What do players on the FedEx Cup bubble need to do to break into the top 30?

The PGA Tour returns to Colorado for the first time in a decade this week for the BMW Championship, the semi-final event of the FedEx Cup season.

The top 50 golfers in the FedEx Cup points standings will battle it out at Castle Pines Golf Club outside of Denver. Castle Pines measures about 8,130 yards — the longest course in PGA Tour history — but will play about 7,300 after adjusting for elevation.

The PGA Tour last visited Castle Pines for the last edition of The International, a modified Stableford scoring event, in 2006.

“It’s a long journey, I’ll tell you that,” said Patrick Cantlay, two-time BMW Championship winner. “There’s going to be some tired caddies at the end of this week with the ups and downs and 8,100 yards. The ball is moving forward, but we have to go all the way.”

The top 30 golfers in the FedEx Cup after Sunday’s final round will advance to next week’s Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, where the winner will collect a whopping $25 million in $100 million in bonuses. FedEx Cup. The top 30 golfers will also receive a two-year exemption from the PGA Tour and access to four major tournaments in 2025.

World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler can stay atop the points (and start the Tour Championship with a two-stroke lead over everyone else) if he finishes fourth or better alone at the BMW Championship. Xander Schauffele, who captured his first two majors at the PGA Tour and The Open, could overtake Scheffler if he wins and Scheffler finishes in a tie for fourth or worse, according to the PGA Tour.

“Fortunately, I had a good regular season, so I’m in a restless situation but I can play in a structured way and hold my place,” said Schauffele. “I might win this week but not take Scottie, with how many times he finishes in the top 10, and the number of points we get.”

Here’s a closer look at some of the top 30 golfers on the bubble and those outside of it who have work to do at Castle Pines Golf Club, including where they’ll need to finish to have a chance:

30. Denny McCarthy

With 5,168 FedEx Cup points, McCarthy is just three points ahead of Tommy Fleetwood at the top. He will be on the books at the BMW Championship, where he started in the second leg of the FedEx Cup qualifiers last year. He finished 33rd in points and missed his first Tour Championship appearance. He’s playing through a torn labrum in his left hip that will likely require surgery in the offseason, but that didn’t stop him from throwing a ninth in Memphis last week.

31. Tommy Fleetwood (Needs 2-over 48 or better to play in Tour Championship)

The Englishman won a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, but it has been a season on the road. He is tied for third at the Masters and 16th at the US Open. He has just three top-10s in 17 starts and none since finishing at Augusta National Golf Club in April.

32. Chris Kirk (Two-way tie for 42nd)

Kirk picked up his fourth PGA Tour win earlier in the season at The Sentry in Hawai’i. However, the former Georgia star has had one top-10 finish since — a tie for 10th at the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, on April 21. He’s ranked 154th suddenly: putting (- .434) , which was a big reason for his slide.

36. Matt Fitzpatrick (solo 25th)

The 2022 US Open winner was dealing with a right thumb injury, which ruled him out of the Olympics after scoring a 10-over 81 in the third round at Le Golf National outside Paris. He tied for fifth at the Memorial in early June, but then had 36 straight lines or more. He looked better when he tied for 18th in Memphis last week.

37. Will Zalatoris (two-way tie for 24th)

Last week’s draw for 12th was a positive development for Zalatoris, who has spent much of the past two years undergoing back surgery. He missed the cut or withdrew in five of six tournaments before finishing 9-under at TPC Southwind. Another positive sign: Zalatoris scored strokes off the tee (.445), approach (.114), near the green (.123) and putting (.514) last week.

39. Cameron Young (solo 23rd)

It’s been a breakout season for Young, who finished second at the Valspar Championship and tied for ninth at the Masters this spring. He also has seven finishes outside the top 50, including a tie for 61st at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The 2022 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year is one of the longest hitters of all time, but he is suddenly 142nd: putting (-.288).

41. Adam Scott (two-way tie for 20th)

The 44-year-old Australian’s game has been on the rise for the past month. He was second in singles at the Scottish Open, tied for 10th at The Open and 18th at FedEx St. Jude Championship. He went from 67 to 41 in FedEx points and is in position to return to East Lake Golf Club for the 13th time in his career. Scott made his PGA Tour debut in the US at Castle Pines Golf Club in August 2000, missing the cut at the International.

43. Max Homa (18th solo)

Homa has won twice in back-to-back seasons and got off to a promising start with a tie for eighth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and third at the Masters this past spring. But it’s been a struggle of late, with Homa’s last five starts without a win and four finishes of 43rd or higher. He struggled from the tee, hitting only 55.9% of fairways.

48. Nick Dunlap (11th solo)

After becoming the first freshman to win a PGA Tour event since Phil Mickelson at The American Express on Jan. 21, the former Alabama star predictably struggled at times as a rookie. He missed the cut at the Masters, the PGA Championship and the US Open. But Dunlap fought back to win the Barracuda Championship and tied for fifth last week, moving him up 20 spots in the FedEx Cup points standings.

50. Keegan Bradley (two-way tie for ninth)

Aside from runner-up finishes at the Sony Open in Hawai’i in January and the Charles Schwab Challenge in late May, it has been an uneventful season for Bradley, who will captain next year’s US Ryder Cup team. The 2018 BMW Championship winner has finished in the top 25 in his last seven starts since finishing five strokes behind Davis Riley at the Charles Schwab Challenge.