The 2025 Wyndham Championship, the final regular-season event on the PGA Tour schedule, has kicked off at the historic Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina. This Donald Ross-designed course, measuring 7,131 yards with a par of 70, is hosting the tournament for the 17th time, offering a stern test to the 156-player field. Originally opened in the 1920s and restored in 2007, Sedgefield is ranked tied for 183rd on Golfweek's Best 2025: Top 200 Classic Courses list, making it a classic yet challenging venue for this pivotal event.
As the last chance for players to secure a spot in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, the stakes couldn't be higher. This year, only the top 70 players in the FedEx Cup standings will advance, a tighter cutoff compared to previous years when the top 100 qualified. With the playoffs set to begin August 7-10 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, the Wyndham Championship is a make-or-break moment for many.
Joel Dahmen electrified the opening round on Thursday, July 31, by firing a sizzling 61. Dahmen, who started on the back nine, carded a 3-under 32 on the front nine before making six birdies on his final nine holes, including an impressive streak of three consecutive birdies, to close with a 29. This remarkable round propelled him to the top of the leaderboard at nine-under par, vaulting him from No. 101 to No. 50 in the FedEx Cup standings. "I don't know if you ever see 61 coming, but I saw good golf coming," Dahmen said post-round. "If you take like four holes away last week, it was kind of going to be a top 5. Trending, as we like to say in golf, we're always trending, right, but we're actually trending, which is nice." Dahmen's performance sets an exciting tone for the week, as he looks to secure his place in the postseason and contend for the $1.476 million winner's share of the $8.2 million purse.
Trailing closely behind are Alex Noren at eight-under and a trio tied at seven-under: Cameron Young, Aaron Rai, and Nico Echavarria. Cameron Young's round was particularly eye-catching, as he shot a 7-under 63, finishing with six birdies over his last seven holes, including an incredible run of five straight birdies to close out his round. Young, long considered a promising talent yet to break through with a PGA Tour win, is making a strong case this week. Both Rai and Echavarria also carded 63s, making the leaderboard tightly packed and the race to the FedEx Cup top 70 even more intense.
Jordan Spieth provided one of the day's memorable moments on the 18th hole. Despite pulling his drive hard into the trees and barely grazing branches on his second shot before settling into a bunker, Spieth executed a superb sand shot and then sank a 14-foot putt to save par on the 495-yard par-4. Spieth's resilience exemplifies the competitive spirit on display at Sedgefield this week.
The field is brimming with talent, featuring 21 players ranked in the top 50 worldwide, including past major champions like Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, and Hideki Matsuyama. Scott, currently sitting on the outside looking in at No. 85 in the FedEx Cup standings, faces a do-or-die scenario. He openly embraces the pressure, calling it a "fun way to play." Scott, who has competed at Sedgefield seven times with two top-10 finishes, needs at least a two-way tie for third or better to secure his spot in the FedEx St. Jude Championship next week. Reflecting on his past heartbreak at the Wyndham, Scott recalled a six-man sudden-death playoff in 2021 where he missed a crucial 4-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole, eventually losing to Kevin Kisner on the second. "It really, it does sting," Scott said. "There are two putts I really feel strongly about in my career and that's one of them... Thinking back to it at the time, it hurt then but it kind of almost hurts more now because I haven't won since then either. It's not easy to win out here. You really do have to take advantage of those opportunities on TOUR because you just don't know when the next one's going to come." Scott's candidness adds a human element to the high-stakes competition unfolding at Sedgefield.
Adding to the drama, five former Alabama Crimson Tide golfers are competing this week, including Bud Cauley, Lee Hodges, Davis Riley, Nick Dunlap, and Trey Mullinax. Cauley, ranked No. 51 in the FedEx Cup standings, is playing his 18th PGA Tour event of the season and boasts six top-25 finishes, including a season-best third place at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Riley leads the Alabama contingent in experience with 24 events played this season and a runner-up finish at the PGA Championship. These players are not only vying for personal success but also representing their alma mater on this prominent stage.
The tournament format remains unchanged, with players competing in morning and afternoon waves during the first two rounds in threesomes. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the top 65 players and ties, who will then compete in the final two rounds with pairings based on their cumulative scores. The winner earns a two-season PGA Tour exemption, entry into other prestigious tournaments, 500 FedEx Cup points, and nearly 55.7 Official World Golf Ranking points. In the event of a tie after 72 holes, a sudden-death playoff will determine the champion, cycling through holes 18 twice, then 10 and 18 repeatedly until a winner emerges.
As the day progresses, forecasters have warned of possible storms in the Greensboro area, which could shake up the leaderboard and add an extra layer of challenge for the players. Television coverage is extensive, with Golf Channel, CBS, ESPN+, Paramount+, and PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM providing live broadcasts throughout the tournament.
On the FedEx Cup bubble, players like Rickie Fowler (No. 61) are expected to survive the cut, but many others near the cutoff—such as Emiliano Grillo, Cam Davis, Patrick Rodgers, and Matti Schmid—face tense battles to secure their postseason berths. Recent movers include Alex Noren, who climbed from No. 141 into the top 70 thanks to a strong showing at the 3M Open, and Kurt Kitayama, who vaulted from No. 110 to No. 53 after winning that event.
With so much on the line, the 2025 Wyndham Championship promises a thrilling conclusion to the PGA Tour's regular season. Whether it's the seasoned veterans like Adam Scott fighting to extend their seasons or rising stars like Joel Dahmen and Cameron Young making their mark, the drama is unfolding in Greensboro. As the players tee off under the watchful eyes of fans and broadcasters, every stroke counts in this high-stakes race to the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
