Preview and Predictions for the 2015 Tour Championship by Coca-Cola
The PGA Tour season is coming to an end with the Tour Championship this week, and you'll be without PGA Tour golf for...three weeks, which is when the 2015-16 season gets started with the Frys.com Open.
While you're busy consoling yourself about the highest level of professional golf's lengthy absence, we'll take a dive into what to expect at this week's FedEx Cup-concluding Tour Championship.
If you want a two-word summary of the week's biggest storylines and the expected winner, here you go: Jason Day.
If you're looking for something a little more in depth, read on.
Where to Watch
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Defending Champion: Billy Horschel
Where: East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Georgia; 7,307 yards, par 70
What
Total Purse: $8,250,000
Winning Share: $1,485,000
FedEx Points to Winner: 2,000
When
Thursday-Friday: 1-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
Saturday: 10 a.m.-noon ET (GC), noon-3:30 p.m. (NBC)
Sunday: Noon-1:30 p.m. ET (GC), 1:30-6 p.m. (NBC)
Biggest Storylines
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Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Henrik Stenson and Bubba Watson all enter the Tour Championship in control of their own destinies. In other words, any one of these five golfers can win the FedEx Cup by winning the Tour Championship. Anyone else will need some assistance. For the full (and confusing) breakdown of who can win the cup and how, check out PGATour.com's write-up.
Rory McIlroy is coming off a tie-for-fourth finish at the BMW Championship as he continues his return to form following an ankle injury. How he plays at the Tour Championship, where he tied for second last year, will be indicative of the state of his game entering the (brief) offseason.
Jim Furyk's status is uncertain after a wrist injury forced him out of last week's BMW Championship. Whether he'll be able to go this week or elects to sit it out in hopes of competing in the Presidents Cup is one of the tournament's big questions.
The Favorites
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Jason Day
A winner last week, Jason Day is the favorite entering the Tour Championship. Indeed, he's won three the last five tournaments he's entered. Day tied for fourth at East Lake last year, so he's comfortable at the track. The Australian is third on tour in strokes gained: total, first in birdie average and second in scoring average.
Rory McIlroy
Slowly starting to look like his old self, Rory McIlroy tied for fourth at the BMW Championship last week. The finish was his first top 10 since returning from injury at the PGA Championship. McIlroy tied for second at the Tour Championship last year. McIlroy has picked up more than two strokes on the field from tee to green this season and is averaging 4.11 birdies per round.
Jordan Spieth
Although he's cooled off a bit lately with missed cuts in his two starts leading up to the BMW Championship, Jordan Spieth rebounded in Chicago with a tie for 13th. Spieth tied for second at the Tour Championship in 2013. He's fourth on tour in strokes gained: tee-to-green, second in birdie average and first in scoring average.
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The Dark Horses
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Bubba Watson
There are no real dark horses in a field of the 30 best performers on the PGA Tour this season. We'll try to identity a few anyway. Bubba Watson has been rather under the radar as of late, but he has top-five finishes in three of his last six starts. He tied for 10th at the BMW Championship last week. He tied for fifth at East Lake in 2012.
Brooks Koepka
Potential rookie of the year Brooks Koepka hasn't been playing his best golf lately with two missed cuts and a tie for 49th in his last three starts. He's due to rebound and has to be keen to finish the season strong. Koepka is 12th on tour in strokes gained: total and eighth in scoring average. Length off the tee and aggressiveness to shoot at pins are key at East Lake; Koepka excels in both areas.
Prediction
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Winner: Jason Day
Really going out on a limb with this one: Jason Day is going to win the Tour Championship. As mentioned, length and aggressiveness are key at East Lake. And with a limited field, putting also will be key. Day averages 314.5 yards off the tee (third on tour) and is fifth in strokes gained: putting.
As mentioned earlier, Day finished tied for fourth at East Lake last year, so he's more than capable at the course.
With the total dominance he displayed in his six-stroke victory at the BMW Championship, Day is on another level right now. Allowing for the outlier of his tie for 12th at the Deutsche Bank Championship, where he was clearly exhausted, Day has won four of his last six starts.
Jason Day may not win at East Lake, sure, but it's difficult to make a case for what will keep him from doing so other than an "all things must end" or "he has to cool off eventually" argument.
Stats via PGATour.com
Ben is on Twitter, if that's your kind of thing.
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