What a finish we had last week to the BMW Championship! Jon Rahm (10/1) sunk an extremely tough 66-foot birdie putt in a playoff to beat Dustin Johnson. This came a hole after D.J. drained a 43-foot downhill birdie putt to tie Rahm and force the playoff. Seeing the number one and two ranked golfers in the world compete for another championship was indeed a thing of beauty. Olympia Fields proved to be perhaps the toughest test of golf this season, with only five players managing to finish under-par.

We are officially on to the Tour Championship! The final week at East Lake Golf Club will be the culmination of the 2019-2020 PGA season. The top-30 in FedEx Cup points have earned their entry to the tournament and a chance to win the grand prize of $15 million. Once again, the new scoring format adopted last year will be used. Players will be assigned a score to par to begin the event, and the overall winner of the tournament will be crowned the FedExCup playoff champion.

Below is a chart that displays the starting stroke of each player in the field. Although it may appear that Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm have a massive advantage, we have to keep in mind that Rory McIlroy won the event last year even though he started at five-under-par. Xander Schauffele finished second after beginning at four-under for the week. Anything can happen at East Lake and is setting up for another spectacular event to end the season.

Try Daily Fantasy Golf at DraftKings now

 
Here are the past five winners of the BMW Championship:

• 2019 Rory McIlroy  (-13)
• 2018 Tiger Woods (-11)
• 2017 Xander Schauffele (-12)
• 2016 Rory McIlroy (-22)
• 2015 Jordan Spieth (-9)

Course Preview

The Tour Championship will once again head to East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, for the culmination of the 2019-2020 season. A Donald Ross Design, this course is a par 70, 7,346 yard-long track that places a premium on supreme iron play. Fairways are more difficult to hit than tour average, so ball striking and fairways gained will be essential. The golfers will see Bermuda greens that have many slopes and run-off areas.

East Lake will be a much more gettable course compared to last week, but it is still no easy track. Players must emphasize hitting fairways due to the penal rough and tough scrambling challenge the course presents. With golfers at a stroke disadvantage to begin the tournament, expect some aggressive play and above average going for the green percentages.

Key Stats

• Strokes Gained: Ball-Striking
• Strokes Gained: Approach
• Par 4’s gained
• Performance on Bermuda greens
• Opportunities Gained

Recommended Plays

Justin Thomas  ($11,900)
While most people will start their lineups with Jon Rahm or Dustin Johnson, I like the leverage you can get with Thomas this week. J.T. has five straight top-10 finishes at East Lake, including a second, third, and sixth-place finish. Starting three strokes off the lead is nothing for a player of Thomas’ caliber, and I expect the supreme birdie maker to bounce back. In the last 50 rounds, Thomas ranks second in the field in DraftKings points on Par 70 courses with Bermuda greens.

Webb Simpson ($11,000)
He’ll come in well-rested after taking the BMW Championship off last week. In the previous 50 rounds, Simpson rates out as the number one ranked player on Par 70 courses with Bermuda greens. An exceptional putter on Bermuda, these challenging greens shouldn’t cause much trouble for the 35-year-old. His potent combination of driving accuracy, sharp approach play, and elite putting should bode well for Simpson at East Lake.

Collin Morikawa ($10,400)
The 23-year-old stole the show at the PGA Championship last month with his first Major win and proved he can win in the strongest of fields. He now goes to East Lake for the first time, and things should set up well for him. Morikawa was 33rd on Tour in driving accuracy, and 3rd in strokes gained: approach. His elite ball-striking ability has led him to the fourth most opportunities gained in the last 24 rounds.  If his putter heats up as it did for the PGA Championship, I like Morikawa’s chances to win the season’s final tournament.

Daniel Berger ($9,100)
Berger seems like an auto “plug and play” week after week. To truly appreciate just how good Berger has been, look at this last 10 starts. He has a win at the Charles Schwab Challenge, a runner-up, two third-place finishes, and three other top-10 showings to his name. Berger is long and accurate off the tee and possesses the critical combination of strong approach and putting. He should have no problem keeping it in the fairway and giving himself more scoring chances at East Lake.

Scott Scheffler ($7,900)
Scheffler can pile up the DraftKings points with the best of them. With conditions expected to be more generous to the golfers this week, I like Scheffler’s chances of racking up some birdies in four guaranteed rounds. He closed off the BMW Championship with a 66 and will no doubt be hungry to get back at it in Atlanta. Scheffler has five-straight top-25s and is in great form.

Brendon Todd ($7,600)
Hitting fairways will be at a premium this week, and Todd is the most accurate driver in the field. The 35-year-old had an impressive T8 finish at a challenging Olympia Fields Golf Course and continues to putt well. In the past 36 rounds on Bermuda, Todd ranks fifth in strokes gained: putting, and 10th in DraftKings points. It’s an excellent value for a two-time champion this season.

Kevin Kisner ($6,800)
I expect Kisner to be overlooked this week after a mediocre performance at the BMW Championship. He now goes to a course that better suits his game and a place he has put up a third and ninth-place showing in the last three years. Kisner’s game is all about hitting fairways and putting it well. He heated up down the stretch this season with five straight top-25s.

Billy Horschel ($5,700)
Despite starting the tournament at even-par, I don’t expect this to affect the 11-year Tour pro. He performs exceptionally well on Bentgrass greens, ranking seventh in the field in strokes gained in the last 36 rounds. Horschel has been striking the ball well of late, placing second at the Wyndham Championship a few weeks back after four low rounds in the 60s. His accuracy off the tee should be a significant advantage at East Lake.

Ryan Palmer ($5,400)
Palmer played some clutch golf down the stretch to punch his ticket into East Lake. A 2nd place finish at Memorial, a T15 at the WGC, and a T8 at the Northern Trust in his last five events, Palmer seems dialed in. He rates out very well on Par 70 courses with Bermuda greens, ranking top-five in the field in strokes gained: tee-to-green, ball-striking, and approach.

Try Daily Fantasy Golf at DraftKings now

Whether you’re new to daily fantasy golf or a seasoned professional, be sure to check out our Daily Fantasy Golf Glossary. You can get started with The Stats That Matter Most or head to more advanced strategy — like How To Use Vegas Odds To Generate Your Lineup  — to learn more.

Nic Turner is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Nic, check out his archive and follow him @sportzbandit.