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Jordan Spieth was the PGA Tour’s last FedEx Cup winner. Who will follow in his footsteps this week at the Tour Championship?
After 49 weeks and 46 events, it all comes down to this. Thirty of the PGA Tour‘s top players have qualified for the Tour Championship at East Lake, where they’ll compete for the FedEx Cup and the $10 million bonus that comes with it.
While the entered players have different point totals, all will have a chance to take home the big prize this week. That’s because FedEx Cup points are reset prior to the Tour Championship, a provision introduced in 2009 to help build suspense throughout the final event of the season. However, only the top five in the standings control their own fate — if one of them wins, he will guarantee himself the biggest single payday in professional golf.
This is the tenth season to feature the race to the FedEx Cup, a significant milestone. This week’s big winner will get to see his name engraved alongside names like Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk, among others.
Who are the top players to keep an eye on this week? Without further ado, let’s get to it. Here are ten of the best bets for success at the Tour Championship.
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Dustin Johnson looks primed to close out the season with another win.
1
Dustin Johnson
No. 2, Eight top 10s in last ten starts
After all but locking up Player of the Year honors with his win at the BMW Championship, Johnson looks ready to bring it home with a season-ending victory at East Lake. With 15 top 20 finishes in his last 17 starts, he’s made it quite clear that he’s among the most reliable players on the PGA Tour — his uncanny ability to bounce back after a bad round sets him apart from his peers. In addition, Johnson has found the top five in each of his last two Tour Championship appearances, so he’s got enough experience to successfully navigate this week.Next: Adam Scott
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After demonstrating great form to start the postseason, Adam Scott will try for the whole kit and caboodle at the Tour Championship.
2
Adam Scott
No. 6, Three consecutive fourth-place finishes
After three fourth-place finishes to open the FedEx Cup playoffs, this Aussie has a clear path to the FedEx Cup. All he needs to do is win this week, and with ball striking skills like his, it’s easy to see him pulling it off. Scott leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained: approach-the-green by more than six-tenths of a stroke per round — if he could putt worth a lick, he’d win five times a year. He’s picked up several high finishes at East Lake over the years, including a win in 2006.Next: Paul Casey
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Englishman Paul Casey will try to parlay his red-hot form into a win this week.
3
Paul Casey
No. 15, Back-to-back runner-up finishes
This Englishman has had an outstanding run through the postseason — with back-to-back runner-up finishes at TPC Boston and Crooked Stick, the only thing missing is a win. With just 29 others in the field this week, Casey has a great opportunity to grab one here, but he’ll need to close better if he wants to pull it off. Fortunately, he’s notched a pair of top fives in his career at East Lake, including a tie for fifth last year, and he ranks among the PGA Tour leaders in strokes gained: tee-to-green. He should be in the hunt on Sunday.Next: Patrick Reed
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Patrick Reed is one of the most consistent players on the PGA Tour, and he’s peaking at the right time.
4
Patrick Reed
No. 8, Nine consecutive top 25 finishes
This American will look to turn over a new leaf on his third trip to East Lake — he was shut out of the top 15 in both of his previous appearances. Even so, Reed’s red-hot form should see him through to a solid finish this week. The Augusta State product hasn’t missed out on the top 25 since early July, enjoying solid weeks in each of his last nine events. Going up against a field as small as this week’s, he shouldn’t have any trouble delivering another solid performance.Next: Jordan Spieth
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This week, defending champion Jordan Spieth will try to become the first person to win back-to-back FedEx Cups.
5
Jordan Spieth
No. 4, Five top 25s in last six starts
Although Spieth has made just three career appearances at the Tour Championship, he’s already established himself as a perennial favorite at East Lake. With a win last year and a share of second place in 2013, he knows how to make birdies on this course — he made 15 of them en route to last year’s victory. With three straight top 25s to kick off the FedEx Cup playoffs, his recent form is rock-solid. A playoff win would redeem a relatively quiet season, so he should be plenty motivated to make a run at the hardware.Next: Rory McIlroy
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A FedEx Cup title is well within reach for Rory McIlroy, but he’ll need to find something with his putter.
6
Rory McIlroy
No. 3, Deutsche Bank Championship winner
After turning in a sterling putting performance at TPC Boston, McIlroy was back in the woods at the BMW Championship. He ranked 68th out of 70 players in strokes gained: putting at Crooked Stick — exactly the kind of futility that put him in a funk for a good chunk of the summer. His results with the new Scotty Cameron flatstick have been streaky, but we can’t ignore the possibility of more McIlroy dominance at East Lake this week. With a pair of top 10s in his career at the course, he’s got enough experience to heat up in a hurry.Next: Jason Day
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Jason Day will look to rebound after an injury forced him to withdraw from the BMW Championship.
7
Jason Day
No. 1, Four top 15s in last five starts
After withdrawing from the BMW Championship due to a back injury, Day will look to rebound at the Tour Championship. While the Aussie’s injury history is always a cause for concern, we can take comfort in the fact that he’s gotten fairly used to battling back from his ailments. While the withdrawal may have stymied his momentum a bit, he’s nevertheless found the top 25 in each of his last seven completed starts. He also has a solid record at East Lake, picking up three top 10s in five appearances.Next: Bubba Watson
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With a Ryder Cup spot on the line, Bubba Watson should be motivated to perform this week.
8
Bubba Watson
No. 7, Four top 25s in last five starts
This bomber hasn’t picked up a PGA Tour top 10 in several months, but he’ll have an excellent opportunity to end that dry spell this week — with just 29 others in the field, he doesn’t even need to play all that well to do it. What’s more, Watson has found the top 25 in four of his last five starts dating back to early August, so it’s not like he’s playing poorly. The Georgia product has never truly contended for victory at East Lake, but with a pair of top fives in his career, he has enough experience to take a step forward this time around.Next: Matt Kuchar
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Matt Kuchar reestablished his good form at Crooked Stick two weeks ago, nudging his way onto the Tour Championship shortlist.
9
Matt Kuchar
No. 17, Two top fives in last four starts
After getting his postseason run off to an inauspicious start, Kuchar resurfaced with a tie for fourth at the BMW Championship. That should give him plenty of momentum as he prepares to make his seventh consecutive Tour Championship appearance. With a pair of career top 10s in the event, including one last year, the Georgia Tech product has reason to be optimistic about his chances this week, and despite some postseason struggles, he’s been very consistent on the whole this year. Don’t be surprised if he makes a title run.Next: Daniel Berger
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Daniel Berger should have no trouble keeping pace with the game’s biggest stars this week.
10
Daniel Berger
No. 37, Two top 10s in last four starts
This Florida native has qualified for the Tour Championship in each of his first two seasons on the PGA Tour — not bad at all. Now that he’s made it back, he’ll focus on closing out his season in style. Berger tied for 10th at the BMW Championship in his last start, so he’s playing well enough to make something happen this week; he also hasn’t missed a cut since February, a testament to his strong form this year. You can’t sleep on his course history either — he tied for 12th at East Lake last year, ranking second in strokes gained: tee-to-green.Next: Web.com Tour Finals: 3 Takeaways from Boise
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Who will rise from the pack to win the FedEx Cup? Let us know what you predict, and keep it here at Pro Golf Now for more updates from the PGA Tour.
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