Nick Dunlap replaces Tom Kim as FedEx Cup playoffs narrow to top 50

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- South Korean Tom Kim's defeat turned into a victory for Nick Dunlap and Keegan Bradley on Sunday, as the results of the FedEx St. Jude Championship solidified the top 50 players in the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Japan's Hideki Matsuyama claimed the tournament title by birdieing his final two holes, propelling him from eighth to third in the FedEx Cup standings. However, every shot mattered for players not in contention for the win, as the top 50 after the St. Jude not only qualified for next week's BMW Championship, but also secured entry into all eight PGA Tour signature events in 2025.

Bradley, the captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 2025, began the week in 39th place in the FedEx Cup standings but seemed to be heading in the wrong direction with a 1-over finish. However, a late stumble by Kim pushed him to the wrong side of the playoff bubble, landing him at No. 51 and allowing Bradley to secure the 50th spot.

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Kim ended his final round with a bogey and two consecutive double bogeys, causing him to drop from 6 under to 1 under for the tournament. It is highly likely that he would have made the cut for the top 50 if he had a more consistent finish.

Kim admitted that he played a lot in 2024, including the Olympics earlier this month, which may have caused him to lose some mental sharpness in recent weeks.

"I told myself before the day that if I didn't play well, I really felt like I was going to finish 51," Kim said. "I kind of told myself, 'If that happens, I've done everything I could to be inside that top 50 and hopefully give myself a chance at Tour Championship.' But I couldn't, and I'm going to look forward to a really good offseason because I'm pretty tired."

One of the biggest beneficiaries this week was Dunlap, who rose from No. 67 to No. 48 in the standings thanks to a T5 finish at the St. Jude.

The PGA Tour rookie has two victories this season, but his first win at The American Express in January did not earn him any FedEx Cup points as he was still an amateur at the time.

Dunlap was in contention on Sunday but ultimately finished with a 1-under 69, four strokes behind Matsuyama.

"I was a train wreck," Dunlap said. "I'm not going to lie to you. I was arguably the most nervous I've ever been, to be honest. I just didn't want the season to end. I've been having so much fun."

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The top 50 players who advanced to the BMW Championship in Castle Rock, Colo. are as follows (in order of FedEx Cup points):

1. Scottie Scheffler

2. Xander Schauffele

3. Hideki Matsuyama

4. Collin Morikawa

5. Rory McIlroy

6. Wyndham Clark

7. Ludvig Aberg

8. Sahith Theegala

9. Patrick Cantlay

10. Sungjae Im

11. Shane Lowry

12. Robert MacIntyre

13. Akshay Bhatia

14. Tony Finau

15. Byeong Hun An

16. Viktor Hovland

17. Russell Henley

18. Sam Burns

19. Billy Horschel

20. Matthieu Pavon

21. Aaron Rai

22. Justin Thomas

23. Christiaan Bezuidenhout

24. Sepp Straka

25. Jason Day

26. Davis Thompson

27. Taylor Pendrith

28. Tom Hoge

29. Brian Harman

30. Denny McCarthy

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