Tour Championship predictions: It could be more glory for Rory at East Lake
The 2022-23 PGA Tour season reaches a conclusion in Atlanta, Georgia, this week with its traditional finale, the Tour Championship, at East Lake Golf Club.
- Rory McIlroy has won the Tour Championship in three of his last six competitive visits to East Lake
- Xander Schauffele has posted 72-hole form figures of 1-7-2-1-3-6 over the last six editions of the Tour Championship
- The Tour Championship is set to play out under sunny skies and minimal wind, with good weather forecast for all four rounds
- Recommended bets
- Rory McIlroy to win the Tour Championship
- Xander Schauffele to win and each-way
- Russell Henley to win and each-way
The top 30 in the season-long FedEx Cup standings have made it to East Lake and world No1 Scottie Scheffler is the 7/5 favourite with LiveScore Bet as he bids to win this title for the first time.
The Tour Championship switched to a 'starting strokes' format in 2019, meaning that Scheffler, by virtue of being top of the FedEx Cup standings, gets the jump on his 29 rivals and will begin the tournament at -10.
Viktor Hovland, up to second in the standings following his BMW Championship win, is eight under and 5/1 to win while three-time champion Rory McIlroy is three adrift but is shorter than Hovland at 10/3.
McIlroy magic could see him overhaul world No.1 Scheffler
Twelve months ago, Scottie Scheffler started the Tour Championship at -10 but he fell apart in the final round, shooting a 73 as a charging McIlroy reeled him in with a closing 67.
McIlroy won his third Tour Championship and his second under the current format despite starting six shots off the pace – a start which was made worse after he posted a treble-bogey on his first hole – and he could quickly catch Scheffler again at a venue he adores.
The Northern Irishman also won this tournament in 2016 when it was a traditional 72-hole stroke-play event, then he came from five shots down to win in 2019, so there is no denying that he is suited to the thrill of the chase.
Closer to the lead than he was for either of his two wins, and in fine form having finished in the top ten in each of his last nine PGA Tour starts, another McIlroy masterclass could be in store over the weekend.
X-Man poised to be a factor at East Lake once again
Like McIlroy, Xander Schauffele adores East Lake, where he won on debut in the 2017 Tour Championship and where he has never finished outside of the top seven in 72-hole scoring in six visits to the course.
The X-Man has a lot of work to do from seven shots back but he drove the ball better than anyone bar Scheffler and Hovland when eighth at the BMW last week and he will be full of confidence returning to a venue which he clearly relishes.
Georgia native can make bold bid in home state
Russell Henley performed superbly when he last teed it up in a competitive tournament in his home state of Georgia, finishing fourth at the Masters, and the local hero could contend from off the pace in the Tour Championship.
Henley, the straightest driver on the PGA Tour this season, finished third when he last made it into the East Lake field (2017). Like Schauffele, he is also seven shots adrift but he has an each-way chance having finished in the top eight of the last three Tour events.
