Golf
Tour Championship preview: Can’t Lay Rory to land fourth title
It’s finally here! The FedExCup Playoffs have reached their pinnacle as the players head to Atlanta, Georgia for the Tour Championship.
Historically one of the final events of the PGA Tour season, it is no longer the last on the calendar, but certainly represents a curtain call on the season.
With players’ starting positions determined by their FedExCup rankings, this tournament follows a unique format which sees Scottie Scheffler starting at 10-under-par, ahead of Xander Schauffele (-8), Hideki Matsuyama (-7), Keegan Bradley (-6), Ludvig Åberg (-5) and others at four-under or fewer.
It’s hard to beat Scheffler on a level playing field, never mind when he has shots in hand, but he’s slipped up twice before and we have two selections whom we think could put up a fight from lower down in the pack.
Rory McIlroy 22/1
We’re back again with Rory McIlroy after a decent enough performance last time out. He didn’t do quite enough to return anything at 12/1, but his T11 finish was nothing to turn your nose up at.
He heads here with the same odds to win the tournament without taking FedExCup strokes into account and as the man who has posted the lowest 72-hole total three times at East Lake, he’ll certainly fancy his chances at doing so again.
However, given that Scheffler has started at 10-under-par for the past two seasons and failed to see it out on both occasions, there’s no reason to ignore McIlroy at 22/1 to lift the coveted Calamity Jane trophy.
He starts alongside four others at four-under-par, six shots adrift of Scheffler. Whilst that may be a big gap to bridge, it is worth bearing in mind that he beat the American by six strokes gross here last year.
He is an East Lake specialist, with his 10 appearances here producing incredible results. He has three wins to his name, as well as runner-up and four other top 10 finishes. With experience and a wealth of knowledge on how to win here, Rory could easily sneak himself into the 3 places available with William Hill, whilst a fourth title could be on the cards if he is at his very best.
Patrick Cantlay 30/1
Patrick Cantlay, alongside McIlroy, is another who will tee off at four-under-par in the hunt to land the Tour Championship. Also similar to the Northern Irishman, Cantlay has a solid record at East Lake and is another who could go well here.
Without FedExCup strokes, Cantlay heads to Atlanta as an 18/1-shot, which could also represent good value and would still provide a decent enough return if finishing in the 3 places available with William Hill.
We’re happy to take on the handicap, though, and we like the look of the 30/1 about Cantlay to land his second Tour Championship title. Looking at gross scoring is key to judging whether he will be able to bridge the gap and the American has been in the top seven in that regard for the past three years here.
He wasn’t at his best earlier in the season but has found some form as of late, recording respectable T12 and T13 finishes in the first two FedExCup Playoff events. East Lake – where Cantlay finished atop the pile in 2021 – could be the perfect place for him to continue that upward trend and turn over a six-shot deficit to at least land himself in the 3 places available with William Hill.
