Eyes on the $15 million mega-prize: Tour Championship field, standings, faves, odds
The field for the Tour Championship is set. No more last-minute points calculations, seeing who is on the inside and who is on the outside. Thirty players will show up at East Lake next week for a chance at the $15 million prize that goes to the winner of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
But remember, this week there is a new wrinkle. In a move designed to make sure there is just one winner of both the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup Playoffs — last year, Tiger Woods won the Tour Championship but Justin Rose was the FedEx Cup champion — the PGA Tour altered the scoring format. For the first time, the scoring will be staggered from the start.
Need a refresher? An updated look at where things stands? The odds on who has the best chance to walk away with the oversized check at the end? And a reminder of some of the big names who will be watching just like the rest of us? Well, here you go:
Not everyone starts at even par this week. The lowest 72-hole score isn’t the winner. Instead, in what the PGA Tour is calling “starting strokes,” the field is staggered. The leader of the yearlong points race — in this case Justin Thomas — starts at 10 under. The player in second place — that would be Patrick Cantlay— starts at 8 under. Third place starts at 7 under, fourth place at 6 under, fifth place at 5 under. The players standing in spots No. 6 through 10 will be 4 under, Nos. 11-15 will be at 3 under, Nos. 16-20 will be at 2 under, Nos. 21-25 will be at 1 under and 25-30 will be at even.
Still a bit confused? Let’s put an end to that. Here’s what the leaderboard looks like:
Justin Thomas -10
Patrick Cantlay -8
Brooks Koepka -7
Patrick Reed -6
Rory McIlroy -5
Jon Rahm -4
Matt Kuchar -4
Xander Schauffele -4
Webb Simpson -4
Abraham Ancer -4
Gary Woodland -3
Tony Finau -3
Adam Scott -3
Dustin Johnson -3
Hideki Matsuyama -3
Paul Casey -2
Justin Rose -2
Brandt Snedeker -2
Rickie Fowler -2
Kevin Kisner -2
Marc Leishman – 1
Tommy Fleetwood -1
Corey Conners -1
Sungjae Im -1
Chez Reavie -1
Bryson DeChambeau E
Louis Oosthuizen E
Charles Howell III E
Lucas Glover E
Jason Kokrak E
My biggest takeaway from BMW Championship and looking forward to the Tour Championship in Atlanta.
Tiger Woods is not going to the Tour Championship. Neither is Phil Mickelson. Same with Jordan Spieth and Jason Day and Shane Lowry. Some of golf’s biggest names failed to advance to the final week of the FedEx Cup. Most notable, of course, is Woods, whose victory at East Lake was his first in five years and presented one of the lasting images in memory. There was Woods, with victory within reach, walking toward the green surrounded by fans, who had trampled inside the ropes to walk the last of his comeback alongside him and playing partner Rory McIlroy.