The PGA Tour's new venture was still searching for respect at TPC Boston, despite an emotional victory by Steve Stricker in the first playoff event (Tiger Woods' absence didn't help things). But a Tiger vs. Phil final-round battle in the next tournament gave the playoffs a much-needed spark. The showdown came down to the final few holes and Mickelson edged Woods. For the time being …
2007 Tour Championship: Who Else But Tiger?
It was only fitting that Tiger Woods won the first FedEx Cup title in runaway fashion. Despite skipping the first playoff event, Tiger gave fans their share of thrills over the last two playoff events. Woods carded an unfathomable 54 birdies over eight rounds at the '07 BMW Championship and the Tour Championship, without any rounds higher than 67. Despite a third-round 60 from Zach Johnson, Tiger held on for his second Tour Championship victory.
2008 The Barclays: Sergio's Kiss Of Death
This may have been the most exciting playoff of the Playoffs. Not known as a boss of the moss, Vijay Singh made one of the most clutch putts of his career in this event at Ridgewood C.C. Sergio Garcia had just nailed a 27-foot birdie putt on the first hole of the playoff to put the pressure on Singh, and proceeded to blow a kiss to Nick Faldo in the CBS TV tower. Singh had the last laugh, though, as he rolled a 26-footer to extend the playoff he would win on the next hole. Not surprisingly, Vijay didn't blow any kisses to any television announcers.
2009 The Barclays: Heath Slocum?
Heath Slocum's career-defining win at Liberty National proved to be just as memorable as some of the players' criticism of the Jersey City course's maiden tour appearance. Slocum made a 20-foot par putt on the 72nd hole to hold off Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker, Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington by one. Tiger had a chance to post the same score as Slocum (who came into the week ranked 124th out of 125 golfers) but shockingly missed a seven-foot birdie putt on the final hole. He struggled on the unfamiliar greens all week, and left the golf course with a bitter taste in his mouth. We know one thing, Slocum didn't mind one bit.
2009 BMW Championship: Tiger Being Tiger
There have been many moments in Tiger Woods' career where he's pulled off something that has made our jaws drop. Another one of those highlights came at the par-5 ninth hole in the third round of the '09 BMW. Tiger's second shot couldn't have been played much better—a 3-wood that rolled around the length of the green and onto the fringe before settling inside 12 feet. He'd make the eagle putt and finish off a round of 62, setting a Cog Hill course record and propelling him to a second FedEx Cup title.
2009 Tour Championship: Tiger & Phil Both Win. Sort Of.
It may not have been a check for $10 million, but Phil Mickelson was still thrilled to take down his rival, Tiger Woods, in the season's final event. Lefty entered the final round trailing the World No. 1 by three shots, but caught him with a closing 65. It was also meaningful for Mickelson to win again following a tough spring in which his mother and wife were diagnosed with cancer. Of course, despite the victory, it was Woods who clinched a second FedEx Cup title. He remains the only player to accomplish that feat.
Photo By: AP
2010 Tour Championship: Furyk Makes It Rain
The image of Jim Furyk fist-pumping in the rain with his hat turned backward at East Lake may not be one of golf's most iconic moments, but it's certainly one of the most memorable in FedEx Cup Playoff history. Furyk brought a one-stroke lead into the par-3 18th hole, and looked to be in jeopardy of losing grasp of both the tournament and the FedEx Cup with a wayward tee shot. But the Pennsylvania native grooved his 50-foot bunker shot to within three feet, tapped in for par and held off Luke Donald for the win. I think we all would have endured the rain for $10 million, right?
2011 Tour Championship: Bill Haas' Big Splash
A playoff with the Tour Championship on the line is stressful enough. But what about a playoff for the FedEx Cup and the $10 million bonus that comes with it? That's the situation Bill Haas and Hunter Mahan found themselves in, and it certainly looked like Mahan would come away the big winner when Haas' approach on the second sudden-death hole found the water. But with the ball only partially submerged, Haas splashed it out to within three feet to save par. Another par on the next hole made him the most unlikely winner in the five-year history of the PGA Tour's postseason—and a very rich man.
2014 Tour Championship: Billy's Rally
A chunked approach shot on the 72nd hole cost Horschel the Deutsche Bank title, but he came roaring back. Horschel won both the BMW and Tour Championships to claim the FedEx Cup title and become the lowest-ranked player (he was 69th in the FedEx Cup standings entering the Barclays) to earn golf's biggest bonus. We're also pretty sure he wore the boldest pants of any champion in East Lake's history.
