The 30-runner Tour Championship has always signalled the end of the PGA Tour season, but last year the event changed significantly, with a new handicap system introduced.
The leader in the FedEx Cup standings is immediately handed a ten-under-par score, so he effectively tees off on the first hole with ten birdies under his belt. The second player in the FedEx list starts on eight under par, with a sliding scale from there.
The staggered start is a way of rewarding those who have performed well over the course of the season – and it guarantees that whoever wins the Tour Championship also lifts the FedEx Cup as well. In the past it was possible for two men to end up with trophies – like in 2018 when Tiger Woods won the Tour Championship and Justin Rose lifted the FedEx Cup – but the fresh format provides a winner-takes-all shootout.
Punters will probably be casting their eyes over just a handful of options this week, with some in the limited field facing the mountain of a ten-shot deficit. They will have 72 holes to overcome the leaders, but it is a seriously tough task given those on the best scores are also the best players. Marc Leishman, who starts ten shots behind, is the 500/1 outsider.
Johnson and Rahm Could Be Set For Another Battle
There are two markets to bet on for the Tour Championship – and many punters may choose to go for the one which disregards the handicaps. It will not be getting much attention from the broadcasters, but a pure, 72-hole contest will be taking place, with world-ranking points determined by performance in that traditional fashion. Leishman, for example, is only 125/1 in the Tour Championship betting for which starting strokes do not count.
The pundits, the cameras and the TV leaderboards, though, will focus on the battle for the FedEx Cup and the $15m cheque which goes to the winner – and it could turn into a joust between Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm.
For the first time in history, the top three players in the FedEx Cup standings entering the Tour Championship are also the top three ranked players in the world. It would come as no surprise should Johnson, Rahm and Justin Thomas dominate proceedings from the front.
Johnson and Rahm were first and second in last week’s BMW Championship and they could easily fill those spots again when the Tour Championship concludes on Monday (Friday start). Johnson is the 8/5 favourite for the Cup.
Korean Youngster May Be Ready to Cause an Upset
Johnson seems by far the most likely FedEx Cup champion, but Sungjae Im could make an impression from six shots behind.
Im relishes Bermuda greens, like the ones he will face at East Lake this week, and he finished 15th in a solid Tour Championship debut last year. After a ninth-place effort in the Wyndham Championship last month and a closing 69 in the BMW Championship on Sunday, there are signs that the Presidents Cup star could sign off his campaign with a flourish.
*All odds correct at time of writing
