Denver native Mark Hubbard falls just short of making PGA Tour playoffs, but posts one of his best finishes ever on that circuit
By Gary Baines – 8/3/2025
Mark Hubbard had to do something exceptional to make the PGA Tour’s FedExCup playoffs after coming into the final week of the regular season sitting 98th in the season-long points standings, but needing to be in the top 70 to advance after the Wyndham Championship, which wrapped up on Sunday in Greensboro, N.C.
Specifically, the Denver native had to finish in a tie for second or better at the Wyndham to have a chance of qualifying for the playoffs.
As it turned out, the Colorado Academy graduate made a very strong run on Sunday after coming into the day in 13th place. And while he did fall just short of advancing to next week’s FedExCup playoff opener in Memphis — though he was inside the top 70 for a time after finishing his round — he still recorded one of his best finishes ever on the PGA Tour.
The 36-year-old shot a bogey-free 7-under-par 63 on Sunday, and after all else had shaken out of the leaderboard an hour and a half later, Hubbard tied for third on Sunday.
“I’m so proud of myself I played so well today,” Hubbard said.
“That was the best maybe I’ve ever felt with my tempo, which is something that I struggle with from time to time. I don’t know what happened
or what I did to make that feel so good. I’m going to think long and hard about it because I want to replicate that as often as I can.”
Though Cameron Young ran away from the field for his first PGA Tour victory, Hubbard’s showing matched his second-best on that circuit in 255 starts there. He placed second in the 2019 Houston Open and has three previous third-place finishes.
Hubbard was philosophical in a post-round interview with CBS regarding being on the FedExCup playoff bubble. Missed putts of 14 feet on No. 17 and 19 feet on No. 18 proved crucial in his bid for a playoff spot.
“If it happens, great. I’ll go sweat Memphis,” he said. “If not, I get to go home, which honestly is what I really want to do. I know that sounds terrible because I know people would kill to be in my position, but I haven’t been home in too long. So it’s going to be good either way. Every (FedExCup) point counts. Worst case, I just bettered my position for the Fall (Series).”
Hubbard was very much in a groove with his tee-to-green game and mid-range putting on Sunday, and he converted six putts between 9-15 feet. He started and finished the tournament with 63s and ended up at 15 under par, seven behind Young.
After all was said and done, Hubbard was projected to finish in 77th place in the final FedExCup regular-season standings.
Meanwhile, fellow Denver native Wyndham Clark didn’t play in the Wyndham Championship, but had already locked up his spot in the playoffs by virtue of finishing 11th, fourth and 12th in his last three PGA Tour starts, with the fourth coming in the British Open.
Clark, who finished eighth in the FedExCup standings a year ago, sits 49th in the season-long points going into this year’s playoffs.
The top 50 players after next week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis advance to the BMW Championship (Aug. 14-17 in Owings Mills, Md.), and the top 30 after the BMW go on to the Tour Championship (Aug. 21-24 in Atlanta). In a change this year, there will no longer be a staggered start at the Tour Championship based on FedExCup standings; instead, everyone in the field will start even in the race for the $10 million bonus and a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour.
For the scores from the Wyndham Championship, CLICK HERE.
About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com