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Patrick Reed has lifted his first US PGA Tour trophy since winning the 2018 Masters with a one-shot victory in the opening event of the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Reed started the final round of the Northern Trust at Liberty National with a one-shot lead over Abraham Ancer and held on to it courtesy of a two-under-par 69 to finish at 16 under.

Ancer (69) was runner up, while Harold Varner (68) and Jon Rahm (69) shared third at 14 under.

Australia's Adam Scott closed with a sizzling 65 - the equal-lowest round on Sunday - to finish fifth at 13 under.

Reed, who garnered the nickname 'Captain America' for his stoic performance at the 2016 Ryder Cup, was relieved to secure his seventh US PGA Tour title.

The win elevated Reed to world No.15.

"It's amazing, just to be back and to feel like I've been playing some solid golf and finally having it pay off and to come out as a victory; it's been a while. A little too long honestly," Reed said of the 16-month winless drought since donning Augusta National's green jacket.

"But what better place to do it than here, having the Statue of Liberty in the background, the Presidents Cup was here in 2017 and hearing 'Captain America' and 'USA' all week, it was a good time to get a (win)."

Scott guaranteed himself a spot in the field at the Tour Championship play-offs finale in two weeks' time courtesy of rocketing to 14th on the FedEx Cup standings.

Scott cannot drop out of the top 30 in the standings who qualify for the Tour Championship even though there is still one event before the Atlanta, Georgia finale - the BMW Championship in Chicago.

It will be Scott's first appearance at the Tour Championship since 2016.

However, the US PGA Tour season is over for Australians Matt Jones (six under, tied 30th) and Cameron Smith (two under, tied 59th).

Their Northern Trust results eliminated them from the top 70 who advance to the BMW.

Scott and Marc Leishman are the only Australians qualified for the Tour Championship, with Jason Day missing the cut at the Northern Trust.

Day is 50th on the FedEx standings and will need a hot result at the BMW in order to climb into the top 30.

An emotional Bryson DeChambeau has hit back at critics of his chronic slow play after copping a social media blasting that included being called a "single-minded twit".

In Friday's second round at the Northern Trust event in New Jersey, the world No.8 took several minutes to pace off a 70-yard wedge shot on the 16th hole rather than using the distance his caddie had calculated.

On the eighth hole in the same round at Liberty National, he took two minutes and 50 seconds to hit an eight-foot birdie putt while frustrated playing partners Justin Thomas and Tommy Fleetwood looked on.

A shot is not supposed to take more than 40 seconds, per US PGA Tour rules but penalties are never applied without a group first being out of position and then a warning system.

Video clips of the two incidents went viral on social media.

Australian former pro-turned commentator Ewan Porter, who was assigned to DeChambeau's group, said on the PGA Tour's live broadcast, "This is tough for his playing partners, waiting around while all this is going on."

"I observed him interacting with fans and he was absolutely sensational with them," Porter told AAP on Saturday.

"But that gets overlooked with his slow play and complete ignorance of what's going on around him.

"I think he is so in his own world that he does not see how off-putting that is for fans to watch.

"DeChambeau is not the only slow player but he is probably the worst offender."

On Friday night, DeChambeau was lambasted by fellow PGA Tour players including Eddie Pepperell, Ian Poulter and Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn.

"Slow players do this to their playing partners making the game less enjoyable. Problem is, the unaffected single minded twit in this instance, doesn't care much for others," Pepperell posted on Twitter.

Added Poulter: "There are a few players that continually disrespect their fellow pro's and continue to break the rules without a conscience."

After DeChambeau shot an even-par 71 to finish the third round at six-under-par on Saturday, he addressed media to refute his reputation as a slow player.

"People say things behind people's back all the time and if they want to talk about it to my face, I'll gladly explain the whole situation," he said.

"(On) social media, sometimes you can really hurt people in a very, very bad way.

"There's a deeper issue here and I'm somehow being singled out."

Aaron Baddeley's US PGA Tour play-offs campaign has come to an abrupt end with the Australian withdrawing injured from the Northern Trust event in New Jersey.

But the 38-year-old insists he will return to competition soon, motivated to convince golf great Ernie Els to select him as a captain's pick for the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne in December.

Baddeley, who had not touched a golf club in six weeks prior to the FedEx Cup play-offs opener due to a back injury, lasted just four holes of the opening round at Liberty National golf course.

It was his first appearance in the PGA Tour's post-season since 2016.

Ranked 112th on the FedEx Cup standings, Baddeley's withdrawal means he cannot advance to next week's BMW Championship.

"It felt like I would only make it worse, so it's best not to play," Baddeley told AAP.

