The 2018-19 PGA Tour season comes to an end this season as the FedEx Cup playoffs reach their climax with The Tour Championship in Atlanta, Georgia.
The traditional closing event of the PGA season will feature the top-30 ranked golfers on the FedEx Cup ranking, but the tournament has implemented significant format changes this year.
The most notable among them is that there is already a leader, even though the first tee is still two days away.
Under the new format, the FedEx Cup leader will start the event at 10-under par, while the second seed will start at 8-under, the third seed at 7-under and so on down to the fifth seed at 5-under.
Players seeded between six to 10 will begin at 4-under, while seeds 11–15 will begin at 3-under, all the way down to seeds 26–30, who will start at even par.
That means Justin Thomas, who won the BMW Championship at Medinah, Illinois, on Sunday, will start the final event of the season at 10-under par after taking the lead in the FedEx Cup standings.
Patrick Cantlay will begin two shots adrift, while world number one Brooks Koepka and 2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed will begin at 7-under and 6-under respectively.
Having a leader before the tournament hasn't even begun is the most radical change among those implemented this year, but it is not the only one.
Notably, from this year the winner of The Tour Championship will also be the winner of the FedEx Cup.
Since the FedEx Cup Playoffs made their debut in 2007, the winner of the FedEx Cup Playoffs has differed from the winner of The Tour Championship on four occasions.
That happened twice in the last three seasons, including last year, when Woods won The Tour Championship and Justin Rose claimed the FedEx Cup, even though he didn't win any of the four FedEx Cup playoff events.
Here's everything you need to know about the tournament.
When is The Tour Championship?
The 33rd edition of The Tour Championship runs from Thursday, August 22, until Sunday, August 25.
Where is The Tour Championship?
As has been the case since 2004, the 2019 installment of the tournament takes place at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
The par-70 course, which stretches over 7,346 yards, first hosted The Tour Championship in 1998.
Purse
The winner of the Tour Championship will receive $15 million, with $5 million going to the runner-up.
TV coverage
The first two rounds of the tournament will be broadcast in its entirety by Golf Channel, which will also broadcast the early stages of the final two rounds. Coverage will then switch to NBC on both Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
Live stream
All four days of the tournament can be watched online via PGA Tour Live and on Golf Channel's digital platforms, as well as via NBC's digital platforms.
A live stream for all the four rounds will be available via fuboTV, DirecTV Now, Sling TV and PlayStation VUE.
TV schedule (all times ET)
Thursday, August 22.
- Golf Channel, 1 p.m.—6 p.m.
- PGA Tour Live 11:30 a.m.—1 p.m.
Friday, August 23
- Golf Channel 1 p.m.—6 p.m.
- PGA Tour Live 11:30 a.m.—1 p.m.
Saturday, August 24
- Golf Channel, 1 p.m—2:30 p.m.
- NBC, 2:30 p.m.—7 p.m.
Sunday, August 25
- Golf Channel, 12 p.m.—1:30 p.m.
- NBC, 1:30 p.m.—6 p.m.
Who is in the field?
The world's top-30 ranked golfers have qualified for The Tour Championship, beginning with FedEx Cup leader Justin Thomas and current world number one Brooks Koepka.
Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed are also in the field at East Lake, as are defending FedEx Cup champion Justin Rose and current world number two Dustin Johnson.
These 30 players are ready to tackle East Lake this week.#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/MEqmSreFJG
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 19, 2019
Patrick Cantlay, Matt Kuchar and 2019 U.S. Open winner have also qualified, along with Tony Finau, Bryson DeChambeau, Chez Reavie, Webb Simpson and Tommy Fleetwood.
There are some illustrious names missing out, however. Tiger Woods, who won The Tour Championship last year, has failed to qualify, as have Open Championship winner Shane Lowry, three-time major winner Jordan Spieth and five-time major winner Phil Mickelson.
Odds
According to Oddschecker, FedEx Cup leader Justin Thomas is a 5/2 favorite to win at Eastlake, followed by Patrick Cantlay at 24/5.
World number one Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy, who won The Tour Championship in 2016, are 5/1 and 9/1 shots respectively.
Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed, who won The Northern Trust Open two weeks ago, follow at 14/1 and 18/1, while world number two Dustin Johnson is a 27/1 outsider, just marginally ahead of Xander Schauffele at 29/1.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Dan Cancian is currently a reporter for Newsweek based in London, England. Prior to joining Newsweek in January 2018, he was a news and business reporter at International Business Times UK. Dan has also written for The Guardian and The Observer.
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