Five hundred FedExCup points, $1.08 million and a 2027 PGA Tour card are all up for grabs at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, which tees off Thursday with zero top-50 players in the world. The stars stayed home. The stress did not.
The PGA Tour’s own facts and figures confirm that no one ranked in the world top 50 or the FedExCup top 25 is in the field at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton. The big names are saving themselves for the Hero World Challenge field and other end-of-year showcases. So who shows up? Mostly players with something to prove.
The tournament runs Oct. 22-25 with a $6 million purse, and 120 players are chasing it, according to Golf Channel’s field report. Adam Schenk returns to defend his title after winning last year at 12 under.
Why the PGA Tour Bermuda event matters more than the field suggests
Here’s the thing: the fall schedule decides who keeps a job. Players are fighting to finish inside the top 100 of the FedExCup fall standings, because that sets 2027 PGA Tour cards.
For a golfer on the bubble, 500 points is not a nice bonus. It is a lifeline.
That is also why a weak-looking field can produce a wild leaderboard. Nobody here is cruising, and the Bermuda Championship rewards anyone who treats it like a final exam. The PGA Tour’s sponsor headaches may grab headlines elsewhere, but the cards on the line here are the real story.
What it means for you
If you care about who will be on the Tour next year, this is where those names get decided. The players fighting for 2027 cards this week are the ones you will see in your weekly broadcasts in January. Their fall results set their schedules, their sponsors and their paychecks. Watching the bubble now means recognizing the next breakout story before everyone else does.
Port Royal tournament history: past champions to watch
Five former winners are in the field: Brendon Todd (2019), Seamus Power (2022), Camilo Villegas (2023), Rafael Campos (2024) and Schenk (2025). Their local knowledge matters on a course where the wind can change everything.
The Golf News Net lists Corey Conners, Eric Cole and Alrich Potgieter among the headliners.
The storylines to watch
Amateur Austin Lemieux, 30, makes his PGA Tour debut. He is the son of NHL Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux and earned his spot by shooting 6 under in the open qualifier. Per the Tour, that is a real, earned tee time, not a sponsor’s exemption.
Then there is Kihei Akina, 20. He needs 10 more PGA Tour University Accelerated points to earn his Tour card. If he gets there, he becomes only the fourth player to do it through that pathway.
Round 1 coverage starts at 1 p.m. ET Thursday on Golf Channel, with the final round Sunday.
For Akina, 10 points is the difference between a card and another year of grinding. That is how thin the margin is at Port Royal this week.
