Wyndham Championship 2025 Preview, Picks & Analysis

What do Victor Perez, Max Homa, Sam Ryder, Zach Johnson, Brandt Snedeker, Matt Kuchar, Thorbjorn Olesen, Cameron Champ, Thriston Lawrence, Alex Noren, Webb Simpson and Matteo Manassero all have in common?

Each and every one of them ranks outside the top 100 in the FedEx Cup standings. Golf has no respect for reputations and as they head to Sedgefield Country Club for this week’s Wyndham Championship, time is fast running out for these individuals as only those inside the top 100 will retain their full playing rights for 2026.

After the final putt has been holed, the top 100 in the standings will be able to breathe a sigh of relief. The top 70 will move on to the FedEx St Jude Classic, with those being whittled down to 50 for the BMW Championship before the top 30 battle it out for much gold at the Tour Championship at East Lake.

So there is much to play for this week - and not just for those battling for their futures. The clock is also ticking for those with Ryder Cup aspirations.

Twelve months ago England’s Aaron Rai changed his life by winning the Wyndham, his first PGA Tour title. Rai won by two shots after Max Greyserman crumbled late in the final round.

Rai finished with a six-under 64 having carded a two-under 68 earlier on during a day in which everyone played at least 36 holes due to Thursday being wiped out by inclement weather and delays also seen on Friday and Saturday.

Rai said: "It truly is a dream come true. So many people have played a huge role in me being at this point. There's a huge team behind me and I wouldn't be here without all of them. I am just extremely happy and grateful to be here and to surrounded by great people."

JJ Spaun and Japan's Ryo Hisatsume shared third place on 15 under, three strokes adrift of Rai, while halfway leader Kuchar tied 12th on 11 under par after returning to the course to complete his final hole on Monday.

It meant Kuchar missed out on the FedExCup Playoffs for the first time since the series' inception in 2007. He had to win to extend his season. This time, there is rather more on the line for the 47-year-old veteran.

His 570-plus PGA Tour appearances, nine wins and $61m in prize money will count for nothing. Only a victory will do this week. He will draw some hope from his tied fifth at the John Deere Classic, his sole top-20 finish of 2025. But it all looks to be an uphill task for the American.

He will no doubt be able to count on several sponsor’s invitations in 2026, but for the the likes of Perez, Olesen, Manassero and Lawrence the future looks very different. It is highly likely that they will all be heading back to the DP World Tour next season. Lawrence’s failure to make the grade in America has been a mystery. The South African, who has enjoyed tremendous success in Europe, has looked completely out of his depth on the other side of the Atlantic.

Frenchman Perez has flattered to deceive. There have been times where he looks like he belongs but, like Lawrence, he has been unable to string together enough performances to keep his card. In truth, I always believed that Manassero would struggle to keep his playing rights on the PGA Tour. His return to form in 2024 was one of the year’s feel-good stories but he has always battled to find consistency, especially in recent years. The PGA Tour is an unforgiving grind, as the Italian has discovered.

In truth, Simpson and Snedeker’s best days are long behind them. They have been left behind by the new generation of PGA Tour pros who smash the ball into the middle of next week. For a time, it looked like Champ might be a superstar in the making but he has lost his way.

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

At the other end of the scale, Robert MacIntyre and Matt Fitzpatrick have their eyes on rather loftier prizes. Fitzpatrick now looks to have put two years of pain behind him with some superb recent displays at both the Scottish Open and Open Championship. It has seen him secure his place in the top 50 in the FedEx Cup standings and has thrown him back into the frame for a Ryder Cup place - something that looked to be unthinkable just a couple of months ago. He will now be looking to do enough to get into the top 30 for East Lake.

MacIntyre has no such concerns. Although he has yet to win in 2025, his runner-up finish at the US Open and his play at Royal Portrush have locked down his place in both the Ryder Cup team and the field for the Tour Championship. 

Tournament Winners:

It was won in 2015 by Davis Love, in 2016 by Si Woo Kim, in 2017 by Henrik Stenson, in 2018 by Brandt Snedeker, in 2019 by JT Poston, in 2020 by Jim Herman, in 2021 by Kevin Kisner, in 2022 by Tom Kim, in 2023 by Lucas Glover and last year by Aaron Rai.

The Course:

Sedgefield Country Club was designed by the legendary Donald Ross. It is a par 70 measuring 7,127 yards. The tournament record winning score is 258, achieved by Stenson and Poston, so get ready to see some very low scores. In 2018, Snedeker shot a 59 on his way to a second victory here.

Form Guide:

From nowhere, Matt Fitzpatrick has rediscovered his mo-jo. Fine play at the Rocket Classic, Scottish Open and The Open has changed everything and another win is surely just around the corner.

Prize Money:

Total prize money is $8.2m with around $1.5m and 500 FedEx Cup points going to the winner.

How to Watch:

Thursday, July 1, Sky Sports Golf, 7pm; Friday, August 1, Sky Sports Golf, 7pm; Saturday, August 2, Sky Sports Golf, 7pm; Sunday, August 3, Sky Sports Golf, 7pm.

To Win:

Matt Fitzpatrick. Back to his best

Each Way:

Robert MacIntyre. Desperate for a win

Each Way:

Ben Griffin. Class act

Five to Follow:

Matt Fitzpatrick. Everything has changed

Robert MacIntyre. Full of self-belief

Ben Griffin. Enjoying a wonderful year

Aaron Rai. As consistent as they come

Max Homa. Fighting for his future