Tour Championship: SB Nation’s Enjoying Via picks FedEx Cup winners

ATLANTA — The ultimate event 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 in contrast to every other tour occasion. It has a singular format predicated on the place gamers sit within the standings.

Whoever enters the week ranked first begins the event at 10-under par. Scottie Scheffler holds that title this 12 months, as he did final 12 months 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:

So with this in thoughts, allow us to now reveal who Enjoying Via has chosen to win the FedEx Cup in Atlanta:

Kendall Capps – Editor

Although 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 through the Tour Championship however has shot an even-par 70 thrice.

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

By the top of Friday’s spherical, I believe he can have knocked Scheffler’s result in lower than 4 photographs 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 12 months. That’s an unbelievable 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 12 months, he entered the Tour Championship ranked first within the standings and commenced the event at 10-under, however he misplaced to McIlroy as he struggled down the stretch on Sunday.

His rounds final 12 months at East Lake: 5-under 65, 4-under 66, 4-under 66, 4-over 73.

Scheffler realized from his errors final 12 months, 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 apply spherical, I can see why he simply gained the BMW Championship.

He’s stripping it.

Hovland has realized tips on how 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 this planet—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 would possibly even have the perfect type of any participant at subsequent month’s Ryder Cup, which might 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 residence 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 may 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 come in useful on the undulating East Lake greens.

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

Plus, he tied for fifth eventually 12 months’s Tour Championship, which included an 8-under 62 through the second spherical. That’s the lowest second-round rating in event historical past, per the PGA Tour’s official media information.

Homa has recorded three straight top-tens too, so he’s destined to lastly break via. He does so this week, profitable the largest event of his profession so far.

Picture by Dylan Buell/Getty Photographs

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

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying Via. You may observe him on Twitter @jack_milko for extra golf protection. Make sure to try @_PlayingThrough too.