GREENSBORO, NC — Michael Brennan was far outside the FedEx Cup Playoffs and needed a career week at the Wyndham Championship to have any chance of getting inside the top 70.
He took control Sunday on the front 9 with five straight birdies to pull away from the field, notch his second career PGA Tour victory and jump 58 spots to 47th as the playoffs begin.
Brennan finished Sunday 22 under after a 6-under 64 to top Hossler by three strokes in the PGA Tour's regular season finale.
Hossler led or co-led after all three rounds at the Wyndham, but the win he needed to make the playoffs came up just short as he finished 72nd in the regular-season standings.
Brennan and Hossler began the day tied at 16 under, but birdies on Nos. 4 through 8 gave Brennan the lead
for good after Hossler took a brief lead with an eagle on the par-5 fifth. Hossler had two bogeys over the next 10 holes before birdies at 16 and 17. It was too late of a move as he finished with a 3-under 67.
Brennan solidified the victory with a birdie on the 18th to secure his first win since last year's Bank of Utah Championship. This one is bigger though because it earned him a spot in the Masters next April.
Ben James shot a final-round low 61 to finish third at 18-under while Kevin Yu finished fourth at 16-under. Harry Hall and Tom Kim tied for fifth at 15-under.
Sedgefield Country Club is just 25 miles down the road from Wake Forest, where Brennan won eight times during his collegiate career. He adds to a list of Wake Forest winners in the event, including Cameron Young (2025), Webb Simpson (2011), Scott Hoch (2001) and Lanny Wadkins (1983).
On the bubble
Rookie Jackson Koivun finished the regular season 70th for the final position in the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Koivun rode the bubble during his 1-over par 71 final round to finish 8-under and tied for 29th. He dropped to 71st after a bogey on the first, but after getting back to even par by the 6th hole, he remained inside the bubble.
"There's definitely some added pressure today, felt it coming down the stretch," Koivun said. "Just tried to stay committed and make good swings. Obviously I wanted to make the Playoffs and I knew that was a farfetched goal. If I told myself back in June that I would be sitting at 70 and waiting it out in Greensboro, I think I'd be pretty happy."
In just six events this season, he tied Tiger Woods for the fewest needed to make the playoffs. Woods made the 2008 field, placing 70th in the regular season when 125 players qualified.
The former Auburn standout has three top 25s and a win at the 3M Open two weeks ago.
Matti Schmid dropped two spots but made the playoffs in 69th while Ricky Castillo finished T-49 Sunday to place 68th in the playoffs.
Missing the FedEx Cup Playoffs
On the opposite side of the bubble, Steven Fisk finished 71st (after starting the week 69th), Matt Wallace 72nd and Keegan Bradley 73rd, breaking the Ryder Cup captain's 15-year playoff streak.
Other notables to miss include Jason Day (81st), whose 18-year showing came to an end after missing the Wyndham Championship cut, Brooks Koepka (95th) and Tony Finau (99th).
What's the first round of the FedEx Cup Playoffs?
The top 70 play next week in the FedEx St. Jude Championship before the field is cut down to 50 for the BMW Championship in St. Louis. It will be cut down to the final 30 for the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta.
Scottie Scheffler leads the standings, followed by Matthew Fitzpatrick, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clarke and Chris Gotterup.
Ryne Dennis is the Deep South Connect Team Editor for Gannett/USA Today and former sports editor in USA TODAY and the Athens Banner-Herald. Find him on X @RyneDennis and email at rdennis@onlineathens.com.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Michael Brennan wins Wyndham Championship, claims spot in FedEx Cup playoffs