"The injury feels like it has healed, but the sides of my back still feel really tight.

Baddeley, a four-time US PGA Tour winner, says he will be ready for the circuit's Fall series which starts in September.

That is when Baddeley aims to string together a series of hot results given he desperately wants to play at the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne in mid-December.

Currently at 50th on the International team standings, Baddeley can't be one of the eight qualifiers for the rest-of-the-world side given they are finalised next week.

But he has until early November to convince Els to be one of his four captain's picks for Royal Melbourne.

Baddeley was on the International team when the Cup was last held at Royal Melbourne in 2011.

Baddeley attended an Internationals team meeting at Liberty National on Tuesday, led by four-time major winner Els.

British Open champion Shane Lowry says becoming a major winner will count for nothing when he steps onto the first tee in his first tournament back since last month's Royal Portrush triumph.

"Obviously I won The Open and I'm a major champion but that doesn't give me the God-given right to go out and shoot 65 tomorrow," the Irishman, who will make his first career PGA Tour playoffs start at the Northern Trust Open in Jersey City, told reporters on Wednesday.

"I still have to go out there and do my own thing, play my own game and see where it leaves me."

The world No.18 said he had been embraced like never before back home in Ireland and hoped his success would encourage the next generation to pick up a club.

"The support I've got back home has just been incredible," he said.

"Hopefully I can move forward and become more successful and make kids want to start playing golf too."

As an added bonus, he said, he was no longer being mistaken for fellow players Andrew "Beef" Johnston or J.B. Holmes, who also sport beards.

"I'm definitely more recognised now and even coming over here to events ... it makes you feel more comfortable," the 32-year-old said.

"They're not calling me Beef or they're not calling me J.B. Holmes out there, anyway. That's a plus."

Lowry will tee off on the first hole on Friday morning in a group which includes Australian Adam Scott and American Kevin Kisner.

A stiff and sore Tiger Woods admits playing three US PGA Tour events in a row is cause for concern after a fresh injury scare surfaced on the eve of the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Woods - who has played just four tournaments since winning his 15th major at the Masters in April - was unable make a full swing on the back nine of his Wednesday pro-am at the Northern Trust in New Jersey.

The Northern Trust kicks off the PGA Tour's finals series which are staged in succession for the next three weeks.

The 43-year-old, who underwent spinal fusion surgery in 2017, winced in pain on the front nine of his pro-am and was only able to chip and putt for the back nine at Liberty National golf course.

Afterwards, the 81-time PGA Tour winner tried to downplay his ailing back.

"I was getting stiff and it's best to be smart about it," Woods said on Wednesday at the Northern Trust.

"It's kind of what I did pre-Augusta when I went out there and just chipped and putted for nine holes."

Woods has only once played back-to-back weeks on the PGA Tour this year and has not played three in a row since September last year.

Asked about the prospects of playing three weeks in a row, Woods added: "There is concern because given hopefully the pressures I'm going to be facing, hopefully putting myself in contention, that's why it gets difficult."

In the four events he has managed since April's Masters, Woods has missed the cut twice and both were majors (US PGA Championship and British Open).

"I learned a lot last year by playing too much," Woods said of his lean 2019 schedule.

"I pushed it pretty hard and vowed I'd never do that again. I've cut back the schedule quite a bit.

"I can't practice as much as I'd like, certainly can't even sniff how much I used to practice.

"This is kind of how it is. Some days I'm stiffer than others. Yesterday (Tuesday) I was out there hitting it great but today I'm stiff. Hopefully I'm not that way tomorrow."

Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy admitted each piece of injury news raised concerns about Woods' health.

"I think everyone does (worry)," McIlroy said.

"Golf is better when Tiger is around; hopefully he can still compete a handful of times a year.

"But he's Tiger Woods. He doesn't need to prove anything to anyone.

"He can put the clubs away tomorrow and live happily ever after, but he wants to compete."

Woods sits 28th on the FedEx Cup points race and will need to remain within the top 30 to qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship, which he won last year.

But the top 125 points earns who qualified for the Northern Trust will be cut to 70, who advance to next week's BMW Championship, after which the top 30 will be decided.

Marc Leishman is excited by the luxury of playing with freedom as he heads a six-strong Australian contingent entering the US PGA Tour's $US78 million FedEx Cup play-offs series this week.

The regular season concluded on Sunday, with the top 125 players advancing to the playoffs, having also secured full cards for next season.

The play-offs have been reduced from four events to three this year and Leishman will begin the Northern Trust Open on Thursday in 12th place in the points race.

