FEDEXCUP PLAYOFFS POISED FOR THRILLING FINALE

Should you be one of those people who occasionally looks at the calendar and wonders where the time has gone, ask yourself this:

- Jim McCabe

How must hundreds of PGA TOUR players feel, given that when the first of July rolled around, it signaled that the playoffs were basically at the threshold and many of them were in danger of missing out.

For some heralded names most notably Rickie Fowler and Jason Day-the approaching FedExCup Playoffs mean they can smile and feel massively satisfied. That's because at 34 and 35, respectively, they can take enormous pride in a resurgence, of sorts.

Fowler ranked outside the Top 125 in 202021 and 2021-22, though he did squeak into the playoffs last year thanks to a rash of moves when some players withdrew their memberships in 2022. It felt like a gift when Fowler was able to tee it up at the Playoffs opener, but no gift is needed this year. The man who favors orange was sitting No. 8 when early July came around.

Day, meanwhile, sat 14th in the standings entering the John Deere Classic and with only six weeks to gets points, the FedExCup picture is looking quite sweet to the former world No. 1 from Australia. Not that Day has missed the playoffs like Fowler, but he limped into post-season play ranked 124th a year ago and he's been a far cry from the dominant force of 2013-18.

In fact, instead of the attitude Day had a year ago when he snuck into the playoffs and grew tired of answering reporters' questions in late June, early July - "It does nothing for me to look ahead," he is in cruise control and can count on making it to the TOUR Championship August 24 to 27.

Winning, of course, helps change your fortunes on the PGA TOUR, and Fowler (Rocket Mortgage Classic) and Day (the AT&T Byron Nelson) achieved their first wins since 2019 and 2018, respectively. But remarkable consistency has also paid off - Fowler has a second and six other Top 10s; Day has piled up seven Top 10s - for these two comeback kids.