Photo By: US PGA TOUR
2015 BMW Championship: Day's Dominance
A couple weeks removed from winning his first major title at the PGA Championship, Day shot a final-round 62 at the Barclays to win his first FedEx Cup event by five shots. Three weeks later, he opened with a 61 at the BMW Championship and cruised to another five-shot romp. The dominant display took the Aussie to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time and even caused a player-of-the-year debate on the PGA Tour. That is, until …
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2015 Tour Championship: Spieth's Historic Capper
Jordan Spieth finished off a campaign for the record books by winning the FedEx Cup finale and leaving no doubt as to whom the PGA Tour's Player of the Year award would go. Just a couple months after turning 22, Spieth became the youngest winner of the playoffs with his four-shot win at East Lake. Spieth set a tour record for on-course earnings ($12,030,465) and that doesn't include the FedEx Cup's $10 million payout. Not a bad bonus for a year in which he had already claimed his first two majors.
Photo By: Sports Illustrated/Getty Images
2016 Tour Championship: Rory's fantastic finish
Rory McIlroy’s hopes of winning the Tour Championship, much less the FedEx Cup, appeared over when he was three shots off the lead with three holes to play in the final round at East Lake. To claim the season-long title, McIlroy needed to win the tournament and hope Dustin Johnson finished worse than second alone. DJ helped out by shooting a closing 73 that left him T-6. Then McIlroy holed out from the fairway for eagle on the 16th, and when Kevin Chappell bogeyed the 17th coming in, McIlroy suddenly found himself in a sudden-death playoff with Chappell and Ryan Moore. McIlroy could have won by making a six-footer putt for eagle on the first playoff hole, but couldn’t convert. He also missed an 18-footer for birdie and the win on the second hole, then made a seven-foot par putt on the third hole to keep the playoff going. On the fourth hole of sudden death, the longest playoff in Tour Championship history, McIlroy rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt to win the tournament and FedEx Cup titles. With that he grabbed $11.53 million: $1.53 million for the tournament win and $10 million in the FedEx Cup bonus.
Photo By: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
2017 Northern Trust: Bombs away for DJ
Long story short: Dustin Johnson beat Jordan Spieth on the first-hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the Northern Trust at Glen Oaks Club on Long Island. Short story long: DJ's drive on the playoff hole was all the talk around the office cooler on Monday. Playing the 18th hole, a sharp dogleg left around water, DJ chose to use his glorious power to cut off a significant portion of the dogleg, hitting it 341 yards and leaving himself just 95 yards to the hole. Conversely, Spieth played less aggressively to the right (unable to take as much carry over the water) and had 174 yards for his second shot. DJ hit his approach to four feet, made birdie and took the title. Don't ever say power can't help the modern golfer.
Photo By: Chris Condon/Getty Images
2017 Tour Championship: Xander no ordinary rookie
Xander Schauffele has become a fixture on major championship leader boards since his rookie PGA Tour season in 2017. While he hasn’t yet claimed a big win, he showed he was capable of doing so when he won the Tour Championship two years ago, becoming the first rookie to claim the title in the tour’s season finale. Just to get into the Tour Championship, Schauffele showed he was a gamer when he played his final six holes at the BMW Championship in six under par to crack the top 30 and earn his invite to East Lake. Similarly, on the back nine at the Tour Championship, Schauffele made two birdies and save four pars from outside six feet before making a three-footer for birdie on the 18th hole to beat Justin Thomas by a shot. (Thomas’ consolation? He still won the FedEx Cup title.)
Photo By: Keyur Khamar/PGA Tour
2018 Tour Championship: Victory again for Tiger
Tiger Woods had made a few comebacks following various back surgeries, never getting close to looking like his old self. But in 2018, after a fusion surgery that many felt was his last chance at trying to become competitive once more, Woods competed in 17 tour events, emphasis on competed. He was in contention at the year's final two majors and earned his way back into the Tour Championship. Once at East Lake, Woods felt good about his game and the fact he only needed to beat 29 other golfers for the win. And with rounds of 65-68-65-71, he grabbed his 80th career tour title to the standing ovation of a gallery that couldn't contain itself. Then again, neither could Woods.
