Wyndham Championship serves as 'do or die' moment for Masters winner with £7.5m at stake
Although this year's four majors are now in the rear-view mirror, there is still plenty to play for - and to earn - on the PGA Tour. The regular season comes to a close at the Wyndham Championship this week, held at Sedgefield Country Club in North Carolina, USA, where much remains at stake beneath the surface.
Australian golfer Adam Scott has gone as far as calling the event a "do or die" situation regarding his hopes of making the FedEx Cup playoffs. Only the top 70 players in the standings advance to the postseason, where a jaw-dropping £7.8million is on offer to the Tour Championship winner - raising the stakes significantly for Scott and several other top golfers at risk of missing the cut.
Currently sitting in 85th place in the FedEx Cup rankings, Scott must overcome a considerable hurdle to extend his season. With no top-10 finishes to his name in 2025, he needs to finish in at least a tie for third to push into the top 70 and keep his playoff dreams alive.
Still, the 45-year-old, who captured his sole major at the 2013 Masters, is not shying away from the heat of the moment. "I actually think sometimes when it's like a last chance thing, this will be my last chance to play on the PGA Tour potentially for some weeks, it's do or die and that's a fun way to play," Scott explained.
"Sometimes we, or I have fallen in the trap of like there's always next week if it doesn't work out and that's not the case here. So I think that's not a pressure but more motivation."
Often dubbed the 'last chance saloon,' the Wyndham Championship offers players like Scott one final opportunity to extend their season.
This year's field is among the most competitive since the FedEx Cup began in 2007, with 21 of the top 50-ranked golfers taking part.
Beyond the lucrative £7.8m Tour Championship first prize, competitors are also eyeing slices of a massive £78m bonus pool, including £31m awarded across the regular season's top 10 finishers. A good showing could also see Scott qualify for next season's elite signature tournaments or ensure his Tour membership remains intact.
Scott's track record at Sedgefield has its scars. Four years back, he missed a four-foot birdie in a six-man playoff - a moment he still recalls painfully. "It does hurt," he admitted.
That miss, along with one at The Open years earlier, stands as one of the two he'd most like to replay. "It kind of almost hurts more now because I haven't won since then either," he admitted.
Nonetheless, Scott is pulling strength from recent outings, including his appearance in the final pairing at the US Open this season, plus a solid 2024 playoff stretch where he tied for second at the BMW Championship and fourth at the Tour finale.
Other contenders facing similar pressures include Presidents Cup talent Tom Kim and Ryder Cup representative Max Homa. Kim, ranked 89th, must place solo third or higher, while Homa, currently 106th, needs a joint second or better.
For Scott, the mission is straightforward. "I need to be on the front foot a little bit, I can't be sitting back waiting for it to happen," he said.
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