The Tour Championship Preview

The Tour Championship | 20 September - 23 September | East Lake Golf Club

After nine months of competition, the FedEx Cup will be reaching its climax this week as the top 30 players on the PGA Tour battle it out for one of the richest prizes in sport. Amazingly, every player in the field has a chance to win the $10 million prize, from top-rated Rory McIlroy all the way through to Scott Piercy. So for the next couple of days, there are sure to loads of sleepless nights and pre-tournament jitters. 'Calm under pressure' is going to be a massive asset here, so look to the experienced players who perform well in these conditions. Scoring is going to be difficult on this par 70 7,300 yard course so don’t expect anyone to completely dominate the field. This is going to be one fierce battle and I, for one, cannot wait to see how the field lines up.    


To Win Outright
Rory McIlroy  9/2
Tiger Woods  5/1
Phil Mickelson  12/1
Lee Westwood  14/1
Dustin Johnson  16/1

South Africans
Louis Oosthuizen  22/1
Ernie Els  50/1

VALUE BETS
Phil Mickelson (12/1 a win, 3/1 a place)
In sticking with the old “bet with your head, not with your heart” philosophy, my first tip has to be Mickelson. He seems to have hit his stride at just the right time and comes into this one knowing that he controls his own destiny. A win here will secure the Cup for him and even a second or third could mean he takes home first prize. I cannot think of any better motivation. Having won here in 2009 he will certainly enjoy the course and is one to keep in mind this week.  

Jason Dufner (25/1 a win, 63/10 a place)
Those who follow the game closely will remember Dufner’s collapse at the PGA Championship a year ago, so this may seem a bit of a contradiction to my saying that whoever wins this will be able to handle pressure. However, Dufner cannot be ignored on the stats. 4th in GIR, 3rd in scoring average and 1st in ball striking this year shows he’s been a man on a mission and a win here would be the icing on the cake for what has been a splendid season. He’s also had two wins on technical par 70’s, so do not leave him out this week.  

Rory McIlroy (9/2 a win, 11/10 a place)
McIlroy comes into this one in the form of his life and only a fool would leave him out of their selections this week. The price is certainly off-putting and it’s not often I’ll get keen on a 9/2 chance, but with the game Rory is playing at the moment the price almost seems generous (almost). Two wins from his last two starts proves he'll take some stopping. Ignore the place bet here, 11/10 is hardly worth your money. Wins are the way to go.

TOP BET: Tiger Woods (5/1 a win, 12/10 a place)
Tiger will be coming into this one more motivated than any player in this field. A win here would go a long way in helping him heal his wounds, both personal and financial, and if there’s one person you should never leave out in a tournament of this nature it's Tiger. We all know he’s not at his best and probably never will be again, but he is still a formidable opponent and should he have it in him to avoid a bad round on the weekend he could easily walk this. He could still win with a top 3 finish but trust me, he’ll be aiming for first here. And so should you.

Written by @Matt_Cee for @Hollywoodbets. Follow them both on Twitter and Facebook now!

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