Adam Scott has some work to do as he strives to extend one of golf's most extraordinary streaks at the opening event of the PGA Tour's $US100 million ($A150 million) FedExCup playoffs.
Scott is the only player in the 70-man field at this week's FedEx St Jude Championship who has competed in each of the sport's insanely rich season-ending playoffs since their inception in 2007.
But since only the top 50 in the standings come Sunday will qualify for next week's BMW Championship - and with Scott currently occupying 46th spot - Australia's former world No.1 needs a decent result in Memphis.
On form, that shouldn't be a problem after the 43-year-old wound back the clock to produce some vintage links golf and finish runner-up at last month's Scottish Open before adding another top-10 at the British Open.
The 2013 Masters champion is among four Aussies teeing up on Thursday, joining Jason Day, Cam Davis and Min Woo Lee in the elite field.
Day is well positioned in the season-long standings in 26th place, with Davis also in the top-50 cut-off zone at 44th courtesy of his second PGA Tour triumph at the Rocket Mortgage Challenge.
Lee, though, needs to make up ground to advance to the BMW Championship and remain in the hunt for the $US25 million ($A37.75 million) bonanza for winning the 30-man Tour Championship in Atlanta.
He is sitting in 62nd spot and probably needs a top-10 result, at least, this week to extend his maiden season with full playing rights on the PGA Tour.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler, fresh off a seventh win of the year at the Paris Olympics, will take a significant lead on the standings into the first playoff event.
His six regular tour tournament victories in 2024 include the Masters, the Players Champinship and four signature events.
Fellow American Xander Schauffele is second after claiming the first two major titles of his career at Royal Troon last month and the PGA Championship in May.
Triple FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy is third and still well in the hunt to add a fourth crown to his 2016, 2019 and 2022 triumphs after already winning twice this year.
Four rookies have also qualified for the first leg: the 16th-ranked Matthieu Pavon of France, No.47 Max Greyserman, No.47 Jake Knapp and No.67 Nick Dunlap, all of the US.
