Rickie Fowler Plays His Way Into BMW Championship, Jordan Spieth Out Of FedExCup Race

The most important subplot of this week's FedEx St. Jude Championship is the shrinking field for the PGA Tour's final three events of the year. The St. Jude Championship represents the first leg of the Tour's playoffs and only the Top 70 players made it into the field. For next week, only the Top 50 will continue. Big-name players like Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth found themselves squarely on the bubble for next week's BMW Championship. 

Fowler played his way into next week's event but, unfortunately, Jordan Spieth did not. Fowler entered the week ranked 64th – well outside the Top 50. But he brought his A game to Memphis, particularly on Sunday when the pressure was mounting. Fowler made multiple clutch putts, including a 10-foot birdie putt on 15 and an 8.5-foot par save on 17 to jump all the way up to 48th position in the FedExCup Playoff standings. 

Following next week's BMW Championship, only the Top 30 will advance to the Tour Championship, the final event of the PGA Tour season. Fowler will face an uphill climb once again to reach the next round, but at least he'll have an opportunity.

Fowler advanced, but Spieth did not 

The same can't be said for Jordan Spieth, who entered the week inside the Top 50 at 48, but dropped five spots after finishing in a tie for 38th place at 3-under. Spieth played well on Sunday, firing a two-under 68, but couldn't overcome back-to-back even-par 70s in rounds two and three. His worst moment came on the 72nd hole, when he desperately needed a birdie, but hit his approach shot into the water and made bogey. 

Rickie Fowler clinched a spot in the BMW Championship with a clutch Sunday performance at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, while Jordan Spieth fell just short in a dramatic playoff shakeup.

(Getty Images)

Ultimately, that cost Spieth any chance of advancing, and this is the second consecutive year that Spieth, the 2015 FedExCup Tour Champion, failed to reach the BMW Championship. 

Another player who suffered heartbreak was Chris Kirk. Like Fowler, Kirk found himself on the outside looking in coming into the week, but played extremely well over the first three rounds to vault himself into the Top 50. But on Sunday, Kirk shot an even-par round of 70. 

A bogey on the 15th – after hitting his approach into the water – ultimately spelled doom for Kirk. A birdie on the final hole couldn't save him, and he finished as the "bubble boy," coming in at 51st in the FedExCup standings, one spot out of advancing.  The 50th and final spot went to J.T. Poston, who actually entered the week ranked 51st. 

The FedExCup playoffs continue next weekend at Caves Valley Golf Club in Maryland for the BMW Championship. Scottie Scheffler, the top-ranked player in the standings, is the heavy favorite.