ATLANTA — Golf’s elite tee off Thursday at East Lake Golf Club for the PGA Tour Championship, where a major format tweak scraps the controversial starting strokes and levels the field for all 30 players chasing the FedEx Cup.
Players begin the 72-hole stroke-play event on even par, a departure from past years when FedEx Cup standings granted leaders bonus strokes. The PGA Tour announced the change in May, responding to player feedback and fan surveys that criticized the old system for complicating scoring and diminishing drama. Now, the tournament crowns both the event winner and FedEx Cup champion based solely on performance at East Lake, with the top finisher claiming the season-long title.
Scottie Scheffler enters as the defending champion after dominating last year’s edition. The world No. 1 started with a two-stroke lead in 2024 and cruised to a four-shot victory over Collin Morikawa, finishing at 30-under par to pocket $25 million in FedEx Cup bonus money. This year, Scheffler faces stiffer competition without the head start, but oddsmakers still favor him heavily.
As of Aug. 20, betting odds from DraftKings listed Scheffler as the overwhelming favorite at +150 to win the tournament. Rory McIlroy followed at +850, with Tommy Fleetwood at +1400, Collin Morikawa at +1600 and Ludvig Ã…berg at +1800. Russell Henley, a Georgia native with strong East Lake history, drew interest at +2000, while longshots like Maverick McNealy sat at +5000. Odds reflect Scheffler’s stellar season, including two major wins and an Olympic gold, but the even start opened doors for upsets.
The purse swells to a record $40 million for a PGA Tour event, with the winner earning $10 million in FedEx Cup bonus payouts. Second place takes $5 million, third $3.705 million, dropping to $1.25 million for 10th and $300,000 for 30th. The total FedEx Cup pool across the playoffs reached $100 million, underscoring the high stakes at the season finale.
Thursday’s first-round tee times promise must-watch TV for golf fans, with marquee pairings amplifying the excitement. Scheffler paired with McIlroy in the final group at 2 p.m. EDT, pitting the top-ranked American against the fiery Northern Irishman in a duel that could define the tournament.
Earlier groups feature intriguing matchups: Tommy Fleetwood and Ben Griffin at 1:38 p.m., Russell Henley and Sepp Straka at 1:27 p.m., and Robert MacIntyre with Maverick McNealy at 1:16 p.m.
Other notable tee times include Harris English and Justin Thomas at 1 p.m., Cameron Young and Ludvig Ã…berg at 12:49 p.m., and Collin Morikawa with Viktor Hovland at noon. The day kicks off at 11:16 a.m. with Chris Gotterup and Akshay Bhatia, followed by Jacob Bridgeman and Sungjae Im at 11:27 a.m.
Television coverage airs on Golf Channel from 1-6 p.m. EDT, with streaming options on Peacock and ESPN+. As players navigate East Lake’s renovated layout—featuring new bentgrass greens and strategic bunkers—the level start injected fresh suspense. McIlroy praised the change, saying it gave everyone a “clean slate” to etch their name on the FedEx Cup trophy.
Scheffler, who prefers the new format, aims to cap his historic year with another triumph. “It’s about playing the best golf this week,” he said. With rivalries ignited and fortunes on the line, the Tour Championship delivered prime-time drama for a sport hungry for thrills.
Who do you think captures the season-defining PGA Tour Championship crown? Let us know in the comments below!
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