Scottie Scheffler Leads the Charge at Tour Championship with a $25 Million Prize on the Line

The 2024 PGA Tour FedEx Cup Playoffs finale, the Tour Championship, is scheduled to kick off on August 29 at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia. This prestigious event features only the top 30 players in the FedEx Cup standings and will determine the 2024 FedEx Cup champion.

The Tour Championship uses a distinctive format compared to typical golf tournaments. Players will start the event with bonus strokes based on their FedEx Cup points from the BMW Championship, which concluded on August 26. For instance, Scottie Scheffler, the leader in FedEx Cup points, will begin the tournament at 10 under par, while Xander Schauffele, who is in second place, will start at 8 under par. Conversely, players ranked 26th to 30th will start at even par, meaning they need to outperform Scheffler by 10 strokes to claim victory.

This format, introduced in 2019, was designed to ensure that the winner of the Tour Championship is also crowned the FedEx Cup champion. It addresses past issues where the tournament winner did not always match the season’s overall champion.

The 2024 Tour Championship winner will receive $25 million. Of this, $24 million will be paid out immediately, while the remaining $1 million will be set aside as a pension to be received after retirement. This year’s prize represents a significant increase from last year’s $18 million award.

Even players finishing 30th place earn a substantial $550,000, though this amount will not count toward the seasonal earnings ranking. The substantial prize pool strongly incentivizes players to compete in the season’s final event.

This year’s top contender for the title is the world’s number-one Scheffler. Scheffler has notched six victories this year and is also eyeing an Olympic gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite starting as the FedEx Cup points leader in both 2022 and 2023, he has yet to secure the final title, with Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland claiming the championship in those years.

In addition to Scheffler, who leads the pack at 10 under par, Schauffele and Hideki Matsuyama are prominent contenders. Schauffele begins the tournament at 8 under par, while Matsuyama starts at 7 under par. Should Matsuyama clinch the title, he would become the first Asian player to win the FedEx Cup since its inception in 2007. The highest finish by an Asian player to date is Im Sung Jae’s tie for second place in 2022.

Keegan Bradley, who starts at 6 under par, is another player to watch. After a disappointing finish in the second playoff event, Bradley rebounded with a victory at the BMW Championship, enhancing his chances for the FedEx Cup title. Starting at 4 under par, McIlroy is aiming for a fourth FedEx Cup title. McIlroy is currently the only player with three titles, while Tiger Woods has two.

Korean players Im Sung Jae and An Byeong Hun will also be in the spotlight. Im Sung Jae starts in 11th place at 3 under par, while An Byeong Hun begins in 16th place at 2 under par. Im Sung Jae’s strong performance last year, where he finished tied for second in the FedEx Cup, has set high expectations for him this year. An Byeong Hun will play in the first round alongside Tony Finau (USA), while Im Sung Jae will be paired with Sahith Theegala (USA).

The East Lake Golf Club course has been altered from last year, requiring players to adapt their strategies. Notably, the 14th hole has been converted from a long par 4 to a par 5, adjusting the even-par benchmark from 70 to 71 strokes. These modifications introduce new challenges for the competitors.