He'll be joined at Liberty National in New Jersey by countrymen Adam Scott (21st), Jason Day (40th), Cameron Smith (79th), Aaron Baddeley (112th) and Matt Jones (115th).

Australian youngsters Cameron Davis (160th) and Curtis Luck (175th) were relegated to the secondary tour's finals, where they can win their PGA Tour cards back by finishing in the top 25 on its money list.

After the Northern Trust, the top 70 in FedEx points advance to the BMW Championship at Medinah in Chicago where only the top 30 qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta.

Leishman is already assured of advancing to the Tour Championship and expects that safety net to have a positive effect on his game.

"You want to be at the Tour Championship every year; it guarantees you starts in all four major championships next year and it means you have played well all year," Leishman told AAP on Sunday.

"I can definitely play with more freedom now and hopefully that should yield some good finishes; maybe even a win."

Former world No.1 Day - usually a big contender in the playoffs but winless this year - will start with his worst FedEx ranking in two years.

Day, Smith, Baddeley and Jones, have their work cut out to climb inside the top 30.

The first two playoff events each boasts a $US9.25 million purse, while players are also vying for their share of a FedEx Cup bonus pool of $US60 million - including $US15 million awarded to the winner.

AUSTRALIANS' FEDEX CUP POSITIONS AFTER THE US PGA TOUR REGULAR SEASON

12 Marc Leishman

21 Adam Scott

40 Jason Day

79 Cameron Smith

112 Aaron Baddeley

115 Matt Jones

160 Cameron Davis

175 Curtis Luck

221 Rod Pampling

229 John Senden

235 Stuart Appleby

248 Robert Allenby

JT Poston kept ranking up birdies with pars without any bogeys to win a drama-filled Wyndham Championship on Sunday.

The American fired an eight-under 62 for a one-stroke victory over Webb Simpton, and in the process becoming the first player since Lee Trevino in 1974 to win a 72-hole stroke-play event on tour without any bogeys or worse.

"I probably haven't had that many bogey-free rounds this year," Poston said. "To be able to do four in a row is pretty special, and finish it off with a 62 on Sunday is pretty awesome."

Poston also tied Henrik Stenson's two-year-old tournament record at 22-under 258.

The native North Carolinian began his round three strokes back, took the lead for good with a birdie on the par-5 15th hole, then finished with three straight pars to earn $US1.1 million ($A1.7 million) and 500 FedEx Cup points at the regular-season finale.

Simpson was at 21 under after a 65. Byeong Hun An, who held or shared the lead after each of the first three rounds, three-putted the 18th for a bogey and a 67 to finish two shots back.

Trying to force a playoff with a birdie, An nearly holed a 60-footer but had it run well past.

"Nothing was really working at the end," An said. "I just ran out of juice."

Poston, who became the first player since Lee Trevino in 1974 to win a 72-hole stroke-play event on tour without any bogeys or worse, closed the gap with third-round leader An with three birdies and an eagle on the front nine.

Then came the 15th when Poston took sole possession of the lead with a birdie after placing a bunker chip six feet from the flagstick.

An, playing two groups behind Poston, sent his tee shot on that hole into the weeds. He took a penalty stroke, then landed his third shot left of the green, left his chip 35 feet short and dropped to 20 under after two-putting for his first bogey of the tournament.

After a birdie on the next hole and a par on 17, An needed to finish with a birdie to force a playoff. He sent his tee shot into the trees, recovered by landing his second shot 60 feet from the pin.

The annual subplot at Sedgefield focused on the players on the playoff bubble.

Two players who began the tournament outside the top 125 - No.129 Patton Kizzire and No.134 Andrew Landry - played their way into the field for The Northern Trust next week in New Jersey.

"I definitely knew what I was playing for," Kizzire said.

Cameron Davis was the only Australian to make the cut and his final round 65 saw him jump 16 places to finish in a tie for 22nd.

Hinako Shibuno of Japan finished with a birdie to win the Women's British Open by one shot over Lizette Salas as she wrapped up a stunning major championship debut.

The 20-year-old Shibuno, a rookie on the Japan LPGA Tour who was playing for the first time outside of her country, birdied five of the final nine holes in a four-under 68 to finish at 18-under 270.

"I was also thinking about if I were to make this putt, how I was going to celebrate," Shibuno said of approaching the 18th.

"Eat a lot of sweets."

Salas, who started the final round tied for fourth, quickly played herself into contention with three birdies in the first four holes, and she added five more in a seven-under 65.

Jin Young Ko, who was seeking her third major title of the year, was two shots back in third after a bogey-free 66.

Morgan Pressel (67) finished fourth at 15 under with second-round leader Ashleigh Buhai (70) alone in fifth a shot further back.

