Scottie Scheffler is aiming to assert his first FedExCup title this week in Atlanta the place he begins the Tour Championship with a two-stroke benefit on the sector, giving him his “greatest alternative” to win.
The Tour Championship’s staggered construction means Scheffler, the chief within the FedExCup factors standings, will begin the match at 10 underneath par, whereas his nearest pursuer Xander Schauffele begins at eight underneath at East Lake Golf Membership. It’s the third consecutive yr Scheffler has entered the Tour Championship at No 1.
The world No 1 has received six tournaments on the PGA Tour this yr, together with The Masters and Gamers Championship, in addition to including an Olympic gold medal for good measure.
“Yeah, it is good to be again. In a pleasant place going into the week,” Scheffler mentioned.
“It is clearly everyone’s aim firstly of the yr to have an opportunity, and going within the first spot, no higher alternative than the place I am sitting. Trying ahead to the week.”
Because the format modified in 2019, no participant who has began the Tour Championship on the prime the leaderboard has gone on to win it, however Scheffler believes the staggered format gives volatility to the sport.
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“If you wish to simply have a participant that is taking part in the perfect on the finish of the yr, I feel the Playoffs will certainly determine that participant. By way of the season-long race, it is possibly not all the time going to be the man that performs the perfect the entire season; it is going to be the man that performs the perfect in these Playoff occasions,” Scheffler added.
“That is actually what you are figuring out is the man that performs the perfect in these final three occasions. It is a format that is modified a bunch or just a few occasions over the previous few years.
“By way of when it first acquired began you had a yr the place I feel it was Padraig Harrington received two majors and possibly did not make the BMW, and I do know he did not make this match. So arguably it wasn’t actually a terrific set-up then.
“I feel it gives a bit of little bit of volatility, which is sweet for the followers, and I feel it is also good for some gamers that did not have their greatest years main as much as get into the Playoffs, and impulsively flip a yr that is not their greatest into considerably of a profession yr when it comes to successful the FedExCup.
“A number of volatility, however on the finish of the day, golf is golf. The best method to remedy a difficulty that you do not like within the recreation of golf is to play higher. That is actually all it comes all the way down to in our recreation. On the finish of the day, for those who play ok golf, it can deal with itself.”
Loads of modifications at East Lake
The 30-man discipline will probably be taking part in on a dramatically completely different course at East Lake after it underwent an intensive renovation by architect Andrew Inexperienced, who most notably refurbished Oak Hill for the PGA Championship final yr.
Inexperienced used 1949 aerials of East Lake in restoring the course that dates to 1904 with each tee, fairway, inexperienced and bunker being rebuilt.
The bunkers across the 18th inexperienced are deep. The bunker left of the peninsula inexperienced on the par-three fifteenth has been eliminated. The eighth gap has been shortened and the 14th gap has been lengthened and now performs as a par-five.
The modifications additionally embrace changing the round placing surfaces with distinctive slopes and shapes and there’s additionally extra motion within the fairways in addition to added humps and hollows.
“The renovation is unquestionably attention-grabbing,” added Scheffler.
“It is principally a brand new golf course from what it was earlier than. It is probably not in any respect the identical. The greens, since they’re new, are extraordinarily agency, which I feel makes it tougher.
“It’s going to be robust to entry a few of the gap places. I feel we’ll have a bit to be taught when it comes to golf course set-up.
“However total we’ll see the way it performs. It is so new proper now that it is actually exhausting to inform precisely how – all I do know is it is approach completely different.
“This was a golf course I all the time actually appreciated. I felt like I hadn’t performed my greatest golf right here. So coming right here this yr, seeing a contemporary golf course that I feel goes to be actually difficult I feel will swimsuit me fairly effectively on the market.”
Schauffele: New course will deliver completely different challenges
Watch all six of Xander Schauffele’s birdies from the ultimate spherical of The Open at Royal Troon as he claimed a second main title
Schauffele already has two majors within the bag this yr after successful The Open and PGA Championship and has a very good report at East Lake, however he admits the brand new course will deliver challenges.
“I imply, it is only a new golf course. Form of a glass half full man, so I’ve performed quite a lot of new programs this yr that I’ve performed okay at, and this can be a model new property,” Schauffele mentioned.
“Actually the bunkers are new, the grasses are new within the fairways, the greens are new, the grass on the greens are new, the runouts are completely different, the slopes are completely different. I feel the one factor that is the identical are the instructions of the outlet.
“No matter report I had is the previous. I’ve no reminiscence or something actually on any gap to go off of, not even a tree I may purpose at that I used to purpose at. It is simply that completely different.
“It is new. It is agency. It is quick. Must settle in. It is a very model new – I am not enormous in agronomy, however I’ve performed some new programs earlier than, they usually’re a bit of bouncy.
“Nevertheless it was designed to be performed, it is going to be a bit of bit completely different for the primary two years simply because it hasn’t settled in.”
Watch the FedExCup Playoffs Tour Championship stay on Sky Sports activities+ on Thursday August 29 at 4:15pm and on Sky Sports activities Golf at 6pm.
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