Tour Championship Betting Preview: Fun Format Presents Several Interesting Options to Win FedEx Cup

Well, we definitely got some excitement last week as Patrick Cantlay and Bryson DeChambeau needed some playoff holes to decide the BMW Championship. I had Bryson on my list of BMW Championship best bets, but he was unable to pull out the win in the playoff. Now we are on to the final event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, the Tour Championship.

There is a $15 million prize on the line this week for the winner of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, in addition to the tournament winnings for the Tour Championship. But remember it is a handicapped field of 30, so even though there is a lot at stake, wagering this event is different from others. Starting strokes are listed below. With his win at the BMW Championship, Cantlay leads the FedEx Cup standings and thus has the best starting score for the Tour Championship, with Tony Finau two strokes behind and DeChambeau three behind.

East Lake Golf course has hosted the Championship every year since 2004. Winners usually pull a score around -10, so there is room to make up the ground needed to take the ultimate prize.

Tour Championship Tournament Details

• Date: September 2–5, 2021
• Purse: $9,500,000
• Course: East Lake Golf Course (Atlanta, Georgia)
• Course Details: Par – 70, Course Length – 7,346 yards
• Defending Champion: Dustin Johnson
• TV Schedule: Thursday – Golf Channel (1 p.m.-6 p.m. ET), Friday – Golf Channel (1 p.m.-6 p.m. ET), Saturday – Golf Channel (1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. ET) and NBC (2:30 p.m.-7 p.m. ET), Sunday – Golf Channel (12 p.m.-1:30 p.m. ET) and NBC (1:30 p.m.-6 p.m. ET)

Odds to Win the FedEx Cup Playoffs

• Jon Rahm +350
• Patrick Cantlay +400
• Bryson DeChambeau +550
• Tony Finau +700
• Justin Thomas +1400
• Jordan Spieth +1800
• Dustin Johnson +2000
• Rory McIlroy +2500
• Xander Schauffele +2500
• Cameron Smith +2800
• Harris English +2800
• Abraham Ancer +2800
• Louis Oosthuizen +3500
• Collin Morikawa +3500
• Sam Burns +4000
• Viktor Hovland +4000
• Sungjae Im +4500
• Brooks Koepka +5000
• Scottie Scheffler +6500
• Daniel Berger +10000

Best Bets to Win the FedEx Cup Playoffs

Patrick Cantlay +400

Last week was huge for Cantlay and it sets him up for an even bigger payday this week. To win with him you don’t even need him to win the event itself, so there is some strategy there. He is playing great and is not even at the top of the table.

Bryson DeChambeau +550

It would be some fun drama if he makes a move on Cantlay after what we saw last weekend. He is more than up to the task, and I like the payoff. At three shots back, he is well within striking distance.

Cameron Smith +2800

Smith stands out because he is beginning the event in the 5th spot, but his odds have him ranked 10th behind some bigger names. He starts five strokes back but is worth a sprinkle. Look at that payoff.

Jordan Spieth +1800

Here is another example of the odds creating some intrigue. There is a group of five players starting six strokes back of Cantlay. Justin Thomas has the lowest odds at +1400 and then next is Spieth at +1800. They are fairly equal, so getting that extra payoff is intriguing. Sam Burns is also at -4 and +4000 if you like that reasoning.

Tony Finau +700

Maybe it is too obvious, but nobody is talking much about Finau. He is the closest in terms of strokes but 4th in odds. One bad hole and he is essentially even with Cantlay. He won The Northern Trust, the first event of the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Rory McIlroy +2500

He starts eight shots back, which is a lot to make up. But we know he is capable of owning any golf course when he is on his game. I was looking at him and Dustin Johnson as kind of old-school plays this weekend. DJ already has a shot on him, but I think the extra payoff makes Rory the better bet.

Player Starting Strokes for the Tour Championship

• Patrick Cantlay -10
• Tony Finau -8
• Bryson DeChambeau -7
• Jon Rahm -6
• Cameron Smith -5
• Justin Thomas -4
• Harris English -4
• Abraham Ancer -4
• Jordan Spieth -4
• Sam Burns -4
• Collin Morikawa -3
• Sungjae Im -3
• Viktor Hovland -3
• Louis Oosthuizen -3
• Dustin Johnson -3
• Rory McIlroy -2
• Xander Schauffele -2
• Jason Kokrak -2
• Kevin Na -2
• Brooks Koepka -2
• Corey Conners -1
• Hideki Matsuyama -1
• Stewart Cink -1
• Joaquin Niemann -1
• Scottie Scheffler -1
• Daniel Berger E
• Erik Van Rooyen E
• Sergio Garcia E
• Billy Horschel E
• Patrick Reed E