Its the time of the year that PGA Tour players and their fans have been waiting for, the start of the 2021 FedEx Cup Playoffs, the nearly-month long race to crown the FedEx Cup Champion.
The top 125 players in the FedEx Cup rankings flock this week to Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey for the The Northern Trust. The field is packed with talent, many want to get ahead in the rankings this week and will push hard for a good finish or even a win this week.
HOW THE FEDEX CUP PLAYOFFS WORK
The Playoffs consist of three events: The Northern Trust, which hosts the Top 125 players in the rankings, the BMW Championship, which hosts the Top 70 and finally the Tour Championship, which hosts the Top 30. The last two events of the playoffs also feature no weekend cut, due to the smaller field size.
To win the FedEx Cup, a player must finish 1st in the FedEx Cup rankings, as assessed after the Tour Championship. A $70 million prize fund is then distributed. At stake for winning the FedEx Cup is $15 million of that fund and a five year PGA Tour exemption, as well as joining an elite list of players to have won the FedEx Cup.
A second place finish will net you $5 million, a third place finish $4 million and so on. The top 150 players receive a portion of the fund, with players ranked 126th to 150 receiving $70,000.
What is interesting note however is that players outside the top 10 do not actually receive the money as cash, as they would any other tournament. Instead, their payout is put into a retirement account and only accessible at age 45 or older.
HISTORY OF THE NORTHERN TRUST
The Northern Trust was first contested back in 1967, when it was known as the Westchester Classic and a regular season event. Since then, the tournament has undergone several name changes, most notably being called The Barclays since the inception of the FedEx Cup Playoffs until 2017, when it switched to its current name.
A number of courses are used in rotation for The Northern Trust, all which are located in the New England area. These include TPC Boston, Ridgewood, Bethpage Black, Glen Oaks and Westchester Country Club.
Due to the exclusivity of getting in, the tournament has had several high profile winners over the years, including Vijay Singh (4 times), Dustin Johnson (3 times), Patrick Reed (2 times), Bryson DeChambeau and Jason Day.
The Northern Trust should not be confused with the former Northern Trust Open, which is now known as the Genesis Invitational.
LIBERTY NATIONAL GOLF CLUB
Liberty National is a relatively new course, having been completed in 2006. Designed by Robert Cupp and Tom Kite, the build cost over $250 million, making it one of the most expensive courses in history. It also features a modern-style clubhouse designed by Lindsay Newman Architecture & Design, and many other country club accommodations.
The course has hosted The Northern Trust three times prior to this year, in 2009, 2013 and 2019. However, it underwent extensive renovations after the 2009 event to decrease its difficulty, as a result of negative feedback from players. The changes included re-countouring many of the greens and moving tee boxes, to provide flexibility to the course. For the 2021 tournament, it will play as a par 71, measuring 7,410 yards.
The course is also known for its spectacular views of both the Manhatten skyline and the Statue of Liberty, which sites just over a mile away from its shores.
OUR PICKS THIS WEEK
Making picks for the FedEx Cup playoff events is always a tough thing to do. The quality of the field is so high and players always seem to be at the top of their game these weeks. But putting that aside, here's who we think will win The Northern Trust this year:
1) Phil Mickelson
2) Dustin Johnson
3) Collin Morikawa
Mickelson is a playing member of Liberty National and knows the course well; a sure advantage over many in the field this week. Johnson played at the Wyndham Championship last week and finished T10, hopefully he can transfer that momentum into this week. He's also the defending FedEx Cup Champion. And finally, Morikawa has had a spectacular season so far, capped by his Open Championship win and T4 at the Olympics, but a win this week will make him the favourite to win the FedEx Cup.
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Play kicks off early Thursday morning. Who do you think will win this week, let us know in the comments below.
Also stay tuned Friday evening for our Weekend Update post to see what the storylines are heading into the weekend.
-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews
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