The format for the 2020 TOUR Championship will present a unique challenge for golf bettors. Especially for those who like to have a flutter on tournament matchups.
TOUR Championship Format
The event features a 30-player field and features a strokes-based system, called FedEx Starting Strokes, instituted for the first time in 2019. The player with the lowest total score will win the FedEx Cup and be credited with an official victory at the TOUR Championship.
Here’s how it will work:
Dustin Johnson, the FedEx Cup points leader after the first two playoffs events, will begin the TOUR Championship at 10-under par. Jon Rahm will begin at 8-under, Justin Thomas at 7-under, Webb Simpson at 6-under and Collin Morikawa at 5-under.
After Morikawa, the rest of the field is grouped in bunches of five and assigned the same score, based on the FedEx Cup Standings. There are five players who will start at 4-under, five at 3-under and so on, until we get to the players ranked 26th-30th, who will begin at even par.
Matchup Betting Rules
Golf matchup bets are simple: You are betting on which player will have the best finishing position in a given tournament. That rule doesn't change for this week, though the odds will be skewed in some matchups because of the staggered starting positions.
For example, if you are betting on the matchup between Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm, you are betting on which player finishes the tournament in a better position. If Rahm should 1-under and Johnson shoots even par, DJ still would win the matchup because he is starting the TOUR Championship at -10, while Rahm is teeing off at -8.
With that in mind, here are our favorite matchup bets for the 2020 TOUR Championship.
Jason Sobel
Xander Schauffele (-118) over Rory McIlroy
Starting positions: Schauffele -3, McIlroy -3
As I often write, I love bets which give you two chances to win — and this one certainly checks a couple of boxes. The first is that, despite McIlroy’s obvious success at East Lake, Schauffele similarly loves this track, with a win, a second and a seventh in his three career starts.
The second has less to do with either player’s performance. Rory revealed this past weekend that his wife, Erica, is due with their first child “any day now.”
He also intimated that should he get the call mid-tournament, he’ll WD and head home. We can use that information to our advantage here. As long as he tees off Friday, this becomes a valid bet.
If he plays nine holes, then heads back for the birth, Xander cashes the wager as long as he finishes upright and breathing on Monday.
[Bet now at DraftKings and get a $1,000 sign-up bonus.]
Josh Perry
Daniel Berger (-110) over Bryson DeChambeau
Starting Positions: Berger -4, DeChambeau 4
Both of these players are starting at -4, so there's no stroke advantage to worry about here. Where I do see an advantage, though, is with Berger's current form.
Berger and DeChambeau have both played seven tournaments since the restart and Berger has finished ahead of Bryson six times. The only time Bryson finished ahead of Berger was at the PGA Championship.
In addition to form, I think Berger is a better fit at this course. East Lake puts a huge emphasis on the approach game and that's one of Berger's strengths and DeCheambeau's weaknesses.
[Bet now at DraftKings and get a $1,000 sign-up bonus.]
Matt Vincenzi
Tony Finau (-125) over Scottie Scheffler
Starting positions: Finau -2, Scheffler -2
Tony Finau was excellent last week gaining strokes in all categories including +3.7 Tee to green. When Tony gets in trouble is when he gets a chance to actually win the tournament, which most likely won’t happen this week.
Finau has all the talent in the world, so backing him when he doesn’t have the added pressure of winning and can attack pins makes a lot of sense.
