The 2023 Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. Scheffler, Hovland, McIlroy, Rahm and … [+] Cantlay top the odds board with $18 million to the winner. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Just 30 PGA pros remain in the quest for the FedExCup. But only a handful of players have a true shot to win the $18 million bonus and first place prize at the 2023 TOUR Championship. The modified and staggered strokes-based scoring system (FedEx Starting Stokes) adds a wrinkle to the scoring for the fourth straight year.
For the second straight year, Scottie Scheffler (-10) starts as the TOUR Championship leader with a 2-stroke head start over Viktor Hovland (-8), who just won the BMW Championship after closing with a 9-under par 61 that included seven birdies on the back nine. Last year’s FedExCup Champion Rory McIlroy (-7) starts 3-shots back, but he started last year’s tournament six-shots off the pace at -4, and made up the biggest deficit in the four year’s of the staggered strokes format.
Big money is on the line with all players guaranteed $500,000 and the top-10 finishers receiving the biggest payouts of the PGA Tour season from the $75 million bonus pool.
- $18 million
- $6.5 million
- $5 million
- $4 million
- $3 million
- $2.5 million
- $2 million
- $1.5 million
- $1.25 million
- $1 million
- Course: East Lake Golf Club
- Yardage: 7,346 yards, Par 70
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia
- Dates: Aug. 24-27, 2023
This is the final year that the TOUR Championship is played on the current design. East Lake Golf Club was an original Donald Ross design that was renovated in 2016 by Rees Jones. But following this tournament, Andrew Green will perform a “sympathetic renovation” to restore most of the original Donald Ross characteristics to the golf course. Fans and golfers had such positive comments on Green’s recent renovation of Oak Hill Country Club, which hosted this year’s PGA Championship.
Tour Championship Field, Starting Strokes and Odds
The 2023 Tour Championship Odds and updates are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook and posted Monday morning. Odds for the winner includes bonus staggered starting strokes.
Last year, Scheffler started with odds of +250 to win. Cantlay was +430 and 2-strokes back, but he’s now starting at -4. Expect Hovland and McIlroy to both be closer to +400 to win with Rory slightly less than that at some leading online sportsbooks.
- Scottie Scheffler (-10): +250
- Viktor Hovland (-8):
- Rory McIlroy (-7):
- Jon Rahm (-6):
- Lucas Glover (-5):
- Max Homa (-4):
- Patrick Cantlay (-4):
- Brian Harman (-4):
- Wyndham Clark (-4):
- Matt Fitzpatrick (-4)
- Tommy Fleetwood (-3):
- Russell Henley (-3):
- Keegan Bradley (-3):
- Rickie Fowler (-3):
- Xander Schauffele (-3):
- Tom Kim (-2):
- Sungjae Im (-2):
- Tony Finau (-2):
- Corey Connors (-2):
- Si Woo Kim (-2):
- Taylor Moore (-1):
- Nick Taylor (-1):
- Adam Schenk (-1):
- Collin Morikawa (-1):
- Jason Day (-1):
- Sam Burns (E):
- Emiliano Grillo (E):
- Tyrrell Hatton (E):
- Jordan Spieth (E):
- Sepp Straka (E):
Another way to bet the TOUR Championship is picking the winner without the starting strokes. So the lowest 72 Hole Score (Excluding Handicap) is the winner. More ways to win as you strategize and do your FanDuel research for the TOUR Championship.
Key stats and form
According to data golf, driving accuracy has been the most correlated predictive skill set at East Lake. The course has not been too difficult compared to other PGA Tour golf courses, but the ability to hit fairways has been a key to success. East Lake Golf Club is a classic tree-lined course that also favors golfers that are precise with their irons and strong ball strikers. Scrambling stats and the ability to get up and down will become more important as players that miss fairways hit less than 50% of the greens at East Lake.
The top two golfers in strokes gained stats playing East Lake Golf Club are Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele. They have played 36 and 24 rounds at the course, and lead the field in SG: Total, Tee-to-Green, Off-the-Tee, Ball Striking and Short Game. Schauffele is also No. 2 in Approach and No. 3 in Putting.
TOUR Championship Picks and Ryder Cup Update
Very low odds on the favorites this week combined with the strokes-gained format makes outright betting less desirable. But check back as we add Golf Digest contributors and other industry prognosticators picks and insight with information you can bet on.
Speaking of picks, U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson will make six captain’s picks on Aug. 29 after the Tour Championship. Those players will join automatic qualifyers Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Xander Schaffuele representing the United States versus the European Team in the Ryder Cup Sept. 25 – Oct. 1 at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, Italy. The top six qualifiers for the European Team are Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Robert McIntyre, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton and Tommy Fleetwood.
- USA (-135)
- Europe (+150)
- Tie (+1200)
The favored U.S. team’s odds have recently dropped at FanDuel with other leading online sportsbooks favoring Team USA up to -175.
Tour Championship TV Schedule
Thursday/Friday (Aug. 24-25) – Golf Channel 1-6pm ET.
Saturday (Aug. 26) – Golf Channel 1-4, CBS 3-7pm ET
Sunday (Aug. 27) – Golf Channel 12-1:30pm, CBS 1:30-6pm ET
Tournament matchups will be posted soon at FanDuel and other leading online sportsbooks with prop bets offering additional opportunities for wagering winners beyond outright betting with lower odds this week.
You can bet on it.
