After an exciting week in Colorado, the PGA Tour season concludes with the Tour Championship at the new East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, where the top 30 players in the FedEx Cup standings are gearing up to compete for the season-long FedEx Cup trophy and the $25 million prize money that comes with it.
For those unfamiliar with this week's unique format, the player with the most FedEx Cup points so far this week will start at 10 under par. The player with the second most points will start at 8 under par. Third will start at 7 under par and fifth will start at 5 under par. Players ranked 6th through 10th will start at 4 under par. 11th through 15th will start at 3 under par and 26th through 30th will start at even par. In two of the five years since the format was changed, a player starting at 10 under par has won the tournament, and no player starting below 4 under par has ever won.
RELATED: Here's the FedEx Cup prize money for each golfer at the 2024 Tour Championship:
East Lake has been the site of the Tour Championship since the early 2000s, but the Donald Ross design will look very different in 2024. Andrew Green, who has worked on the restoration of other championship golf courses including Congressional, Inverness and Oak Hill, has made several changes to East Lake ahead of the 2024 tournament. The changes include a complete agronomic change to the fairways and greens and changing the 14th hole from a long par 4 to a short par 5. While I don't expect the green restoration to obviously change the skill set required this week, I do expect the brand new greens to be incredibly firm this week and there will be an emphasis on accurate approach play. Now let's take a look at the Tour Championship 2024 DFS slate for DraftKings competitions.
For Read The Line's analysis of the 2024 Creator Classic, check out the video below.
$10,000 range
Played by: Scottie Scheffler, $12,200:
This may be the closest Scottie Scheffler will get to buying low after his worst performance since the U.S. Open, and while I expect a lot of owners to flock to Xander Schauffele this week given his recent performance and track record on the course, the newly renovated East Lake, with its rock-hard greens and steep penalties for missed fairways, should be the perfect course for the reigning Masters champion.
Fade: Hideki Matsuyama, $10,100:
I'm not sure what to think about Hideki Matsuyama's withdrawal from last week's BMW Championship. His Tour Championship berth is already secured, so I won't dwell on it too much, but there are still legitimate concerns about his suitability at East Lake. Matsuyama has never really flourished on this golf course before, and the recent renovations have added to the concerns about his inconsistency off the tee.
$9,000 range
Played by: Patrick Cantlay, $9,400:
Patrick Cantlay has played some undoubtedly solid golf over the past few months, but there have been just a few minor flaws that have kept him from truly competing for a win. The former FedExCup champion again won strokes in all four major divisions at last week's BMW Championship, this time returning to the comfort zone where he has enjoyed considerable success over the years, this time at East Lake.
Fade: Collin Morikawa, $9,100:
Collin Morikawa seems to like this golf course, but something just doesn't seem right for the two-time major champion. Morikawa has been coming off consecutive middling finishes in the first two FedEx Cup Playoffs, with lackluster approach play. Morikawa will need his best shot at East Lake to have any kind of success, but at this point it's unclear if that's going to happen.
Approximately $8,000
Played by: Viktor Hovland, $8,300:
I continue to believe that Viktor Hovlan is much closer than his results indicate. Hovlan gained five more strokes on his approach shots at last week's BMW Championship, and gained strokes around the green for the first time since the PGA Championship. Hovlan won with the lowest score at East Lake last year, so I expect him to come out on top again this time.
Fade: Wyndham Clark, $8,100:
Wyndham Clark has certainly been playing better golf towards the end of the season, but there are still concerns about his recent approach play and overall physical condition at East Lake. Clark lost another four strokes on his approach last week, and East Lake is generally more about accuracy over distance, so I prefer Clark on a course that suits the stronger hitters.
Approximately $7,000
Played by: Lim Sung-jae, $7,500:
Lim Sung-jae seems an ideal fit for East Lake, having already recorded a runner-up finish on the course. Lim also placed 11th at the BMW Championship, gaining more than a stroke in both ball-striking categories, and is now returning to South East Bermuda, where he has enjoyed considerable success throughout his career.
Fade: Shane Lowry, $7,300:
Shane Lowry returned to the top 20 at the BMW Championship last week, but this will be his first time competing at East Lake. Lowry's ball striking has declined since his top 10 finish at the British Open, so don't expect too much from his putter here either.
About $6,000
Played by Sepp Straka, $6,700:
I'm always intrigued by Sepp Straka on courses where accuracy is important and the penalty for missed fairways is high. It's no surprise, given Straka's previous great results at East Lake. Straka is fresh off a 13th place finish at the BMW Championship and will be looking to continue that momentum in Atlanta this week.
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Andy Lack is a PGA Tour writer and podcaster originally from New York City and currently residing in Los Angeles. He hosts a twice-weekly podcast, Inside Golf, featuring PGA Tour, betting, daily fantasy, golf course design and interviews as part of the BlueWire podcast network. In addition to contributing to Golf Digest, Andy is also a data analyst and writer for Run Pure Sports, covering PGA Tour betting and daily fantasy. He previously wrote for RickRunGood.com, the Score and GolfWRX before joining Golf Digest's betting panel. In his spare time, Andy can usually be found on the golf course. Follow him on Twitter. Follow
