The 2017 FedEx Cup culminates this week at the Tour Championship at East Lake in Georgia. Jordan Spieth leads the rankings but any of the players in the top five on the standings will claim the Cup if they win at East Lake.
Defending Tour Champion and FedEx Cup holder Rory McIlroy didn’t make it into the East Lake field this year so will not retain his title. The five men who will win the FedEx Cup and the $10 million bonus that goes along with it with victory in the Tour Championship are: Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Marc Leishman and Jon Rahm.
In theory, all 30 players in the field at East Lake have a chance to win the FedEx Cup but, for 30th ranked Jason Dufner to take the top prize, the leading players would have to suffer a terrible week. There are all sorts of possible scenarios though and everyone in the field has a lot to play for.
The Tour Championship began life as the Nabisco Championship in 1987 when Tom Watson was the winner. It became the Tour Championship in 1991 and has since been won by some greats of the game, including Paul Azinger, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Henrik Stenson and Jordan Spieth. Last year Rory McIlroy fired a 64 in the final round then came through a four hole playoff against Ryan Moore and Kevin Chappell.
East Lake Golf Club is one of the oldest in the USA and was the home club of legendary amateur Bobby Jones. The course has hosted the Tour Championship on 14 previous occasions and was the venue for the 1963 Ryder Cup.
In 2008 the course at East Lake was closed for a few months with a view towards recreating the layout’s original, firm and fast playing characteristics. The overhaul was a success. It’s a challenging track although low scoring is not uncommon. The winning score has been around the 10-under-par mark since the changes were made. Last year the winning total was 12-under.
Continues below
Expand Portugal Masters Golf Betting Tips
Portugal Masters Golf Betting Tips
Who is going to triumph ahead of the…
Expand How To Watch The Tour Championship On Sky Sports
How To Watch The Tour Championship On Sky Sports
It's the PGA Tour's season finale - here's…
Expand Tour Championship Golf Betting Tips
Tour Championship Golf Betting Tips
Who is going to win $10million? We try…
The weather forecast is mixed. Thunderstorms might play a part on Friday but they shouldn’t be prolonged.
Venue: East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Georgia Date: Sep 21-24 Course stats: par 70, 7,385 yards Purse: $8,750,000 Defending champion: Rory McIlroy (-12)
TV Coverage: Thursday 21 – Sky Sports Golf from 6.30pm Friday 22 – Sky Sports Golf from 6.30pm Saturday 23 – Sky Sports Golf from 5.30pm Sunday 24 – Sky Sports Golf from 5.30pm
Player Watch:
The top five – Jordan, Justin, DJ, Leishman and Rahm can all win the FedEx Cup with victory at East Lake. Who might deny them a Tour Championship triumph?
Justin Rose – He’s going into an event he enjoys on the back of a great result in the BMW – tied second behind Marc Leishman. He has twice been second at East Lake and his worst finish in his last four starts is sixth place.
Justin Rose swing sequence:
Jason Day – He hadn’t been on peak form for much of the season but has begun to find his game in the playoffs with top-10s in three of his last four starts. He has a good record at East Lake.
Patrick Cantlay – One somewhat out of left field, Cantlay is making his East Lake debut. But he’s a hugely talented player and has been showing great game in recent weeks: Tied 10th, tied 13th and tied 9th in the three playoff events… He might be a surprise package…
Key holes: 9th. A 235-yard par 3 with deep bunkers left and right of a two-tiered green. When the wind’s against, many will need a fairway wood to get up here. A par is a tough ask.
18th. A lengthy par-5 that can be stretched to 600 yards, this finishing hole will offer the power hitters the chance of reaching in two. It’s a testing second though with bunkers guarding the front part of the green.
Skills required: Handling the pressure. With such vast sums of money on the line, the tension tends to be pretty high down the stretch in this event. The man who can put that pressure to one side will stand on top at the end this week.
-
Arnold Palmer Invitational Field 2025One of the biggest events in the PGA Tour schedule sees many of the world’s best players tee it up at Bay Hill
-
Arnold Palmer Invitational Prize Money Payout 2025Many of the world's best players compete for one of the largest prize money payouts of the PGA Tour season
-
What Are The Hardest Courses On The PGA Tour?The PGA Tour regularly visits some of the toughest courses in the world - here are the details
-
Which Professional Golfers Use AimPoint?The green reading method is extremely popular in both the amateur and professional game, with multiple players seen using the process during tournaments
-
Who Is Kevin Yu’s Caddie?Californian Zeke Salas has assisted Kevin Yu during the opening years of a promising PGA Tour career – here’s what we know about him
-
Brian Campbell Facts: 13 Things You Didn't Know About The American GolferDiscover more about American professional golfer, Brian Campbell, via these facts regarding his life and career in the game so far...
-
Michael Kim Facts: 10 Things To Know About The PGA Tour ProMichael Kim had a successful college career before building a solid reputation in the professional game - here are 10 things you may not know about him
-
Justin Lower Facts: 15 Things To Know About The PGA Tour ProJustin Lower overcame tragedy to and near-misses to eventually establish himself on the PGA Tour - here are 15 things to know about him
-
Who Is Max Greyserman's Caddie?After a spell with James Moreno, Max Greyserman's has turned to Adam Parmer as his PGA Tour career progresses
-
Who Is Ben Griffin’s Caddie?The American has had one caddie alongside him throughout his PGA Tour career, Alex Ritthamel – get to know him here
