Tour Championship preview: TV times and betting tips
It’s the PGA Tour season finale we wondered if we’d see at all. Here’s where you can catch the action and the player’s we’re backing to contend at East Lake
At one point this year we weren’t entirely sure we were going to see any more professional golf, let alone the FedEx Cup play-offs. But here we are, after 35 tournaments, at the season-ending Tour Championship. Here’s everything you need to know…
Venue: East Lake, Atlanta, USA
Date: September 4-7, 2020
Course stats: Par 70; 7,346 yards
Course summary: The iconic East Lake Golf Club was originally designed by Donald Ross, before being renovated by Rees Jones in 2008. This is a ball-strikers paradise, with accuracy from tee-to-green being rewarded over brute power. The par-5 18th is sure to set up a thrilling finish as the curtain comes down on the PGA Tour season.
Purse: $15 million
Defending champion: Rory McIlroy (-13)
- More Tour Championship: Prize money breakdown
- More Tour Championship: How the format works
Tour Championship field
Here are the 30 players who made the Tour Championship and the scores they will start on at East Lake…
- Dustin Johnson (-10)
- Jon Rahm (-8)
- Justin Thomas (-7)
- Webb Simpson (-6)
- Collin Morikawa (-5)
- Daniel Berger (-4)
- Harris English (-4)
- Bryson DeChambeau (-4)
- Sungjae Im (-4)
- Hideki Matsuyama (-4)
- Brendon Todd (-3)
- Rory McIlroy (-3)
- Patrick Reed (-3)
- Xander Schauffele (-3)
- Sebastián Muñoz (-3)
- Lanto Griffin (-2)
- Scottie Scheffler (-2)
- Joaquin Niemann (-2)
- Tyrrell Hatton (-2)
- Tony Finau (-2)
- Kevin Kisner (-1)
- Abraham Ancer (-1)
- Ryan Palmer (-1)
- Kevin Na (-1)
- Marc Leishman (-1)
- Cameron Smith (E)
- Viktor Hovland (E)
- Mackenzie Hughes (E)
- Cameron Champ (E)
- Billy Horschel (E)
A reminder that McIlroy may not play after revealing the imminent birth of his daughter.
Tour Championship TV coverage
Friday: Sky Sports Golf from 5pm and Sky Sports Main Event at 9.30pm
Saturday: Sky Sports Golf and Main Event from 5pm
Sunday: Sky Sports Golf from 5pm and Main Event from 6pm
Monday: Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event from 5pm
Tour Championship betting: Who will win the FedEx Cup?
Before I go into my regular tournament tips, a quick tip for who will win the FedEx Cup outright.
Taking into consideration the players’ starting scores at East Lake, I’ll be taking a look at Jon Rahm (11/4). After a scintillating finish at Olympia Fields, the Spaniard arrives at East Lake full of confidence. Things have seemed to click over the past few weeks, with two wins and two top-20 finishes in his last five starts. Rahm will start the week two shots back of leader Dustin Johnson, but the man who ranks 5th in SG: Tee-to-Green and 20th in SG: Putting has the skill set to give us another spectacle at East Lake – provided there are no more careless rules breaches, of course.
Tour Championship betting: Each-way tips
Now here are my normal five tips for the tournament, which are all from the ‘72-hole stroke play winner without starting strokes’ market – so the starting positions listed above are not taken into consideration.
Joaquin Niemann (50/1 with bet365) put in an excellent performance at the BMW Championship, finishing T3, in a week when only five players finished under par. This course should again suit the Chilean, who ranks 20th in SG: Tee-to-Green. The putter has often been his downfall this season, but improved figures last week give me optimism and at this price he is worth an each-way bet.
Brendon Todd (60/1) is perhaps one of the stories of the season, following his rise up the world rankings. A strong performance here would be the fairytale ending, and based on last week’s performance it is certainly on the cards. Todd currently sits 11th in the Fedex Cup rankings, after two wins this season and an 8th-place finish last week. His stats suggest he will go well here, ranking 4th for Driving Accuracy and 21st for SG: Putting. At a big price for a very consistent player, I am backing Todd to give one more big performance to round off the best season of his career to date.
Tyrell Hatton (25/1) seems to be re-discovering some of his earlier season form, and it may have come just at the right time. Playing in his first Tour Championship, Hatton arrives off the back of a T16 finish at Olympia Fields. As a player who enjoys playing on Donald Ross designs, Hatton has the skill set to navigate this track. The Englishman ranks 14th for SG: Tee-to-Green and 3rd for putting average, therefore creating plenty of opportunities to score. In a season where he secured his first PGA Tour win, accompanied by five top-10 finishes, I’m backing Hatton to challenge at East Lake.
Tour Championship betting: The long shot
Despite a disappointing week for Ryan Palmer (75/1) at Olympia Fields, I am sticking with the Texan after he secured his first visit to East Lake since 2014. A 7th-place finish that year suggests Palmer understands the tactics required to go well here, and his consistent approach play will certainly help. Palmer currently ranks 25th for SG: Tee-to-Green and while the putter isn’t always as consistent, he did provide his best performance of the season with the flatstick at TPC Boston recently. The price probably reflects his chances of winning fairly, but for an each-way place he provides value here.
Tour Championship betting: Top tip
Collin Morikawa (18/1) showed a steely determination to win the PGA Championship at Harding Park, and that attitude is what gives me confidence in selecting him here. His ability to finish tournaments well when under pressure from the best players in the world will count in his favour here if in contention on Sunday. Statistically he suits this venue, ranking 4th in SG: Tee-to-Green and 14th in SG: Total, so I am banking on a final show-stopping performance from one of the brightest young stars in the game.
For more prices, visit bet365.
Follow NCG on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram – and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest equipment and golf course reviews and exclusive interviews.
