The Five: Check out players closing in on Signature Event starts through Aon Swing 5
5 Min Read
J.J. Spaun curls in well-judged birdie putt at The American Express
Written by Paul Hodowanic
The final round of the Farmers Insurance Open will have broader implications than who will emerge as the next PGA TOUR winner. The results directly impact who will play in next week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the second Signature Event of the season.
Five spots in next week’s field remain up for grabs through the Aon Swing 5, a collection of the top five players, not exempt via a higher category, who accumulate the most FedExCup points during the tournaments between Signature Events.
The Farmers Insurance Open is the last tournament within this “swing,” meaning it’s the final opportunity for players to play their way into the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The rest of the field is filled through the top 50 of the prior year’s FedExCup standings. That’s how top players like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy qualified, as well as players like Nick Dunlap and Eric Cole, who finished Nos. 49 and 50 in last year’s FedExCup to secure a spot in all 2025 Signature Events.
The Aon Next 10 was finalized for the next two Signature Events at the end of the FedExCup Fall. Those standings will reset for future Signature Events following The Genesis Invitational.
So the only other way to ensure a spot at Pebble Beach is through the Aon Swing 5 this week. Before play begins at Torrey Pines, here’s a look at the five golfers currently projected to qualify.
1. J.J. Spaun
Spaun sits comfortably atop the projected Aon Swing 5 standings in large part because of his T3 at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Spaun held the 54-hole lead at Waialae Country Club and maintained that lead into the back nine before faltering on the gettable back nine, which he played 1-over.
It was a tough loss to swallow, but he can take solace in the fact that it likely locked him into a spot at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He also finished T29 at The American Express to add a few more FedExCup points to his tally.
J.J. Spaun curls in well-judged birdie putt at The American Express
Spaun could be a threat at Pebble Beach, which always puts a priority on approach play given its small greens. Spaun ranks fifth on TOUR this season in Strokes Gained: Approach.
Spaun is in line to play his first Signature Events since last year’s Genesis Invitational, where he missed the cut.
2. Justin Lower
Lower played his way into just one Signature Event in 2024 – the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard – but is on track to equal that total in his first opportunity this year.
Lower, like Spaun, is projected to qualify based on one top result after finishing in a tie for third at The American Express.
Justin Lower takes advantage of slope to set up nice birdie look at The American Express
The 35-year-old American continues to knock on the door for his first TOUR win. His showing at The American Express was his third top-three finish in the last year. He’s finished in the top five in three of his last five starts.
Lower is up to a career-high 74th in the Official World Golf Ranking. Another top-three finish could put him on the precipice of the top 50 and a possible spot in the Masters. That makes the next several moments especially critical for Lower. A spot in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am could go a long way toward those efforts.
3. Alex Smalley
He’s flown under the radar through the first month of the year but two rock-solid performances – and some good fortune – could net him a crucial Signature Event start.
Smalley finished in a tie for 16th at the Sony Open in Hawaii and followed it with an 11th at The American Express. His finish at The American Express pushed him into these projections, specifically the back-nine 30 he shot in the final round. Among the highlights was a 68-yard hole out for eagle on the par-5 fifth. Had he made par on the hole, Smalley would not currently project inside the Aon Swing 5.
Alex Smalley pulls the string on his approach shot to set up birdie at The American Express
Smalley has not played in a Signature Event since last year’s The Genesis Invitational, where he missed the cut. His spot on the PGA TOUR this season was far from a guarantee. Smalley finished 121st in the FedExCup Fall. On the verge of losing his TOUR card to a possible spot in a Signature Event, Smalley’s showing how quickly things can change in pro golf.
4. Charley Hoffman
It was a runner-up finish at last year’s WM Phoenix Open that got Hoffman into his lone Signature Event of the season at The Genesis Invitational. And Hoffman may parlay another strong West Coast Swing into a Signature Event start.
After a T49 at the Sony Open in Hawaii, Hoffman finished T5 at The American Express last week to vault into the projected Aon Swing 5. But his spot is far from safe, and a disappointing back nine at PGA WEST’s Stadium Course could be his undoing. Hoffman made a triple-bogey on the par-3 13th and those three shots cost him roughly 200 FedExCup points. With those extra points in hand, Hoffman would be No. 1 in the standings.
Charley Hoffman's crazy up-and-down for birdie from tough lie at The American Express
5. Harry Hall
Nobody has played more consistent golf in 2025 than Hall, and that has deservedly pushed him into the final projected spot on the Aon Swing 5.
Hall finished T8 at the Sentry (points don’t count for Aon Swing 5 since it was a Signature Event), T10 at the Sony Open in Hawaii and T21 at The American Express. He was the only player to card top 10s in both Hawaii events.
Harry Hall rolls in birdie putt at The American Express
After winning the ISCO Championship last year, the Englishman has clearly found his stride on TOUR. However, Hall’s late withdrawal from this week’s Farmers Insurance Open leaves him very vulnerable in these projections. Just one big week at Torrey Pines from a player not currently exempt into the Signature Events and Hall will not be at Pebble Beach.
On the outside looking in
The following players are currently projected outside the Aon Swing 5:
- 6. Mark Hubbard
- T7. Patrick Fishburn
- T7. Adam Schenk
- T7. Jackson Suber
- T10. Taylor Moore
- T10. Camilo Villegas
