How important is finishing inside the top 50 of the FedExCup standings?

Look no further than Rickie Fowler.

Fowler wasn’t exempt for the PGA Tour’s signature events this season, though the veteran earned his way into seven of them via sponsor exemptions. Of the 665 points he racked up during the regular season, approximately 318 came from Fowler’s signature starts, which included just two top-15 finishes, the best a T-7 at the Memorial.

On Sunday in Memphis, Fowler tied for sixth in the FedEx St. Jude Championship to move from No. 64 to No. 48, qualifying for not only next week’s BMW Championship but all of next season’s signature events.

“Being that I got a handful of spots this year, which I'm incredibly grateful for, unfortunately I really didn't take advantage of many of those opportunities up until Jack's event,” Fowler said. “Didn't play that well in any of them. Those elevated fields and maybe some more points, I didn't really get them. But it was great to have a tee time in them this year, and didn't really want to bank on that for next year. Yeah, nice to be in a position where we'll be able to be back in those and not have to write notes and calls and ask for favors.”

Fowler was one of five players to play their way into the top 50 this week. That meant that five players dropped out, a group that included Jordan Spieth, who like Fowler, received several sponsor exemptions as he made six signature starts after returning from wrist surgery.

Spieth dropped from No. 48 to No. 54 after posting at T-38 finish.

IN
Kurt Kitayama – 52 -> 37
Bud Cauley – 53 -> 46
Rickie Fowler – 64 -> 48
Jhonattan Vegas – 56 -> 49
J.T. Poston – 51 -> 50

OUT
Aldrich Potgieter – 43 -> 52
Jordan Spieth – 48 -> 54
Jake Knapp – 47 -> 55
Wyndham Clark – 49 -> 56
Min Woo Lee – 50 -> 57