The final stage of the FedEx Cup playoffs tees off in Atlanta, Georgia on Thursday as the 30 biggest money earners on the 2018 PGA Tour assemble for the Tour Championship. Last time out, we saw a dramatic playoff in the BMW Championship which ultimately gave us a new World Number One.
It’s tight at the top of the Tour Championship betting odds with three players locked on +900 with many of the top American-friendly sportsbooks. One of these co-favorites is Justin Rose. The Englishman has been one of the most consistent money earners and claimed the World Number One ranking with that solo second in the BMW last time we saw action on the Tour. He also has two runners-up slots in the Tour Championship and may look a worthy favorite but as we said last week, Rose has been consistent without ever getting over the line.
Dustin Johnson is at the same win price on a number of sites but elsewhere he slips one place to second favorite. A poor FedEx series and some off-course distractions mean we’ll be looking elsewhere for our winner.
Another member of Europe’s Ryder Cup team to show consistency in recent weeks is Rory McIlroy who enjoyed another strong four days at the BMW. The Northern Irishman won here in 2016 and ranks highly in this week’s Power Rankings.
Behind those three favorites, Justin Thomas (+1100) and Brooks Koepka (+1200) are a few points further back with Bovada Sportbook and then we come to Tiger Woods (+1200) who continues his best comeback to date. Tiger will surely complete that return with a tournament win shortly and he is one of only two players to have won the Tour Championship more than once.
At longer Tour Championship odd, punters will see some definite value in Bryson Dechambeau (+1800) who has enjoyed such a productive season on both sides of the Atlantic.
Also available at similar prices are Rickie Fowler (+1800) and Hideki Matsuyama (20/1) who has made a welcome return to form in recent weeks.
With a field of just 30 golfers taking part in this event, there is nobody who could really be classed as a rank outsider but there could be some value as we head towards the longshots. It is also worth remembering that there is no cut in such a short field so all players will remain in the tournament until Sunday.
One price that really interests us sits next to Tony Finau (+1800) who lit up the playoff series with a string of single digit finishes. The big hitting Finau sits fourth in the Power Rankings for East Lake as a result but still lies towards the back of the betting markets.
Behind Finau is this week’s reigning tournament champion Xander Schauffele (+2800) who is just ahead of the consistent Paul Casey (+4000) and the current US Masters champion Patrick Reed (+4000). Clearly there will also be some support for Bubba Watson (+4000) who is a three-time champion on Tour this season and in a short field, even the highest-priced Patton Kizzire (250/1) can’t be ruled out.
Our Preview’s Tour Championship Predictions with Course & Betting Trends
The East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta has been the Tour Championship’s permanent home since 2004 and despite being a par 70, it holds relative length at 7,346 yards. The course dates back to 1904 and in the past it struggled to keep pace with the developing game but the recent introduction of Bermuda grass greens has done something to address a raft of low scoring.
Recent winners have shown strong putting stats while Driving Distance and Greens in Regulation have also been consistent keys for past renewals.
In over 30 years since Tom Watson won the inaugural event in 1987, only Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods have taken the trophy twice so the trends aren’t in favor of multiple winners, although there is enough strength in the field to go against that indicator.
This week we’re coming back to Bryson Dechambeau and while fatigue factor was cited in his poor showing at the BMW Championship, he should be nice and rested and ready to find his best form from earlier in the series.
There won’t be too much value in the Top 10 finishers market but Tony Finau is at good odds related to his recent form and is worth adding to your betslip.
So these are this Tour Championship preview’s betting predictions and picks:
- Bryson Dechambeau to win @ +1800 with Bovada or Intertops.
- Tony Finau for a top 10 finish @ +125 with Bovada. Remember there are only 30 players in the line-up. He is +100 with Intertops.
Matt Harris is a golf and soccer expert for USA Betting. His other area of specialist knowledge is cricket. He is well known in sports journalism and contributes articles to a plethora of big-name websites and media outlets. Titles that he writes or has written for include: Betfair, BetVictor, Unibet & Just Bookies.