RYDER CUP RANKINGS THROUGH THE NORTHERN TRUST

Tony Finau has entered the Top 6 chat.

Five years, five months and 28 days after his first PGA TOUR victory, the fan-favorite from Utah chose exactly the right time to pick up his second, claiming THE NORTHERN TRUST title while moving to No. 6 in the Ryder Cup Rankings with just one week left in auto-qualifying.

After Tropical Storm Henri postponed the event’s final round to Monday, Finau used a stellar closing nine to earn himself a spot in a playoff with Australian Cameron Smith (the 13^th such playoff of the PGA TOUR season) before parring the first hole in sudden-death to take home the win.

For Finau, the victory was a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts:

“Starting the year and every week that has gone by, for me my case is that I have to win,” Finau said. “I put that in the back of my head and I told myself: If you didn't win, you're not going to make the team. Although I've always been high in the Rankings, I wanted this validation more I think for myself to be a part of a team as a winner this season and playing good golf going into the Ryder Cup.”

Finau’s win earned him a whopping 2,565 Ryder Cup points, enough to vault him six spots from 12^th, and give him a tenuous 28-point lead over Xander Schauffele at No. 7. Just 1,925 points separate Nos. 6 – 12, and with another 2,500+ points up for grab at this week’s BMW Championship, it’s going to be a tight race to lock in the final qualifying positions on Captain Stricker’s U.S. Team.

Billy Horschel and Kevin Na were the only other upward movers in the top 25, each moving up one position to 15^th and 20^th, respectively.

For a full list of the Top 100 in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings, click here.