There’s a fresh new feel about the Tour Championship this year as a new format (and increased prizemoney) brings plenty of excitement to the final FedEx Cup Playoff event of the year.
This year’s Tour Championship will start with the No. 1 overall seed, Justin Thomas, starting -10 under par following his win at the BMW Championship last week. The No. 2 seed will start -8 under, the third seed -7 under, and so on.
Unlike in seasons past, the winner of the Tour Championship will be crowned the FedEx Cup Champion, which opens up plenty of value in the market.
So, if you fancy backing a winner ahead of Thursday’s tee-off at East Lake, be sure to read our complete 2019 Tour Championship Preview below.
2019 Tour Championship Best Bet
Justin Thomas – $3.25
The world No. 5 will start with a -10 under advantage this week at East Lake. Thomas, the new FedEx Cup leader, was sensational at Medinah last week shooting a thrilling 61 on day three to go on and win his first tournament of the year. Thomas tied for seventh at last year’s Tour Championship and looks impossible to back against on a course he knows well. The 26-year-old made par 37 times last week with 27 made birdie putts to his name. With the stroke advantage and confidence sky high, the 2017 FedEx Cup Champion looks poised for a big win.
2019 Tour Championship Top 5 Finish
Jon Rahm – $3.00
A hat-trick of Top 10 finishes has Rahm poised to strike at East Lake. The Spaniard has finished T11 and T7 in two appearances at the Tour Championship, and just quietly, ranks fifth in birdie average. Rahm will start with a -4 under advantage this week and looks enormous value to earn his third consecutive finish inside the top five at this year’s Playoffs.
Xander Schauffele – $4.50
The eighth seed will head to East Lake hoping to improve on his T19 at Medinah last week. Things got off to a fast start with two opening rounds under 69, but Schauffele reverted back to the form that saw him miss the cut at The Northern Trust a week prior. That said, the 25-year-old will start with a four shot advantage this week as he returns to Atlanta with fond memories. Schauffele won the 2017 Tour Championship on debut at East Lake and backed it up with a T7 last year.
2019 Tour Championship Top 10 Finish
Justin Rose – $2.75
Rose looks a little over the odds at this price despite his disappointing T52 at Medinah last week. Before then, the Englishman had strung together five consecutive Top 20 finishes, while he also rebounded from a T63 at the Arnold Palmer earlier in the year to finish tied for eighth at The Players seven days later. Rose ranks seventh on Tour in putting and while he won’t receive the same stroke advantage as the favourites, he does own two runner-up placings and two T4’s at East Lake.
Adam Scott – $2.63
All signs point towards another competitive weekend from the 39-year-old. Two straight Playoff Top 10’s has helped Scott elevate to the 13th seed this weekend carrying a three-shot advantage. All the Australian has done at East Lake is finish Top 10 in his last two appearances, while Scott’s stunning accuracy off the driver and around the greens should keep him competitive this weekend.
2019 Tour Championship Field
Patrick Cantlay – $5.50
Outright second at the BMW Championship last week means Cantlay will start with an -8 under advantage this weekend. The 27-year-old has been one of the brightest success stories this year, largely thanks to his consistency both on and off the green. Cantlay made things interesting in the final round at Medinah last week to keep Thomas on his toes, and with a T20 in the 2017 Tour Championship, he should feel comfortable on a course he’s seen twice before.
Brooks Koepka – $6.00
Koepka’s resume says it all: three wins and eight Top 10’s in 20 starts. The world No. 1 has struggled to find form in recent weeks however, surrendering his dominant lead in the FedEx Cup standings after back-to-back finishes outside the Top 20. Things fell apart in the third round at Medinah last week, but we’ve seen the American overcome large deficits before. Koepka will start -7 under on Thursday hoping to recapture some of the form that saw him finish solo sixth at Easy Lake back in 2017.
Rory McIlroy – $9.00
Last week’s T19 at Medinah wasn’t the result Rory was hoping for as he looks to claim his second FedEx Cup Championship. McIlroy remains a mystery week to week, but he’s typically saved his best stuff for the Tour Championship. A famous win in 2016 earned him the FedEx Cup crown, while his T7 last year wasn’t too shabby, either. Even so, McIlroy’s recent inconsistencies with the putter make him worthy of a Top 10 finish and nothing more.
Patrick Reed – $15.00
This year’s Northern Trust winner has earned a -6 under advantage this week at East Lake, a course Reed finished T13 at back in 2017. Last week’s T19 at Medinah fell well short of expectations, but Reed still has a chance to right the ship this week in his sixth Tour Championship appearance. Unfortunately, Reed is yet to finish inside the Top 10 on all occasions.
Webb Simpson – $23.00
Don’t sleep on Webb Simpson this weekend. Two finishes inside the Top 25 leaves the ninth seed in the hunt with a -4 advantage, while Simpson also holds some strong form at East Lake having finished T4 at last year’s Tour Championship.
Dustin Johnson – $26.00
It’s been a rough go for Dustin Johnson ever since his runner-up at the PGA Championship back in May. Tough to know what the cause is, but with two straight finishes outside the Top 20 since the Playoffs began, it’s tough to see Johnson turning things around in a hurry.
Hideki Matsuyama – $34.00
It’s been a wild month for Matsuyama, who finished outright third at Medinah last week after a T30 the week prior at Liberty National. The 27-year-old owns six Top 10 finishes this year and will be hoping to improve on his T4 at last year’s Tour Championship. Matsuyama ranks fifth in tee-to-green and approach-the-green, but he’ll need to avoid the early round scare that nearly cost him last week.
Tony Finau – $41.00
Finau looked poised for bigger and better things after finishing tied for fifth at the Masters. He went on to miss the cut on four separate occasions, but his outright fourth at the BMW Championship last week was an encouraging sign. Finau’s stats aren’t pretty, but he does own a T7 at East Lake.
Brandt Snedeker – $101.00
Snedeker won the 2012 FedEx Championship as he now hopes to build on last week’s T5 at Medinah. Back-to-back finishes inside the Top 10 has helped the veteran earn a two shot advantage this week, and although he opens at long odds, it might be worth a small wager on a player with so much experience at East Lake.