Tour Championship preview, TV times and betting tips
After two high quality play-off events, we are finally heading to the Tour Championship at East Lake. With just 30 players remaining in the hunt for the big prize this week, and after a top-5 placed tip in each of the last two events, I am feeling confident that we can end the season with a winner. With the pre-determined starting strokes to contend with, there appears to be some value in both the outright and alternate markets, so I have opted for a selection from each. But, before I get into my free golf betting tips…
- RELATED: FedEx Cup prize money
Tour Championship details
Venue: East Lake, Atlanta, Georgia
Date: August 25-28, 2022
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: $75,000,000
Defending champion: Patrick Cantlay
Tour Championship TV times
Thursday: Sky Sports Golf from 5.30pm and Sky Sports Main Event from 10pm
Friday: Sky Sports Golf from 5.30
Saturday: Sky Sports Golf from 5.30pm and Sky Sports Main Event from 10pm
Sunday: Sky Sports Golf from 4.30pm and Sky Sports Main Event from 10pm
Tour Championship golf betting tips: ‘Outright’ market
Bazza’s Banker: Tony Finau @ 20/1 with Bet365
With a four-under-par starting score, and sitting six shots behind leader Scottie Scheffler, Tony Finau looks to be great value in comparison to the other big names at the top of the betting. Finau has been on fire lately, winning consecutive events prior to the play-offs and four top-5 finishes in eight event.
His performances from tee-to-green have been sublime this season, ranking 5th for greens-in-regulation on the PGA Tour, and in the last three months he ranks 2nd for SG: Total. Finau has become much more dependable of late, and while it will take a big effort to overthrow Scheffler and Cantlay at the top of the leaderboard, there would not be many more popular winners than the big man.
Tour Championship golf betting tips: ‘Without 72 holes starting strokes’ market
The Each-Way Play: Collin Morikawa @ 20/1 with Bet365
When I think ‘second-shot golf course’ the first name that instantly comes to my mind is Collin Morikawa, and that is why I cannot resist him at double the price of the market leaders. After a run of sub-par form prior to the play-offs, Morikawa appears to have started to find his game again, evident with a 5th place finish at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
A 44th place finish last week doesn’t really tell the whole story, as Morikawa was on the fringe of contention until a calamitous start to the back-nine saw him drop seven shots in two holes. That appears to have put him too far out of contention in the outright market, but with this level playing field, I don’t see why a free-playing Morikawa can’t dazzle with the irons once again.
The Long Shot: JT Poston @ 80/1 with Bet365
Last year we managed to clean up in this market with our longshot tip Kevin Na taking joint first-place with Jon Rahm at 70/1. This year, I am going for a similar approach with rank outsider J.T Poston – and I am cautiously optimistic he could grab us at least a place.
When you look at correlating courses to East Lake, the likes of TPC Deere Run, TPC River Highland and TPC Twin Cities rank highly. One name that pops up on each of those leaderboards in the last twelve months is none other than Poston himself. In fact, over the three events at those courses in 2022 he has finished 1st, 2nd and 11th – with his most recent win coming at TPC Deere Run. With that win and four top-20 finishes in his last seven events, he sneaks into the last spot on the card.
For more prices visit Bet365.
