10, which was a T-10 in February at the Farmers Insurance Open.

Bo Hoag hits his ball onto the 18th green during the third round of the 3M Open in Blaine, Minnesota. Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Bo Hoag is right on the cutline, sitting in the No. 125 position with 1,743 FedEx Cup points. He’s five points ahead of the 126th position. Hoag has played 31 events this year but has a WD and 15 missed cuts, including seven in a row in March, April and May. He does have six top 25s with his best finish a T-11 at the Barbasol Championship.

Scott Piercy waits on the 16th tee with his caddie during the final round of the 2021 Barracuda Championship at Tahoe Mountain Club’s Old Greenwood Golf Course in Truckee, California. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

Scott Piercy is No. 126, five points back of making the FedEx Cup field. He finished solo third last week at the Barracuda Championship. He’s made the cut 15 times in 24 events this season. Prior to the Barracuda, his best finish was a T-11 at the Wells Fargo Championship. He also has a DQ this season. Piercy has been to six straight FedEx Cup Playoffs and 10 of the last 11.

Rickie Fowler drives from the 12th tee during the third round of the 2021 3M Open in Blaine, Minnesota. Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Rickie Fowler was clinging to that 125th spot for a while. In May, he posted a T-8 finish at the PGA Championship, and many figured that was the much-needed spark to get him going. But since then, Fowler has played five times and finished T-11, MC, T-32, T-54, T-34. He has slipped to No. 130 in the FedEx Cup points race, 126 points back. Fowler has never missed the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Tommy Fleetwood plays his shot from the seventh tee during the third round of the 2021 FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Tommy Fleetwood, who tied for 16th in the men’s golf competition at the Olympics, returned to the U.S. last week, where he finished tied for 46th in Memphis. He’s 3-for-3 making the playoffs but this year finds himself 136th in the points race. He has two top-10s and four missed cuts in 17 PGA Tour starts this season.

Charles Howell III approaches the green of the fifth hole during the first round of the 2021 RBC Heritage. Photo by Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Charles Howell III, like Adam Scott, has made all 14 FedEx Cup Playoffs but unlike Scott, who’s currently inside the top 125, Howell is not, as he checks in at No. 137. In fact, Howell is not in the field this week at the Wyndham so that effectively ends his chances of making the playoffs. Howell missed seven cuts this season and hasn’t posted a top 10 since April at the RBC Heritage.

Justin Rose lines up a putt on the 18th hole during the first round of the 2021 WGC FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind. Photo by Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Rose, the 2018 FedEx Cup champion, has made 12 cuts in 16 PGA Tour starts this season but is just 138th in the points race. His season highlights are a solo seventh at the Masters and a tie for 8th at the PGA Championship.

Francesco Molinari reacts to his shot from the second tee during the final round of the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego. Photo by Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

In 2019, Francesco Molinari made his fifth straight playoffs but missed last year after not making any starts on the PGA Tour after the suspension of the season due to COVID-19. This year, sitting at No. 140 in the points race and is looking at a second straight playoffs miss. He does have three top-10s in 14 PGA Tour events this season but has also missed seven cuts.

Will Zalatoris inspects the green before his putt during the second round of the WGC-FedEx-St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, on Friday, August 6, 2021. Photo by Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal

Will Zalatoris is in the field at the Wyndham this week, playing on a sponsor exemption, but you won’t find his name on the FedEx Cup Playoffs points list. That’s because he is still playing as a Special Temporary Member on the PGA Tour and therefore, he is not eligible for the playoffs unless he wins the Wyndham. He has three top-10s in four major championship appearances, including a solo second at the 2021 Masters. He’s made 20 of 24 cuts and has posted eight top-10s.

A week and a half ago, Zalatoris was 50-50 on playing the Wyndham Championship, having injuring himself hitting out of rough during the British Open. He withdrew after the first round that week and didn’t touch a club until finishing T-8 at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational this past week. Asked about his plans beyond this tournament, Zalatoris said he’d be listening to his body.

“Obviously this week, it’s win or go home,” he said. “Second means as
much as missing a cut, so I’ve got nothing to lose this week, but obviously were I not to win, I’m going to keep listening to my body, but as a backup plan, definitely looking at going to Europe.”