The official end of the PGA Tour season takes place this weekend with the Tour Championship finale which will decide the winner of the FedEx Cup, whilst in Europe they play their final tournament before the Ryder Cup.
The Tour Championship features the top-30 on the FedEx money list and this tournament will see who picks up the $10million purse for FedEx Cup glory, and technically all 30 players can still take the title with victory at East Lake Golf Club.
In Europe and the Portugal Masters sees a good looking field featuring a couple of Europe’s Ryder Cup team.
See below as we run through the tournament for you including facts, odds and picks from our own golfing professional Cliff Jackson and Betfair.
TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP – FEDEX CUP
FIELD: The world’s top players are in Atlanta looking for one of the biggest prizes of the year. Justin Thomas is the reigning FedEx Cup and he knows victory here would give him back to back success – and he knows no player has achieved this feat since the play-offs were introduced in 2007. But realistically the top-20 have a real chance of overall cup victory if they win the event – and it is Rory McIlroy who enters as favourite to take the title.
QUOTES: Defending FedEx champion Thomas comes into the Tour Championship with a wrist problem, but he insists it is not a major worry.
“I just kind of tweaked it,” Thomas said. “Just a little tightness. It probably looks worse than it is. With two big weeks coming up, it’s kind of more precautionary than anything.”
Welcome to Tuesday of TOUR Championship week. Our gates open for practice rounds tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/Y4Qnf6zczd
— East Lake Golf Club (@eastlakegc) September 18, 2018
PORTUGUESE MASTERS
FIELD: A decent field here, and Ryder Cup aces Sergio Garcia and Thorbjorn Olesen are the stand-out names for sure, whilst defending champion Lucas Bjerregaard is regarded the favourite.
QUOTES: Defending champion Lucas Bjerregaard is hopeful of defending his title,
“The Portugal Masters is certainly a special event for me now and I can’t wait to defend my title. The final round last year is up there amongst my best rounds.”
DRESS UP
Portugal Masters 2018
Dom Pedro Victória Golf course – 20th to 23rd september pic.twitter.com/DyRTY6Fblc— Portugal Masters (@mastersportugal) September 10, 2018
Our resident golf expert is Cliff Jackson. Cliff is a leading youth coach and PGA professional at the famed Seaton Carew Links – one of the oldest courses in the world.
The end to the FedEx Cup is great way to finish the PGA season, I can see Justin Rose finishing in real style and stamping down his authority as world number one.
In Portugal, I think we could see another title defence with Lucas Bjerregaard taking the title.
We caught up with Betfair’s Joe Dyer to get their views on this week’s action
On Sunday night a golfing millionaire will be ten million dollars richer as the FedEx Cup is wrapped up for another year at the Tour Championship. Try to contain your excitement.
Rory McIlroy is the most likely winner of the tournament according to the Betfair Sportsbook, the Ulsterman a 15/2 shot to come home ahead of the rest. Dustin Johnson and new world no.1 Justin Rose are the only other players at single figure odds, the pair both 9/1, with five places paid at one fifth the odds. You can read why Rose is a selection for Betfair blogger Steve Rawlings here >>> https://betting.betfair.com/golf/the-punter/tour-championship-2018-betting-preview-170918-167.html
Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods are all available at 12/1, while there is a bit of a gap down to the resurgent Hideki Matsuyama and the ultra-consistent Tony Finau at 18/1.
The list of likely winners in the 30 man field is rounded out by 20/1 pair, Rickie Fowler and Bryson Dechambeau.
The last named is joint favourite alongside Rose to actually win the FedEx Cup, both men available to back at 5/2.
There’s a good field on the European Tour for the Portugal Masters and it’s a wide-open betting heat with Lucas Bjerregaard the 16/1 joint favourite alongside Thorbjorn Olesen. Charl Schwartzel, Sergio Garcia and Chris Wood are just two ticks bigger and there are another seven players trading at less than 30/1.
