Tour Championship preview: TV times and betting tips
It’s the PGA Tour Championship at East Lake, and what a fitting venue to round-off a spectacular season of golf. The last 30 standing are about to do battle for a huge prize, and with pre-determined starting strokes to contend with, there is plenty to evaluate when attempting to pick your winner this week. In a bid to sniff out the value, I have opted for an alternate market for my selections here, instead focusing on the ’72 hole stroke play winner (without starting strokes)’ prices. With that in mind, I have three selections for you that I think can put in a strong display at decent prices. But first…
- RELATED: FedEx Cup prize money
Tour Championship details
Venue: East Lake, Atlanta, Georgia
Date: September 2-5 , 2021
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: $15,000,000
Defending champion: Dustin Johnson (-21)
Tour Championship TV times
Thursday: Sky Sports Golf from 5.30pm
Friday: Sky Sports Golf from 5.30pm
Saturday: Sky Sports Golf (Red Button) from 6pm; Sky Sports Mix from 6pm; Sky Sports Main Event from 6.45pm
Sunday: Sky Sports Golf (Red Button) from 5pm; Sky Sports Mix from 5pm; Sky Sports Main Event from 5pm
Tour Championship betting tips
All tips in the ’72 hole without starting strokes’ market.
Bazza’s Banker: Xander Schauffele @ 12/1 with Bet365
It is no surprise to see Schauffele in the top-five of the market this week, especially as he ended the event last last year as the lowest 72 hole scorer with a 15-under-par total. Obviously, due to the staggered starting positions, Dustin Johnson took the crown on that occasion, but I was very impressed with how Schauffele played East Lake and I fancy him to shine again.
Schauffele has hardly let up in the last 12 months, ranking 3rd for SG: Total with 8 top-5 finishes in 24 appearances. The putter has continued to be one of his biggest assets, ranking 4th for SG: Putting in this time span and 2nd for SG: Putting at East Lake last season.
As a previous winner of this event, and with a form card that demonstrates he loves playing here, I can’t resist this price.
Harris English @ 35/1 with Bet365
English has had quite the year on the PGA Tour, with two wins including the Travelers Championship in June. That form is interesting for this selection at East Lake, as there is clear correlation between the two venues and that win could be a strong indicator of success.
English is another player with outstanding short game, ranking 10th for SG: Putting and 11th for SG: Around-the-green in the last 12 months. A fourth place finish when in control at the WGC FedEx St. Jude a few starts back demonstrates how close he is to competing at the very top table in golf, and this event will be another opportunity to demonstrate how far he has come in recent years.
A 12th place finish at East Lake last season is certainly something to build on, and with four places on offer I think English is worth one final punt this season.
Kevin Na @ 70/1 with Bet365
Kevin Na has finished the season on fire, and I am surprised to see him at this sort of price. His accurate, strategic game should suit the challenge East Lake poses, and after two runner-up finishes in his last five starts he has every chance to go one better despite some lacklustre performances in this event in recent years.
The consistency shown by Na recently will also be a real positive here, with 20 out of his last 24 rounds posted in the 60s. When you consider that he also ranks 9th for SG: Tee-to-green and 1st for SG: Around-the-green in the last 30 days, I am confident that he is overpriced in this market and I am certainly going to take advantage.
For more prices visit Bet365.
