There is plenty riding on this week’s TOUR Championship at East Lake.
It’s the final leg of the $10million FedEx Cup with almost all of the 30 players involved still having a chance, however remote, of landing the big bonus, though it’s fair to say that those not currently in the top six in the rankings would need golfing’s version of snookers and a huge slice of luck.
For four of the field, however, there is much more than money at stake. Bubba Watson, Justin Thomas, Ryan Moore and Daniel Berger will all be hoping to play well enough to catch the eye of US Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III with wild card places still up for grabs ahead of the next month’s showdown.
TOUR Championship History
The last six winners of the TOUR Championship have won the FedExCup so it’s no surprise that all of the big names have turned up at East Lake, now the tournament’s established venue.
Tom Watson won the first staging of the TOUR Championship 29 years ago when it was known as the Nabisco Championship and played in November.
It was intended as a showcase event to round off the PGA Tour season with only the top 30 on the money list invited. But it often struggled to attract the Major winners until FedEx Cup Playoff Series was instigated in 2007.
The top 125 players on the FedEx Cup standings are eligible to contest the first event of the series, The Barclays, and that number is steadily whittled down to 30 by a process of elimination before the TOUR Championship.
The format has been gradually tweaked down the years to give most of the final 30 players something to play for though, naturally, the further down the list you are, the more difficult it is to win the big pot. However, if you are in the top five arriving at East Lake and win the TOUR Championship, you’ll win the FedExCup bonus.
Rory McIlroy will be hoping to end a disappointing season on a high and is 13/2 with Stan James to win the TOUR Championship. But I don’t think that the Ulsterman is playing well enough to beat this elite field. Dustin Johnson definitely is but is only a best 5/1. However, you just can’t leave the US Open champion out of calculations has he’s won the Bridgestone Invitational and BMW Championship since breaking his Major duck at Oakmont and victory at East Lake would be icing on the cake.
JORDAN SPIETH won the TOUR Championship 12 months ago and I’m prepared to take the chance that a return to familiar surroundings will again bring the best out of the Texan.
It’s fair to say that 2016 has been a bit of a disaster for Speith following last year’s exploits. How different might it have been if he’d not blown a five-stroke lead in the final round of the Masters? But the 23-year-old still finished second at Augusta and he clearly enjoyed himself at East Lake last year, a course that favours those with an accurate short game.
Betfair’s 10/1 looks a bit of value in a tournament in which I expect the top players to be well to the fore throughout and if you sign up via our link, using the code ZSK200 and place your first bet (min. £10) at odds of at least 1.2 (1/5) within 30 days of opening your account, you will be offered 3 x £/€10 free bets. Though, please note, exchange bets don’t apply as qualifying bets!
Customers must be over 18 in order to fill in the registration form and the use of Neteller, Skrill & Moneybookers eWallets are not eligible for this offer.
TOUR Championship Selected Current Best Odds
Dustin Johnson (5/1), Rory McIlroy (13/2), Jordan Speith and Jason Day (10/1), Adam Scott (11/1), Paul Casey (18/1), Patrick Reed (20/1), Hideki Matsuyama and Matt Kuchar (33/1), Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson (35/1), JB Holmes, Brandt Snedeker and Jimmy Walker (40/1)
