Matti Schmid dramatically qualifies for FedExCup Playoffs

The top 70 players in the PGA Tour's season rankings, the FedExCup, qualify for the Tour's lucrative final series. Matti Schmid from Herzogenaurach went into the last tournament of the regular PGA Tour season exactly 70th in the rankings. It seemed as if he would be able to confirm his good year without any major problems and qualify for the first round of the play-off tournaments for the first time. He started the final round in 13th place, but was five over Par after twelve holes on Sunday.

That would have put the 27-year-old out of the running. But Schmid is not known for losing his nerve. With four Birdies on the last six holes, three of them in a row on the last three holes, he saved himself at the finish. As 31st in the Wyndham Championship, which was won by Cameron Young, Schmid retains 70th place in the FedEx Cup and is allowed to compete for the first time in the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first of the three play-off tournaments.

"With a bit of luck" into the FedExCup Playoffs

"I obviously didn't play particularly well today," the PGA Tour quoted the multiple European champion as saying. "I had a few difficulties with my game, but I hung in there and the putts finally started to fall towards the end. I just battled through and was pretty confident today that I would get a good result. Yes, maybe with a bit of luck."

Schmid will be joined by Stephan Jäger from Munich when the season's best players battle it out for a total of more than 100 million dollars at stake in the three final tournaments. Sepp Straka from Vienna will be third in the ranking and has a good chance of securing a share of the bonus pool that will be paid out to the best players at the end of the playoffs in addition to the prize money from the tournaments.