This is the end….my only friend, the end. After 10 months and 46 PGA tournaments, this is the end of the PGA season. Just 30 players are in the field for the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
Beginning this year, the tournament is using a new format so that its winner will also be the FedEx Cup champion. In other years, FedEx Cup points were reset for each qualifying player based on seeding. This year, the tournament will begin with the #1 overall seed starting at 10 under par. The second seed will start at -8, the third seed at -7, and so on down to the fifth seed at -5. Seeds 6-10 will begin at -4; seeds 11-15 will begin at -3; and so on. Players that are seeded 26-30 will start at even par.
Here are the 30 golfers in the field for the 2019 FedEx Cup Playoffs TOUR Championship and their scores as they’re heading to the first tee:
1. Justin Thomas: -10 (1)
2. Patrick Cantlay: -8 (2)
3. Brooks Koepka: -7 (3)
4. Patrick Reed: -6 (4)
5. Rory McIlroy: -5 (5)
T-6. Jon Rahm: -4 (6)
T-6. Matt Kuchar: -4 (7)
T-6. Xander Schauffele: -4 (8)
T-6. Webb Simpson: -4 (9)
T-6. Abraham Ancer: -4 (10)
T-11. Gary Woodland: -3 (11)
T-11. Tony Finau: -3 (12)
T-11. Adam Scott: -3 (13)
T-11. Dustin Johnson: -3 (14)
T-11. Hideki Matsuyama: -3 (15)
T-16. Paul Casey: -2 (16)
T-16. Justin Rose: -2 (17)
T-16. Brandt Snedeker: -2 (18)
T-16. Rickie Fowler: -2 (19)
T-16. Kevin Kisner: -2 (20)
T-21. Marc Leishman: -1 (21)
T-21. Tommy Fleetwood: -1 (22)
T-21. Corey Conners: -1 (23)
T-21. Sungjae Im: -1 (24)
T-21. Chez Reavie: -1 (25)
T-26. Bryson DeChambeau: E (26)
T-26. Louis Oosthuizen: E (27)
T-26. Charles Howell III: E (28)
T-26. Lucas Glover: E (29)
T-26. Jason Kokrak: E (30)
This is an interesting event to handicap with such a limited field and all players currently at the top of their game. I got you covered though, and we are looking to end a great year of betting golf on a high note.
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2019 TOUR Championship
Where: East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Georgia
Par: 70
Length: 7,346 yards (6,717 meters)
Course Rating: 76.2
Slope Rating: 144
When: August 22nd – 25th, 2019
Purse: $46,000,000
Winner’s Share: $15,000,000
Defending Champion: Tiger Woods
TV Coverage:Golf Channel, NBC
I hope you rode my picks last week, because I absolutely killed it! I usually like 4 or 5 guys, and spread my weekly PGA betting budget out evenly. Last week I LOVED Justin Thomas, and had him as a 2-3-unit play. If you followed at 3-units (like I did), that was a $3450-sized chunk of change in your account.
I also had Finau (4), Rory (T19), Horschel (T37) and DJ (T57). But enough about me…it’s the TOUR Championship for god sakes!
Odds courtesy of America’s Bookie
Rory McIlroy +700
Starting at -5, Rory possibly has the best value at +700. Remember these stats?
Strokes Gained: Tee to Green: 1st
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee: 1st
Driving Distance: 2nd
Strokes Gained: Putting: 22nd
Those still apply, other than his SG: Putting ranking rising to 25th after last week.
At +700, just like last week, there is still money to be made betting Rory. He won this event, and the FedEx Cup in 2016, and will make a serious run at the $15 million winner’s share.
Webb Simpson +1950
Simpson holds some great value as well, being in great form and finishing T4 last year and T13 two years ago here in the TOUR Championship. Last year, Webb fired rounds of 69, 70, 68, 67, but finished 5 stokes off the pace set by Tiger.
Like JT last week, Webb is without a PGA victory this year, making him possible the best golfer of 2019 without a victory. The 35-year-old, who turned Pro in 2008, had 6 kids to feed, so you can bet the poor guy needs the $15M. (insert sarcasm)
CHECK OUT THIS EAST LAKE GOLF COURSE FLYOVER
Justin Thomas +185
That escalated quickly. JT’s odds went from +1150 to +185 in a week, but looking at the starting handicaps for this event, his current form and past play here, it’s hard to bet against him.
Obviously Justin Thomas offers zero value, but I just couldn’t in my right mind leave him off this list. I predict who will win tournaments, and there’s a really good chance JT wins. His last 3 years at the TOUR Championship? T7, 2 and T6.
2019 TOUR Championship, Betting Odds and Prediction
Brandt Snedeker +8500
I’m going for some deep value here, because starting at -2 really has Snedeker behind the 8-ball. Still, he has finished T6 and T5 in the last two playoff events, and even though he hasn’t played in the TOUR Championship the past 2 years, 3 years ago he finished T17 with two rounds of two-over 72.
If Brandt can catch fire and go real low in a couple rounds, he has a chance to win this and give us some massive betting value.
In case you’re interested, here is the 2019 PGA TOUR Championship purse, winner’s share and entire prize money payout:
1. $15,000,000
2. $5,000,000
3. $4,000,000
4. $3,000,000
5. $2,500,000
6. $1,900,000
7. $1,300,000
8. $1,100,000
9. $950,000
10. $830,000
11. $750,000
12. $705,000
13. $660,000
14. $620,000
15. $595,000
16. $570,000
17. $550,000
78. $535,000
19. $520,000
20. $505,000
21. $490,000
22. $478,000
23. $466,000
24. $456,000
25. $445,000
26. $435,000
27. $425,000
28. $415,000
29. $405,000
30. $395,000
Picks by Joe Berra
Posted August 21st, 2019
