Rahm leads the way as PGA Tour playoffs begin at Memphis

WASHINGTON: Reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm, the season points leader, will be the player to catch when the PGA Tour FedEx Cup playoffs begin Thursday at the St. Jude Championship.

The top 70 players from the season will tee off at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, hoping to be among 50 who advance to next week’s BMW Championship, from which the top 30 will reach the Tour Championship in two weeks at East Lake in Atlanta.

Rahm has never won the playoff top prize, which this year is $18 million from a prize money pool of $75 million.

If he can keep the points lead through the next two events, Rahm will get a two-stroke edge to start the Tour Championship over the No. 2 points holder, who at this point is American Scottie Scheffler, just ahead of three-time playoff winner and defending champion Rory McIlroy.

“You want to win every time we tee it up, but yeah, the goal is to try to get to East Lake as No.1 and enjoy that two-shot lead,” Rahm said Tuesday.

Rahm knows how much the extra strokes can matter. In 2021, he lost the Tour Championship by a stroke to Patrick Cantlay even though he played the four rounds in three fewer shots than the American.

“It has always made a difference,” Rahm said. “It made a difference when I finished second place. It’s the reason why they give it to you, so if we can take advantage of it, it would be nice.”

Top-ranked Scheffler, second-ranked McIlroy and world No. 3 Rahm will play together in the first two rounds.

Rahm has enjoyed an epic year with four titles, taking the Tournament of Champions and American Express titles in January, the Genesis at Riviera in February and his second major title in April at Augusta National. He also shared second last month at the British Open.