TOUR Championship preview: Can Scheffler finally seal the deal at East Lake?
It all comes down to this.
The long and grueling PGA TOUR schedule comes to a close this week. East Lake Golf Club will host the top 30 on the FedEx Cup points list, and the winner will be crowned the FedEx Cup champion.
When: Aug. 29-Sept. 1
Where: East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta
How to watch
| Date | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 29 | 1-6 p.m. | GOLF |
| Aug. 30 | 1-6 p.m. | GOLF |
| Aug. 31 | 1-2:30 p.m. | GOLF |
| 2:30-7 p.m. | NBC | |
| Sept. 1 | 12-1:30 p.m. | GOLF |
| 1:30-6 p.m. | NBC |
Scottie Scheffler ranks first in the FedEx Cup standings and enters the tournament with a two-shot lead over Xander Schauffele thanks to the unique staggered-start format.
Scheffler's had a remarkable season. His seven-win year - including triumphs at the Masters, The Players, and the Olympics - can be considered one of the greatest. Finishing the year by hoisting the FedEx Cup trophy is the only conclusion fitting enough for Scheffler's accomplishments.
But he's been in this position before and failed to hang on to his two-stroke lead both times. Scheffler finished T2 to Rory McIlroy in 2022, then T6 last year.
Will 2024 be the year Scheffler finally seals the deal?
Staggered-start leaderboard
| Place | Player | Starting score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scottie Scheffler | -10 |
| 2 | Xander Schauffele | -8 |
| 3 | Hideki Matsuyama | -7 |
| 4 | Keegan Bradley | -6 |
| 5 | Ludvig Aberg | -5 |
| T6 | Rory McIlroy | -4 |
| T6 | Collin Morikawa | -4 |
| T6 | Wyndham Clark | -4 |
| T6 | Sam Burns | -4 |
| T11 | Sungjae Im | -3 |
| T11 | Sahith Theegala | -3 |
| T11 | Shane Lowry | -3 |
| T11 | Adam Scott | -3 |
| T11 | Tony Finau | -3 |
| T16 | Byeong Hun An | -2 |
| T16 | Viktor Hovland | -2 |
| T16 | Russell Henley | -2 |
| T16 | Akshay Bhatia | -2 |
| T16 | Robert MacIntyre | -2 |
| T21 | Billy Horschel | -1 |
| T21 | Tommy Fleetwood | -1 |
| T21 | Sepp Straka | -1 |
| T21 | Matthieu Pavon | -1 |
| T21 | Taylor Pendrith | -1 |
| T26 | Chris Kirk | E |
| T26 | Tom Hoge | E |
| T26 | Aaron Rai | E |
| T26 | Christiaan Bezuidenhout | E |
| T26 | Justin Thomas | E |
Since the staggered-start leaderboard's implementation in 2019, the top-ranked player entering the TOUR Championship has won the FedEx Cup only twice - Dustin Johnson in 2020 and Patrick Cantlay in 2021.
McIlroy has two FedEx Cup victories, both by erasing large margins. He started five shots back in 2019 and six shots behind Scheffler in 2022.
Viktor Hovland won last year's FedEx Cup when he started at 8-under.
2024 FedEx Cup payouts
1st - $25 million
2nd - $12.5 million
3rd - $7.5 million
4th - $6 million
5th - $5 million
6th - $3.5 million
7th - $2.75 million
8th - $2.25 million
9th - $2 million
10th - $1.75 million
Featured/marquee groups
Tee times are live for the season finale @TOURChamp 🏆
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 26, 2024
(Presented by @ROLEX)
The course
East Lake underwent a massive renovation within the past year and will present players with new looks off the tee, new bunkers to navigate, and new greens to learn quickly.
Viktor Hovland, who shot 63 at East Lake to win the Tour Championship last year, said the restoration shocked him. "It looked completely different than it used to." Said it feels like he's defending at a different course.
— Adam Schupak (@AdamSchupak) August 27, 2024
"I think there's a lot more variety around the course and a lot more decision-making," eight-time TOUR winner and East Lake member Stewart Cink said, according to PGA TOUR's Sean Martin. "Golf is a complex sport, and there's some complexity around the golf course that you have to deal with. Decision-making is going to be rewarded."
Two of the most notable changes to the scorecard were to No. 8, which was shortened to a potentially drivable par 4, and No. 15, which was lengthened and changed from a par 4 to a par 5.
Also, the lone greenside bunker on the island green at the par-3 15th was removed to increase the difficulty of the tee shot. The greenside bunker that would catch balls bounding toward the water hazard has been replaced by short grass, decreasing the margin for error and heightening drama down the stretch.
Betting odds (starting strokes included)
Scottie Scheffler +110
Xander Schauffele +220
Hideki Matsuyama +1100
Rory McIlroy +1600
Ludvig Aberg +1800
Keegan Bradley +2500
Collin Morikawa +2800
Sam Burns +3000
Patrick Cantlay +3300
Wyndham Clark +4000
Viktor Hovland +5500
Tony Finau +6600
Odds via theScore Bet
HEADLINES
- LIV players granted eligibility for PGA Championship, U.S. Ryder Cup team
- McIlroy loses chance at lead in eventful Round 1 at BMW PGA Championship
- McIlroy: Joining LIV endangers Poulter's hopes of Ryder Cup captaincy
- O'Meara to retire after PGA Tour Champions event at Pebble Beach
- Oakmont's massive greens to be even bigger for 2025 U.S. Open