Icon SportswireSeptember 25, 2016: Rory McIlroy with the Fedex Cup Trophy and the Tour Championship trophy after winning on the 4th playoff hole at the final round of the 2016 PGA Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)This week, the FedEx Cup Playoffs begin at The Northern Trust at Glen Oaks Club in Old Westbury, N.Y. So, how did we get here? Since the beginning of the FedEx Cup, even amongst the most passionate of golf fans, there's been confusion around how the season long race works, and how a player can ultimately win the top prize at the Tour Championship. Hopefully, we can answer some of those questions for you.
What is the FedEx Cup?The FedEx Cup is a trophy awarded to the player who ends the season in first place of the FedEx Cup standings.
What are the FedEx Cup Playoffs?The FedEx Cup Playoffs are a series of four $8 million tournaments that are played at the end of the PGA Tour season and det..

Sam GreenwoodSam Burns plays a shot on the first hole during the final round of the Barbasol Championship in July. He would break 70 in all four rounds of the PGA Tour event and finish T-6.After winning the Jack Nicklaus Award as the Division I college player of the year in June, Sam Burns did what a lot of talented collegiate golfers do: He announced he would not be returning to school for his junior year at LSU this fall, but instead would turn pro. However, the 21-year-old from Shreveport, La., has one more accomplishment he wanted to achieve before making the formal jump: play for the U.S. team in the Walker Cup. So he announced he wouldn't be turning pro until the end of the summer, hoping that his impressive college resume would be enough for him to make squad.
Turns out the wait was for naught as Burns’ name was not among the 10 listed Sunday night when the USGA unveiled the 2017 U.S. team at the conclusion of the U.S. Amateur Championship.
The decision came as a surprise t..

Peter Byrne – PA ImagesEngland's Alfie Plant and his caddie walk from the second tee during Saturday's third round of the 2017 Open Championship.The past two British Amateur champions, Harry Ellis and Scott Gregory, along with Alfie Plant, the low amateur at the Open Championship last month at Royal Birkdale, highlight the 10-player Great Britain & Ireland team set to play in the upcoming Walker Cup against the United States at Los Angeles Country Club.
“We have been very impressed with the performances of many of the GB&I players so far this season and it has been a difficult decision to select only 10 players,” said GB&I captain Craig Watson in a press release.”
The GB&I side will be looking to keep the Cup after winning convincingly at Royal Lytham in 2015, 16½-9½, the largest margin of victory over the Americans since the biennial matches began in 1922.
Here's the complete team:
David Boote, 23, Walton Heath, Wales
Jack Davidson, 20, Llanwern, Wales
Harry Ellis, 21, ..

Stuart FranklinJuli Inkster, Captain of Team USA leads her team's celebration during the final day singles matches of the 2017 Solheim Cup.Welcome to the Dew Sweeper, your one-stop shop to catch up on the weekend action from the golf world. From the professional tours, trending news, social media headlines and upcoming events, here's every golf-related thing you need to know for the morning of August 21.
Americans lap Europeans at Solheim Cup
This year's Solheim Cup lacked the drama and theatrics of its predecessor, but — thanks to the exploits put forth by the Americans — the event did not fall short in entertainment. After an utterly dominating two-day display in Des Moines, Juli Inkster's squad took care of business on Sunday, earning six of 12 available points to win and retain the cup by a 16½-11½ margin.
Entering the day with a five-point lead, the Yankee tone was set early by Lexi Thompson, who recovered from a 4-down deficit to halve her match. Followed up..