The 2023 PGA Tour season reaches it’s climax this weekend as the Tour Championship is played out from East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. As always, we have you covered with a full preview and betting tips for the event below.
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2023 PGA Tour Preview & Betting Tips
Tour Championship
East Lake Golf Club, Thursday 24th - Sunday 27th August
Just 30 players remain in the hunt for the FedEx Cup, after 70 started the BMW Championship on the weekend. Viktor Hovland reigned supreme at Olympia Fields and will go into the Tour Championship in 2nd place on the FedEx Cup standings, which will see players handicapped to start the Tour Championship this week.
The Field
Just 30 players make up the field at East Lake this week, and there will be no cut throughout the four days. As it has been for the last few years, the handicap system will be in place once again at East Lake, meaning the top players in the FedEx Cup standings will start ahead of the field.
The full field and their starting handicaps can be viewed below.
10 Under - Scottie Scheffler
8 Under - Viktor Hovland
7 Under - Rory McIlroy
6 Under - Jon Rahm
5 Under - Lucas Glover
4 Under - Max Homa, Patrick Cantlay, Brian Harman, Wyndham Clark, Matt Fitzpatrick
3 Under - Tommy Fleetwood, Russell Henley, Keegan Bradley, Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele
2 Under - Tom Kim, Sungjae Im, Tony Finau, Corey Conners, Si Woo Kim
1 Under - Taylor Moore, Nick Taylor, Adam Schenk, Collin Morikawa, Jason Day
Even Par - Sam Burns, Emiliano Grillo, Tyrrell Hatton, Jordan Spieth, Sepp Straka
Matt Fitzpatrick was the only player to jump into the top 30 after a strong performance at the BMW Championship. Notable players who just missed the cut to make it to East Lake included Justin Rose, Cameron Young, Hideki Matsuyama and Sahith Theegala.
The Course
East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Georgia
Par 70 - 7,300 Yards
Designed by Donald Ross
Situated around 5 miles to the east of downtown Atlanta, Georgia, the private East Lake Golf Course stretches over approximately 7,340 yards and boasts a Par 70 setup. Originally conceived by Tom Bendelow, the course underwent recent redevelopment by Donald Ross.
Since the inception of the FedEx Cup playoffs format in 2004, East Lake Golf Club has served as the host for the tour championship. This location has witnessed iconic moments in golf history, such as Rory McIlroy's race against fading light in 2014, culminating in a FedEx Cup victory, and Tiger Woods' remarkable comeback triumph in 2018.
The layout of the course truly challenges golfers of all styles, avoiding favoritism toward any specific type and refraining from overly penalizing others. When tackling East Lake, key statistics to focus on include Strokes Gained from tee to green, overall Strokes Gained, and current form.
Betting Tips
Handicapped
Rory McIlroy ($4.50/Top 5 $1.40)
In the handicapped market, I like the look of Rory McIlroy for the 3rd straight week. He has been nearly unbeatable at East Lake across the course of his career, winning three of the last seven Tour Championships. His form over the last few months has been near career best. Along with the win at the Scottish Open, McIlroy has not finished outside of the top nine in his last nine tournaments.
Patrick Cantlay ($2.62/Top 5 $2.62)
If there is one player that could come from further back in the field to hoist the FedEx Cup this week, I think it could be Cantlay. The world No.4 has not shot over par in his last eight rounds at East Lake, finishing 1st in the Tour Championship in 2021 and 7th last season.
Non-Handicapped
Jordan Spieth ($26)
In the non-handicapped field, I like the look of Jordan Spieth. He has a ton of experience at East Lake, having played in the Tour Championship more than anyone in this field outside of Rory McIlroy. I think there is value there at $26 after strong T6 and T34 performance in the first two playoff events.
