Scott is among four Australians needing to make up ground at this week's BMW Championship in Delaware to qualify for the elite 30-man field at East Lake, where the minimum pay day is $US500,000 ($A712,000).

The winner of the Tour Championship this year will pocket a cheque for $US18 million ($A26m).

Scott is a long way off contending for that right now but a tie for fifth at last week's St Jude Championship at least earned the former world No.1 a start in the second FedExCup playoff event.

The tour veteran climbed from 77th to 45th in the standings with only the top 70 making the BMW Championship field.

After a solid season featuring four top 10s from 18 events and top-15 finishes at the last two majors, Scott admits he felt extra driven to extend his campaign by at least another week.

"What's satisfying (is) my golf's been pretty good and I've got nothing out of it. Even though I'm not winning (the St Jude Championship), I feel like I'm getting something out of the week," he said.

"So hopefully that's good for the confidence and somehow I have a big week and get through to East Lake."

His high finish in Memphis was also a weight off for International Team captain Trevor Immelman, who's been sweating on his stalwart earning automatic selection for next month's Presidents Cup battle with Team USA in order to free up another captain's pick.

"He's been watching me grind away every week, the old dog out here, grinding me into the ground trying to make his team," Scott said.

Now that Scott is entrenched in the top eight on the International Team points standings, Immelman has the luxury of potentially choosing either another seasoned campaigner like Marc Leishman, Jason Day or Adam Hadwin, who haven't automatically qualified.

Or the skipper could opt for a rising star like Min Woo Lee, Cam Davis, Lucas Herbert, Ryan Fox, Taylor Pendrith, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Sebastian Munoz or Mackenzie Hughes, who aren't in the top eight either.

After impressive performances at this year's majors, Lee and Herbert have both put their hand up for a captain's pick.

Herbert gets one last chance to force his way in but, sitting in 19th position in the International Team standings, the 26-year-old needs to win the BMW Championship to snatch an automatic spot.

Herbert is also 56th on the FedExCup leaderboard, leaving him with double motivation at Wilmington Country Club.

Davis, 20th in Presidents Cup standings and 52nd in the FedExCup, and Leishman, 16th and 70th respectively, are in the same boat, both needing to win this week for automatic selection on the International Team or a high finish to make the top 30 for East Lake.

World No.2 Cameron Smith is sitting out the second FedExCup playoff event to rest a sore hip but is already assured of a start at the Tour Championship and the Presidents Cup, which takes place at Quail Hollow in North Carolina from September 20-25.

Australian Associated Press