FedEx Cup: SB Nation’s staff picks Tour Championship winner

ATLANTA — The ultimate match of the PGA Tour common season is right here. The highest 30 gamers within the FedEx Cup standings have arrived at East Lake Golf Membership and can battle for the FedEx Cup.

The Tour Championship is not like some other tour occasion. It has a novel format predicated on the place gamers sit within the standings.

Whoever enters the week ranked first begins the match at 10-under par. Scottie Scheffler holds that title this yr, as he did final yr too.

Scheffler will go off within the closing group Thursday with Viktor Hovland, who’s ranked second. Hovland will begin the championship at 8-under.

Beginning scores then dwindle down the leaderboard, relying on the place gamers are ranked, which is completely articulated on this graphic:

With a lot on the road this weekend, we wish to hear who you assume will win. Tell us who you’ll imagine will win the FedEx Cup?

With this in thoughts, allow us to now reveal who SB Nation’s Taking part in By way of employees has chosen to win the FedEx Cup in Atlanta:

Kendall Capps – Editor

Regardless that he’s beginning seven strokes again of Scheffler, I’m going with Xander Schauffele to win the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup.

Solely Tiger Woods has statistically ever performed East Lake higher than Schauffele. He owns this course. He gained the 2017 Tour Championship, however that was earlier than the tour adopted the present format.

His common rating at East Lake: 66.63, greater than three strokes below par. He has by no means recorded an over-par spherical in the course of the Tour Championship however has shot an even-par 70 thrice.

Schauffele’s beautiful scores have led him to complete within the prime seven previously six years, a outstanding feat. Plus, his present kind is strong too. He has 11 prime 20s over his final 14 tournaments.

By the tip of Friday’s spherical, I believe he may have knocked Scheffler’s result in lower than 4 pictures and has a baller Sunday to steal the FedEx Cup.

Picture by Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR by way of Getty Photographs

Jack Milko – Workers Author

I’m going with Scottie Scheffler to win the FedEx Cup. He has the two-stroke benefit over Hovland and can cap off a historic season.

Scheffler has hit the ball higher than anybody from tee-to-green in historical past not named Tiger Woods in 2006, per Justin Ray of The Athletic.

The previous Texas Longhorn has gained 2.74 strokes for the reason that starting of the yr. That’s an unimaginable quantity contemplating he and Rory McIlroy are the one two gamers to realize greater than 1.6 strokes from tee to inexperienced this season.

Plus, Scheffler has revenge on his thoughts.

Final yr, he entered the Tour Championship ranked first within the standings and commenced the match at 10-under, however he misplaced to McIlroy as he struggled down the stretch on Sunday.

His rounds final yr at East Lake: 5-under 65, 4-under 66, 4-under 66, 4-over 73.

Scheffler discovered from his errors final yr, as he will get the job completed this time round.

Picture by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs

Savannah Richardson – Workers Author

I’m going with the recent hand: Viktor Hovland.

His record-breaking spherical at Olympia Fields put the remainder of the PGA Tour on discover. His 7-under 28 on the again 9 was otherworldly, and after watching Hovland play just a few holes throughout Tuesday’s follow spherical, I can see why he simply gained the BMW Championship.

He’s stripping it.

Hovland has discovered methods to win this season too.

He defeated Denny McCarthy in a playoff on the Memorial Event in June and stormed from behind to take down Scheffler—the primary ranked participant on the earth—final weekend in Chicago. The younger Norwegian can clearly win in a number of methods, as he’ll race by Scheffler once more this weekend at East Lake.

Hovland’s confidence is sky-high too. He may even have the most effective type of any participant at subsequent month’s Ryder Cup, which may spell bother for the Individuals.

Picture by Michael Reaves/Getty Photographs

Luke Robitaille – Producer

He could also be six strokes again of Scheffler, however I’m going with Max Homa to take house the FedEx Cup.

Homa had one unhealthy gap on the BMW Championship final weekend: the par-4 seventh. He made a triple-bogey seven, which fully derailed his confidence. He might need been there on the finish if he had executed a greater third shot from past the inexperienced.

Alas, Homa has had a terrific season. He ranks fifth in strokes gained: placing, which is able to turn out to be useful on the undulating East Lake greens.

A number of gamers have talked concerning the quickness of the placing surfaces this week, and Homa will certainly take full benefit.

Plus, he tied for fifth finally yr’s Tour Championship, which included an 8-under 62 in the course of the second spherical. That’s the lowest second-round rating in match historical past, per the PGA Tour’s official media information.

Homa has recorded three straight top-10s too, so he’s destined to lastly break by. He does so this week, successful the largest match of his profession up to now.

Picture by Dylan Buell/Getty Photographs

Who do you assume wins the FedEx Cup? Tell us within the feedback under!

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By way of. You may observe him on Twitter @jack_milko for extra golf protection. You’ll want to try @_PlayingThrough too.