Marc Leishman became the third different winner of the FedEx Cup Playoffs last weekend with a dominant performance at Conway Farms. Leishman’s BMW Championship triumph took him inside the top five of the FedEx Cup rankings and means that he now controls his destiny at the coming week’s Tour Championship.
If any of the top five win the Tour Championship they are guaranteed to also win the FedEx Cup and the $10 million prize that comes with it. It is still possible for other players to get their hands on the big prize but they are reliant on the performance of others. With such a big prize on offer and just the 30 best players in this season’s PGA Tour competing, expect twists and turns galore in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Course – East Lake Golf Club
The season ending Tour Championship used to head to different courses every year to pose a variety of challenges to the PGA Tour’s best players. However, it settled on a permanent home in 2004, East Lake Golf Club.
East Lake has a story of rise, fall and redemption to match some of the players in the field this week. The club was opened just after the turn of the 20th century and became one of the best-regarded venues in the area. But then a rival course opened up nearby and the vast majority of the East Lake members left, leaving the course to fall into a start of near disrepair. A core group of members remained and, backed by renowned course designer Rees Jones, they restored the course to its former glories in the early 1990s.
East Lake now has a thriving membership and is the home of one of the most highly anticipated tournaments in the golfing calendar. Each of the 30 players who make the cut for an appearance in the Tour Championship must negotiate a tricky par 70 layout that measures a shade over 7,300 yards.
The long distance of East Lake requires a certain amount of power to get around but it is far from a grip it and rip it course. East Lake requires strategy and accuracy off the tee while it is vital to hit a high number of greens in regulation. Players have putted their way to success at East Lake in recent years but in general it is much more important to hit greens and/or to scramble well.
Who Will Win?
In every year since 2010, the winner of the Tour Championship has also won the FedEx Cup. Rory McIlroy was able to lift the FedEx Cup from sixth place in the rankings last year at East Lake but it looks likely this time around that the Tour Championship winner will come from that top five.
Marc Leishman proved his quality by winning the BMW Championship and he will certainly have momentum as he heads to Atlanta. However, the other four are looming large having just ticked along in Chicago and of them all, Jordan Spieth looks the man the others have to catch.
Spieth has become used to leading the way. At just 24, Spieth has three won three of the major championships and the FedEx Cup but he’s not had things his own way in the playoffs. Spieth finished second, first to Dustin Johnson and then to Justin Thomas, before finishing seventh at the BMW Championship. He’s been chirpy in interviews but Spieth won’t be happy to have to watch on from the sidelines and he can return to the spotlight at East Lake. He’s won at the venue before and is experienced playing for the biggest prizes in golf so back Spieth to win at 5/1 with Coral.
Betting Tip – Jordan Spieth at 5/1 with Coral
Outsiders, Each Way Tips and Other Bets
Jon Rahm’s first full season as a professional has seen him claim his maiden wins on both the PGA and European Tours. The way that he’s risen to the challenge of playing against the best players in the world has been hugely impressive and there is no doubt that he will claim majors in the not too distant future. Rahm has done enough throughout the playoffs to secure fifth place in the FedEx Cup rankings ahead of East Lake. With his fate in his own hands, Rahm should go close so back him each way at 11/1 with Coral.
Justin Rose’s chances of winning the FedEx Cup may be slim but his chances of winning the Tour Championship must be respected. The Englishman kicked off his playoffs with two 10th place finishes and then pushed Leishman all the way at Conway Farms. His game is in great shape ahead of the European Tour’s own finals series and he warrants each way support at 14/1 with Bet365.