Tour Championship - Power Rankings
It is time for the Tour Championship, where this year’s FedEx Cup champion will be crowned.
East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta will once again serve as the venue for what is sure to be an exciting week of golf.
Jeff Shain of PGATOUR.COM describes East Lake as follows:
East Lake Golf Club, 7,385 yards, par 70. Best known as the course where Bobby Jones learned the game, the onetime home of the Atlanta Athletic Club dates back to 1908. Tom Bendelow did the original design, revamped in 1913 by Donald Ross. Jones was already showing glimpses of his talent by then, eventually going on to etch his name in history by completing the 1930 Grand Slam. East Lake hosted the 1950 U.S. Women’s Amateur and 1963 Ryder Cup before the surrounding neighborhood began to decay. The AAC relocated to the northern suburbs in 1967, leaving East Lake in the hands of 25 members opposed to the move. The club’s second life began in 1993 when a partnership was formed to restore the club as a tribute to Jones. The TOUR Championship came to East Lake for the first time in 1998, becoming the annual host in 2004.
So much could happen this week, and statistics will be tallied until the final putt drops. Let’s take a look at some of the players who could make a run.
Dustin Johnson - With his win at the BMW, Johnson has established himself as the man to beat. An incredible season, he has 13 top-10 finishes and 3 big wins (U.S Open, World Golf Championship, BMW Championship).
Jason Day - Has been dealing with some health issues, but as they say, “Beware of the wounded golfer”....especially when that golfer is the number one ranked player in the world.
Rory McIlroy - A great win at the Deutsche Bank. Don’t be surprised to see him have another big week. He is still looking to regain that number one ranking, and needs some high finishes to do it.
Adam Scott - Seems to always play well when the stakes are high. And with $10,000,000 on the line, they couldn’t be higher.
Paul Casey - Back-to-back second place finishes in the last two playoff events (Deutsche Bank & BMW). One of the hottest players on the planet right now.
Patrick Reed - Coming in to this event playing very well. Has 11 top-10’s this year, and his win at the Barclays a few weeks ago launched him up the playoff standings.
Jordan Spieth - Looking to defend his Tour Championship title, but unfortunately will be unable to defend his FedEx Cup crown. A win would give him 2,000 points, leaving him just shy of Dustin Johnson’s current total.
Phil Mickelson - Former winner of this event, and playing in the Tour Championship for the 18th time in his career.
Matt Kuchar - Not far removed from a bronze medal in Rio, and the summer saw him playing some of the best golf of his career. Don’t be surprised to see him on the leaderboard this week.
Ryan Moore - Another golfer whose game has been peaking lately. Always a steady performer, and a solid fantasy pick.
Sleeper Pick:
Emiliano Grillo - His first trip to East Lake, but his track record shows that this usually doesn’t phase him.
And now for my DraftKings lineups….
There really aren’t any surprise picks in my lineups for this week. Each player has had to earn their way into the final event of the season, and has had to do so over the last few weeks. Anything can happen, but my teams are stacked with players who could make a run at the Tour Championship title, and a select few have a chance to be crowned FedEx Cup champ.
Starting Lineup:
Dustin Johnson - $11,700
Paul Casey - $9,500
Brandt Snedeker - $7,500
J.B Holmes - $7,400
Emiliano Grillo - $6,900
Kevin Na - $6,500
Alternate Lineup:
Adam Scott - $10,100
Patrick Reed - $9,000
Matt Kuchar - $8,200
Phil Mickelson - $8,100
Justin Thomas - $7,100
Ryan Moore - $6,800
This article was written by Jonathan Carr (@jonathanwcarr) as part of our weekly #FantasyGolf series. Each week we preview the upcoming PGA Tour event and highlight some of the players we'll be keeping an eye on. As a scratch golfer himself, Jonathan has a keen eye for what it takes to be successful on and off the golf course. His passion for golf is surpassed only by his passion for his faith and his family.
Read some of Jonathan's other articles here.
