Ranking the Tour Championship field: JT leads superstars with $10M at stake
The final event of the 2017-18 season is here, with 30 players set to compete for the Tour Championship. Hosted at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Ga., the season's best will try to capture one final trophy at the no-cut event, and also win the FedEx Cup and its coveted $10-millon payday.
East Lake is a long 7,363-yard, par-70 track that rewards distance over accuracy off the tee. It traditionally plays difficult, with the winning score hovering around 10-under par over the past 10 years.
Here, we rank the top 10 in the Tour Championship field (betting odds in brackets):
10. Jon Rahm (25-1)
Rahm is having a mediocre postseason at best, mainly because of a wonky putter. However, East Lake fits right into the Spaniard's grip-it-and-rip-it approach. He finished T-7 in his first Tour Championship last season.
9. Bryson DeChambeau (18-1)
DeChambeau will make his first appearance in the Tour Championship as the FedEx Cup points leader. Coming off back-to-back wins, he showed no signs of slowing down at the BMW Championship, finishing inside the top 20. The postseason is about getting hot at the right time, and there's no one entering in better form than DeChambeau.
8. Tommy Fleetwood (25-1)
Once again, Fleetwood displayed his immense talent with back-to-back 62s at Aronimink last week, and at one point shared the lead in the final round. His rounds go sideways when he starts missing fairways, which isn't a major concern at East Lake. Expect a strong debut at the season finale for the Ryder Cup rookie.
7. Dustin Johnson (8-1)
Something is off with Johnson and it's showing in his play. However, he's still producing solid results, with three top-25 performances this postseason. His dominant play could easily emerge this week with his first FedEx Cup win on the line.
6. Tony Finau (18-1)
With his Ryder Cup standing no longer in doubt, Finau could do two things - sit back or step up. Expect the latter from the 28-year-old, as he's shown grit and determination all season long, including his remarkable FedEx Cup run. If he keeps knocking on the door, he'll eventually break through.
5. Tiger Woods (16-1)
Tiger came close once again at the BMW Championship, a recurring theme in his comeback season. He'll win No. 80 shortly if he keeps putting himself into contention, perhaps as soon as this week at a course he dominated back in 2007.
4. Justin Rose (7-1)
The new No. 1 ranked golfer in the world is, oddly enough, coming off a disappointing runner-up finish at the BMW Championship. Rose bogeyed the last two holes he played at Aronimink but still showed his game is in peak form. Winning the FedEx Cup would cap off a great year for the Englishman.
3. Brooks Koepka (12-1)
Koepka's postseason story didn't change at the BMW Championship, as he lost strokes putting once again but was in the top 10 in strokes gained: tee to green. With his ball striking in order, he's due to come back to form with the flatstick. He'll be extremely motivated with $10 million on the line.
2. Rory McIlroy (9-1)
Rory led the BMW Championship field in strokes gained: tee to green, but didn't drop enough putts en route to his fifth-place finish. Looking poised and ready for the Ryder Cup, McIlroy should be in the mix to win his second career Tour Championship.
1. Justin Thomas (11-1)
Thomas continues to turn in solid results despite not having his best stuff. His consistency in 2018 has taken him to another level, one where he's a contender every week. Thomas finished second at the Tour Championship to win the FedEx Cup last season, and he'll have a great chance of becoming the first golfer to win the coveted $10-million prize in consecutive years.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
(Betting odds: bet365)