Countdown to FedEx Cup Playoffs, Ryder Cup, more golf news - ESPN

It's the last week before the start of the FedEx Cup Playoffs on the PGA Tour, and before the final women's major championship of the season, the AIG Women's Open at Walton Heath Golf Club in Surrey, England.

And there's another LIV Golf League event in West Virginia.

A handful of PGA Tour stars, including Justin Thomas, Shane Lowry and Adam Scott, will try to make a push at this week's Wyndham Championship to crack the top 70 in FedEx Cup points to make the playoffs.

That's not the only thing at stake this week in professional golf. There's also positioning for the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup later in late September.

Here's what to watch in professional golf this week:

Wyndham Championship When: Thursday-Sunday Where: Sedgefield Country Club Greensboro, North Carolina Defending champion: Tom Kim Purse: $7.6 million

Playoff spots on the line: The top 70 players in the FedEx Cup points list after Sunday's final round will advance to next week's FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, the first leg of the playoffs. That's down from the 125 players who qualified for the first of three playoff tournaments in recent seasons. The top 50 will make the BMW Championship, and the top 30 will finish the season at the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

Rookie Austin Eckroat is currently in 70th with 594 points. Ben Taylor (592), Garrick Higgo (586), K.H. Lee (567), David Lingmerth (561) and Davis Thompson (559) are right behind him.

There are a few familiar names who need to play well this week to make the playoffs. Lowry is 76th in points with 556; Thomas is 79th (546), Scott is 81st (517), Joel Dahmen is 82nd (515), Gary Woodland is 97th (436) and Billy Horschel is 116th (350). All of them are in this week's