PGA Best Bets: Exciting Tour Championship & Big Purse
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00:00The tour championship, the big purse. It's all here this week down in Atlanta at East Lake Golf Club. Watching this play out will be sensational. Now the reason that we bring on Dubs Anderson is here. He is a fine co-host. We know a lot about a lot of topics, but this man knows the PGA Tour and thank goodness I have him with this segment. So Dubsy, let's just lay it out here. The tour championship will be played this weekend. As I said, a huge event.
00:28A huge purse here, but let the people know if they weren't following along yet. How did we get this point with the tour champion this week? And also, how does it play out and what are some of the rules that everybody can look forward to?
00:42Yeah, it's a little different this week, Donny. It's the last event for the FedEx Cup playoff. So it is the season finale. A lot of money on the line. $25 million for whoever finishes up on top at East Lake on Sunday afternoon.
00:56It was 70 players to start the playoffs. It became 50 there last week and we've now only got 30 remaining. There's going to be no cut for this one. So every golfer that tees off on Thursday has a really good chance of going through to the weekend and making a bit of a tilt up this leaderboard.
01:11Now, the starting positions is a unique one. It's a staggered scoring start. So we do this in trying to reward the better players through the regular season. So how's it going to look on Thursday morning? Scotty Sheffler will start this tournament at 10 under par. Xander Shoffley, he'll start in second place at 8 under par. Hideki Matsuyama, he'll start at 7 under par.
01:33And we keep on seeding the golfers. Once we get to 5 under, 5 shots apiece here. So a lot of the golfers will be starting 8 shots back, 9 shots back, 10 shots back. So it really is such a benefit for playing some good golf throughout the season. Scotty Sheffler, he's had 6 wins including a gold medal as well. Xander Shoffley's had the 2 majors and he looks to be playing with a chip on his shoulder.
01:57So if you look at the markets this week, you'll be saying, gee, Scotty Sheffler, that's a little short at plus 110, but he will start on Thursday at 10 under par. And this is going to be a familiar spot for your world number one. He's gone off there as the top choice the last couple of years, but has failed to get it done. It was Victor Hovland taking up a 7 shot margin last year to ultimately lift the trophy at the Tour Championship.
02:21So for us, what does that tell us? It's never easy being a front runner on the PGA Tour. It's very tough trying to lead a tournament going through Saturday afternoon through to Sunday afternoon. For Scotty Sheffler, he has got to carry that expectation starting bright and early on Thursday morning. And for all of the chasers, well, they're not expected to get the win. So they're playing with a little house money so they can just play a little looser, a little freer on what looks to be a revamped Eastlake Golf Club over there in Atlanta.
02:49They played as a par 71 this year at 7,500 yards. I was covering this tournament a couple of seasons back, Donny. This is a big ballpark and it's the ultimate test. It brings a bit of water into play. But a good thing for all of these golfers is this is prime time. This is where they try and trend their golf game up towards. They want to play well in the majors. They want to play very well here considering how much money is at stake.
03:13Exactly. You're taking a look at these guys now. They're used to playing for obviously big purses here. But when you're looking to win a tournament between two and a half and three million dollars, now up that to twenty five million dollars heading down the stretch. A lot more pressure. Let's talk a little Scotty Sheffler at this point because sometimes you want to be the same way we talk about Major League Baseball heading to your best form here late in the season.
03:35Scottie Sheffler not all that impressive last week here. Do we worry about the carryover for Sheffler and also Sheffler thinking about I've been in this position before and haven't been able to close the door. What could change for Scottie Sheffler this week? And it does help that he's going to take an advantage the minute he tees off as the favorite. Why? Because he has a stroke advantage here.
03:53Yeah. I think from what we've seen, you know, the last couple of weeks with Scottie Sheffler, the PGA Tour season, it is a long one. Scotty became a father for the first time this year. He's gone through a couple of things off the golf course as well, notably at the PGA Championship to have six wins, to go over to the Olympics, to now be a dad. It's very taxing once you get to this point of the season.
04:16Now, he's not going to throw a tournament away. Scottie Sheffler is not going to come out on Thursday and post up a 76 or a 77. That's not his style. He's very consistent and he keeps the big numbers off the scorecard. It's going to be up to one of these chasers to make up the inroads. They're going to have to go lights out in trying to overtake Scottie Sheffler. Plus 110, I think that number is a little too short for mine. And if you like Scottie Sheffler, you're best waiting after round one. If he doesn't do anything, that's when you're going to get a better price.
04:45If Xander Shoffley can take over that lead, Scottie Sheffler could drop back to plus 300, plus 400, and then he loses the expectation. He becomes the chaser and he's the one playing with house money. So, I think Scottie Sheffler has looked a little tired out there on the golf course. I think a plus 110 prior to the tournament starting, I think that number is far too short for mine. Xander Shoffley, that's the player I'd be watching out for at the top of the leaderboard.
05:11I mean, he always had the knock, Donnie, that he couldn't close out on a Sunday afternoon. Now, with two major championships behind his name at plus 230, suddenly he's looking like a golfer that you do not want to mess with. He has that quiet dog out there on the golf course and the course history is fantastic here at Eastlake.
05:31Yeah, slight little change here in the odds market as well. Scottie Sheffler goes from a plus 110 price to a plus 115 price here at the FanBlue Sportsbook. There are a couple different markets here, Dubs, to actually bet into. You can take the tour championship odds, which means starting with the strokes advantage. And as we just updated you here, plus 115 for Sheffler. Shoffley still at a plus 230 price.
05:52But you can also bet this tournament 72 hole stroke play odds, which changes Shoffley from that plus 115 favorite currently to a plus 470 favorite, along with Scottie Sheffler and Shoffley tied at that 470 piece. Is there a betting market that you like better? Do you like the advantage of the strokes? Or would you rather just take the overall hole stroke play odds?
06:12I don't mind playing this side of things. And I think a play that stands out to me is Wynnum Clark. He's north of 20 to one. If you just played the 72 hole stroke play, he'll start at four under par. I don't mind him at 50 to one in the outrun market there as well. He's obviously going to make up the margin of six shots. But this is a guy who looks fantastic at Eastlake last year. He went on to finish third. He's got a major to his name now and he hits it an absolute moth. Sixth in driving distance on the PGA Tour.
06:39Wynnum Clark is a guy who wants that smoke. If you're looking for a top 10 finishing position play, look towards the Aussie, Adam Scott. Yes, the salty older vet of this field. I believe he is the oldest player in this field. He's got course history over the rest of these younger competitors. He knows Eastlake inside out and you get him at plus 145, not just for a top 10, which I play any other week. He's just going to finish in the top third of this field this week. Donny, give me Adam Scott. He's played his seven times at plus 145.
07:09For a top 10 Eastlake Golf Club, Atlanta, Georgia, the place to be par 71 changes made to the golf course. A lot of fun had by all and a lot of money looks to be made.