Editor’s note (Tuesday, Aug. 23): Will Zalatoris withdrew Tuesday due to a back injury. If all 29 players complete 72 holes, he will finish 30th. The 30th position will receive $500,000 FedExCup bonus money. No one else’s Starting Strokes will be affected with his WD (i.e. no one will be at -7).
For some players, an appearance in Atlanta is an annual appointment. For others, it’s a career-changing week when they finally crack the top 30 to join the elite field for the season finale.
But they all have one thing in common: an opportunity to win the FedExCup at East Lake. Of course, the task will be easier for some than others.
Under the TOUR Championship’s unique Starting Strokes format, FedExCup leader Scottie Scheffler will tee off Thursday at 10 under par. The final players in the field will start at even par. And the deficit for the players in between will be determined by their FedExCup ranking.
Here’s a closer look at the 30 players who qualified for the TOUR Championship and how they made it to the final event of the FedExCup Playoffs.
Rank | Name | Comment
1. Scottie Scheffler: Masters champ regained the top spot with T3 at BMW.
2. Patrick Cantlay: Won 2nd straight BMW as he seeks to become first to win consecutive FedExCups.
3. Will Zalatoris: St. Jude champ dropped two spots after WD’ing from BMW with back injury.
4. Xander Schauffele: Three wins and T3 at BMW have East Lake specialist Schauffele lurking.
5. Sam Burns: Breakout season for former LSU star included 3 wins.
6. Cameron Smith: The Open, PLAYERS champ missed BMW with hip injury.
7. Rory McIlroy: The 2016, ’19 FedExCup champ is seeking to become FedExCup’s first 3-time winner.
8. Tony Finau: Two wins and a T5 before BMW, where opening 77 was only round not in the 60s.
9. Sepp Straka: Georgia alum making East Lake debut after Honda win, 2nd at FedEx St. Jude.
10. Sungjae Im: Four seasons on TOUR. Four TOUR Championship appearances.
11. Jon Rahm: Mexico Open winner has made East Lake in all six of his TOUR seasons.
12. Scott Stallings: Stallings, 37, making East Lake debut after finishing 2nd at BMW.
13. Justin Thomas: He won PGA and FedExCup in 2017. He’s PGA champ again this year as he seeks 2nd FedExCup.
14. Cameron Young: Seven top-3 finishes are the reason he’s the Rookie of the Year front-runner.
15. Matt Fitzpatrick: U.S. Open champ is making TOUR Championship debut after 10 top-10s in 19 starts.
16. Max Homa: First multiple-win season. First TOUR Championship apperance and, likely, Presidents Cup debut upcoming.
17. Hideki Matsuyama: Won in Hawaii, Japan to make 9th straight TOUR Championship.
18. Jordan Spieth: The 2015 FedExCup champ won RBC Heritage and had two runners-up.
19. Joaquin Niemann: The 23-year-old is playing his 3rd straight TOUR Championship after impressive win at Riviera.
20. Viktor Hovland: Has won and made TOUR Championship in all three of his TOUR seasons.
21. Collin Morikawa: In midst of first winless season but playing 3rd straight TOUR Championship after 8 top-10s.
22. Billy Horschel: The 2014 FedExCup champ won Memorial to make 3rd straight TOUR Championship.
23. Tom Hoge: The 33-year-old is making TOUR Championship debut after winning Pebble Beach for 1st victory.
24. Corey Conners: Canadian playing East Lake for 3rd time in last 4 years thanks to 3 birdies on final 4 holes at BMW.
25. Brian Harman: T6 at The Open, T3 at FedEx St. Jude to make first TOUR Championship since 2017.
26. K.H. Lee: No. 31 last year took care of business with Sunday 65 at BMW Championship.
27. J.T. Poston: Making East Lake debut after John Deere win, Travelers T2 in consecutive weeks.
28. Sahith Theegala: Promising Pepperdine prospect came up clutch at BMW to finish rookie season at TOUR Championship.
29. Adam Scott: Started Playoffs at 77th in FeExCup but finished T5 in first two Playoffs events to earn East Lake return.
30. Aaron Wise: Returning to East Lake for first time since Rookie of the Year season in 2018.