RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The FedEx Cup playoffs are when PGA Tour golf gets serious.
Down the final stretch, there’s zero room for error. One bad swing or missed putt can wipe out four days of brilliant golf, while one clutch shot can turn a tight battle into a career-defining win.
That kind of pressure has delivered some legendary finishes over the years. Players have had to pull off miracle shots from terrible lies, sink monster putts and survive sudden-death playoffs in front of roaring crowds with everything on the line.
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The closing holes tell the whole story. A player can look completely out of it one minute, only to flip the leaderboard on its head the next. When the heat is on, even a basic routine shot can feel like the heaviest moment of the entire season.
That’s what makes these finishes so special. It’s not just about lifting a trophy, it’s about who can handle the absolute highest level of pressure when there’s nowhere left to hide.
From crazy comebacks to flat-out impossible shots, here are the most electric playoff finishes in FedEx Cup playoffs history.
5. Rory McIlroy, 2016 Tour Championship
Rory McIlroy plays his shot from the first tee during the first round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship golf tournament. Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images Rory McIlroy needed a big finish at the 2016 Tour Championship. His FedEx Cup hopes depended on winning the tournament.
McIlroy found himself trailing late in the final round. Then came the 16th hole.
From 137 yards in the fairway, McIlroy holed his approach for eagle. The shot changed the entire tournament. He followed it with a birdie on the 18th.
That finish forced a three-man playoff with Ryan Moore and Kevin Chappell. McIlroy stayed alive through three playoff holes. On the fourth extra hole, he buried a 15-foot birdie putt to win. His huge roar showed exactly what the moment meant.
McIlroy won the Tour Championship and the $10 million FedEx Cup prize.
4. Tiger Woods, 2018 Tour Championship
Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links GC tees off during match against Los Angeles Golf Club during the TGL finals at SoFi Center. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect Tiger Woods entered the 2018 Tour Championship with a chance to win his first tournament since 2013.
The victory would also mark his 80th PGA Tour title. Woods held the 54-hole lead at East Lake and had to close the deal on Sunday.
His final hole became one of the most famous scenes in FedEx Cup history.
As Woods walked toward the 18th green, thousands of fans broke through the ropes. The crowd followed him down the fairway in a massive stampede.
Woods then tapped in for par to complete the victory. The celebration showed how much his return meant to golf fans.
Justin Rose birdied the 18th at the same time. That result gave Rose the overall FedEx Cup title, but Woods’ closing scene remains unforgettable.
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3. Patrick Cantlay, 2021 BMW Championship
Patrick Cantlay lines up a putt on the ninth green during the third round of the Rocket Classic golf tournament. Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images The 2021 BMW Championship at Caves Valley turned into a battle between Patrick Cantlay and Bryson DeChambeau.
Cantlay shot a final-round 66 to reach 27-under par. DeChambeau matched him, sending the tournament into a playoff.
The extra-hole battle lasted six holes. DeChambeau repeatedly drove the ball 40 to 50 yards farther than Cantlay.
That distance put constant pressure on Cantlay. He answered with outstanding iron play and clutch putting.
Cantlay had already produced one of the best putting weeks of the ShotLink era. He gained more than 14 strokes with the putter during the tournament.
His putting stayed sharp when the pressure peaked. Cantlay kept matching DeChambeau and eventually won the marathon playoff.
The performance helped create his famous “Patty Ice” reputation. Then, he followed the BMW title with a Tour Championship win to close out the FedEx Cup crown.
2. Bill Haas, 2011 Tour Championship
Bill Haas eyes his second shot on 15 during the third round of the Myrtle Beach Classic golf tournament. Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Few shots in FedEx Cup history compare with what Bill Haas did at East Lake in 2011 .
Haas faced Hunter Mahan in a sudden-death playoff. The TOUR Championship and the overall FedEx Cup title were both at stake.
On the second playoff hole, Haas found trouble on the par-4 17th. His ball rolled down the bank and stopped partly submerged in the water hazard.
Mahan was safely on the green. Haas appeared to be in serious trouble.
Instead of taking the easy way out, Haas played the ball from the water. He struck it cleanly and somehow controlled the shot perfectly.
The ball came out, reached the green and stopped about 2 feet from the hole. Haas saved par and kept his season alive. He then won on the next hole.
The win earned him the FedEx Cup and nearly a $11.5 million payday.
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1. Jon Rahm, 2020 BMW Championship
Jon Rahm of Legion XIII reacts to making his putt on the 18th green in a playoff hole during the finals of the LIV Golf Michigan Team Championship at The Cardinal at Saint John’s Resort. Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Jon Rahm’s finish at the 2020 BMW Championship stands above the rest.
Rahm had played brilliant golf over the weekend at Olympia Fields. He shot 66 and 64 in the final two rounds and reached 4-under par.
Dustin Johnson still had one chance on the 72nd hole.
Johnson faced a 43-foot birdie putt with a playoff spot on the line. He rolled it in. The massive putt tied Rahm and seemed certain to change the tournament.
Rahm had one answer. On the first playoff hole, the players returned to the 18th. Rahm faced a 66-foot putt that crossed a ridge before running downhill to...
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