The best Australian was world No.4 Minjee Lee, who carded a final round 69 to finish in a share of 11th at eight under while compatriot Hannah Green shot a final round 69 to finish a shot further back.

Susan Oh carded an error-free 66 in her last round to finish 12 shots off the pace while fellow Australian Sarah Kemp struggled to a 78 to end up seven over par.

Largely unknown before the championship, Shibuno - nicknamed "Smiling Cinderella" - started Sunday with a two-stroke lead but lost it with a double bogey on the par-4 third.

She bounced back with birdies on Nos. 5 and 7 before a bogey on the 8th at Woburn Golf Club.

But in three of four rounds, Shibuno has shone on the back nine. She closed with just 31 shots on Sunday - and just 30 on Thursday and Saturday.

"Now that I've won, I think a lot of the Japanese people will know me, but in actuality, I just wanted to live a quiet life," Shibuno said.

"I was looking online and I did see that it's been 42 years since a Japanese player has last won.

"I do feel that I have accomplished something great but I really don't know the reason why I was able to accomplish it."

Byeong Hun An shot a five-under 65 in the Wyndham Championship on Friday (Saturday AEST) to take a one-stroke lead into the weekend, when Australian Cameron Davis will start six shots behind the South Korean.

An was at 13-under 127 at the halfway point of the PGA Tour's final event before the FedEx Cup play-offs.

Brice Garnett was a stroke back after a 64, and six players - including 2011 Wyndham winner Webb Simpson and first-round co-leader Sungjae Im - were at nine-under.

Adam Svensson also was in that group after shooting the best round of the day - a 61 - and threatening to become the first player on tour this year to break 60.

Davis was the only Australian contender to make the cut after a 67 ended his round at seven-under.

Cameron Smith (three-under), Matt Jones (one-under), Rod Pampling (one-over), John Lyras (three-over) and Curtis Luck (four-over) all bowed out before the weekend.

An, who shared the first-round lead with Im at eight-under, made his move up the leaderboard with three straight birdies late in his round.

Finishing on the back nine, the 27-year-old South Korean, who is winless on tour, had birdies on Nos. 3-5 and closed his second consecutive bogey-free round with four straight pars.

"I came close last couple years and, you know, maybe this week might do it," An said about that long-awaited first victory.

"But still have two more days and there are a lot of players behind me. ... Just do what I've been doing the last couple days and just hit a lot of fairways and greens and make some putts. If someone plays better than me, then he deserves to win it, but as long as I keep these bogey-free rounds going."

Minjee Lee and Hannah Green will lead the Australian charge at the Women's British Open at Woburn Golf Club.

World No.4 Lee, who is chasing her first major title, tees off at 4.25pm AEST on Thursday alongside Japan's Hinako Shibuno and Sweden's Anna Nordqvist.

The 23-year-old West Australian will be hoping for a much-improved display onn what she was able to deliver at last week's major, the Evian Championship, where she missed the cut in miserable conditions in France.

Lee finished 10th last year in this event at Royal Lytham, but has struggled with her form recently having reached No.2 in the world after winning in Los Angeles in April.

World No.25 Green, who announced herself to the world in magnificent fashion last month when she led from start to finish to claim her maiden major in the Women's PGA Championship at Hazeltine, is in the group behind Lee.

The 22-year-old from Perth finished 30th at the Evian Club last Sunday after taking a month off following her success in Minnesota and believes her game is in good order in what is only her second appearance at the British Open.

"I feel real comfortable and back in tournament mode," Green told LPGA.com.

"This is not a typical links course here so it is something a bit different and I am hugely excited to be playing in back-to-back majors."

Green's mentor Karrie Webb is making her 17th appearance at the British Open which she first won at Woburn in 1995, before it was classed as a major, and then again at Turnberry in 2002 when it was.

The veteran Queenslander, who was the last Australian to win a major before Green in 2006 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, is also drawn in the morning groups in what's forecast to be an overcast but mostly dry day.

Also in action for Australia are Su Oh, Katherine Kirk, Sarah Kemp and Whitney Hillier.

South Korean World No.1 Jin-Young Ko is chasing her third major title this year.

If she wins this weekend, she will become just the fourth player to have had a three-major season on the women's circuit.

Australians in action at the Women's British Open on Thursday:

First-round tee off times

* Minjee Lee - 4.25pm (AEST)

* Hannah Green - 4.36pm

* Karrie Webb - 5.31pm

* Su Oh - 5.58pm

* Whitney Hillier - 7.48pm

* Katherine Kirk - 11.33pm

* Sarah Kemp - 11.44pm