Wyndham Championship preview: Last chance to make playoff push

The PGA TOUR's regular season wraps up this week with the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in North Carolina.

With most of the top names opting to rest ahead of the playoffs, the drama at the event is centered more around the race for the top 70 slots in the FedEx Cup standings.

That's the number that'll qualify for next week's opening playoff event in Memphis, and there are several well-known players teeing it up this week currently on the outside looking in.

When: August 3-6
Where: Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, North Carolina

How to watch

Last year's result

The Tom Kim breakout officially reached its fever pitch at last year's event, with the 20-year-old firing an outrageous 61 in the final round to claim his first PGA TOUR victory by five shots. That win helped him become a TOUR member, gain the two-year exemption, and head to the playoffs.

Unfortunately, Kim won't be able to defend his title this year due to an ankle injury he battled through to finish tied for second at The Open two weeks ago. Despite that, Kim's standing will be fine for the FedEx Cup Playoffs, as he sits 14th in the current standings.

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Main reason to watch

Usually, we highlight three reasons to watch each event on TOUR, but there's really one main narrative that makes the Wyndham Championship must-see television. The PGA TOUR's decision to cut the playoff field from 125 to 70 has added incredible drama to the event, with a host of big names teetering on the bubble of not qualifying for next week's event.

The last five players currently qualified for the playoffs will be under intense pressure this week to hold onto their spots and make the trip to Memphis.

The first 11 players set to miss the playoffs include three different major champions.

The big news from this list would be Justin Thomas missing out on the playoffs. The two-time major champion hasn't finished outside the top seven in the FedEx Cup standings since 2016 but has plenty of work to do just to qualify. He currently sits 79th, 48 points out of the final qualification spot. He also has the added pressure of the upcoming Ryder Cup, as he currently sits 14th in the United States team standings. If he doesn't make the playoffs, his chances of being a captain's pick will drop drastically.

Shane Lowry's Ryder Cup hopes are likely safe regardless of whether he makes the top 70 or not, but the Irishman hasn't missed the playoffs since 2018.

Betting odds

Si Woo Kim +1,800
Hideki Matsuyama +2,000
Russell Henley +2,000
Sam Burns +2,000
Sungjae Im +2,000
Denny McCarthy +2,200
J.T. Poston +3,000
Shane Lowry +3,000
Aaron Rai +3,500
Justin Thomas +3,500
Alex Smalley +3,500
Ludvig Aberg +3,500
Adam Scott +4,000
Byeong Hun An +4,000
Cam Davis +4,000
Harris English +4,000
Stephan Jaeger +4,000

Odds via theScore Bet