TOUR Championship
East Lake Golf Club
Atlanta, Georgia
FedExCup Bonus Pool: $60 million
Graduated? Staggered?
Starting Strokes!
For the first time in 13 editions of the FedExCup Playoffs, the finale featured a staggered leaderboard, aka FEC Starting Strokes, which were based on the final position in the FEC standings at the end of the last week’s penultimate event, the BMW Championship.
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This was the fifth reiteration of the season-ender, insofar as how points are awarded, or should I say not awarded, all with the goal of crowning just one champion on Sunday at East Lake.
It’s been well-publicized that on four occasions in the previous 12 post-seasons, including the prior two consecutive, that one golfer hoisted the tournament trophy, while another lifted the FEC trophy.
Take last season’s 1-2, buckle my shoe.
Tiger Woods won the tournament, while Justin Rose, who finished T4 to Woods on the leaderboard, won the season-long points race, 41 points clear of Woods.
In subsequent photos where their pictures were taken together – each holding a piece of hardware – a caption was typically included. Some images are self-explanatory. Two players holding trophies in the same picture. Explanation.
Fast forward to the TOUR Championship presented by Southern Company, Coca-Cola, and Starting Strokes.
Rory McIlroy was awarded a starting position of 5th-place, 5-under, even though he was the season-leader in top 10s coming in (13), and was second in top 5s (7), including two wins.
That was five swings shy of Starting-Strokes-front-runner Justin Thomas, who was the overnight leader, even though the tournament hadn’t started.
Thomas, he of one win and less-than-half the top 10s of McIlroy (6) this season. No disrespect to Thomas, the 2017 FEC champ, but something was already amiss.
The other 28 golfers, including Patrick Cantlay, were staggered between Thomas (10-under) and even-par.
Cantlay had the same number of wins and top 5s as Thomas, but three more top 10s than him, and he got to start 2nd, two adrift.
Of course, Thomas’ one win came at last week’s BMW, which yielded him a post-season quadruple of 2,000 FEC points, while Cantlay’s win at the Memorial, garnered the standard 500. (More tweaks are on the way for sure).
Thankfully (perhaps), Thomas didn’t win.
Fittingly, the 2016 FEC champ and 2016 TOUR Championship winner, McIlroy, did.
He capped the week with a day-tying-low, 4-under 66 out of the final twosome to win by four over runner-up Xander Schauffele (70), Schauffele beginning the week T6 on 4-under.
Thomas, ended with 68 for T3, alongside 54-hole leader Brooks Koepka (72), who began the week 3rd (7-under).
Any less confusing?
Not sure, but the decision-makers achieved what they wanted. One winner (with asterisks).
Was this progress? Maybe. Contrived? Definitely.
That said. McIlroy definitely played the best golf, posting rounds of 66-67-68-66, the only player to record all four rounds in the 60s.
That equates to 13-under, which was low “net” (or is that gross?), and 18-under total, adding in the Starting Strokes.
Because of those Starting Strokes, however, there’s no aggregate recorded for McIlroy.
He’s credited with an official victory, his 17th in 168 events, but doesn’t earn any official money. The consolation is the winner’s share of the FEC Bonus Pool was $15 million, direct-deposited today into the Northern Irishman’s account.
But, since it’s not official earnings, his career earnings won’t reflect it. So, no aggregate, no official money won, no FEC points awarded, but $15 large. Got it.
Add-in that the Official World Golf Ranking maintained a separate leaderboard for their purposes, minus the Starting Strokes, and that’s where we’re at.
As mentioned, McIlroy, thankfully, won that leaderboard as well on 13-under.
Koepka, the reigning Player of the Year, entered as the season-leader in wins (3), including a major and a WGC, and top 5s (8), and was awarded with a starting position of 3rd, three adrift. He ended up T3, but if you look him up in OWGR, he’ll show solo 4th, because that where he finished minus the Starting Strokes.
Paul Casey shows solo 5th on the Starting Strokes leaderboard, but in OWGR, they show him as solo 3rd. He also finished 3rd in SG: Total but ends up 5th because of Starting Strokes. Casey also shows 5th in the Final FEC standings, which no longer shows a player’s total FEC points, because there were no points awarded this week.
Unfortunately, there’s a myriad of these examples, so the Net Leaderboard has been included below as a cross-reference.
Fortunately, McIlroy, a pre-tourney 8/1 outright, won, on both leaderboards.
This is his 11th season on TOUR and his 19 starts are a career most, eclipsing 18 (x2), as he refocused his attention to the PGA TOUR and away from split-time on the Euro circuit.
Note: McIlroy has made just one non-major, non-WGC on the European Tour this season, a T34 at the Scottish Open, the week prior to The Open.
McIlroy matches fellow-South-Florida-resident Koepka for the season-most wins (3), and avenges last year’s T7, where he was solo 2nd after 54 holes and coughed up a 4-over 74, tying his worst round at East Lake.
That of course, came alongside 54-hole leader and eventual champion Tiger Woods out of the final pairing in R4.
McIlroy, engulfed by a sea of fans chanting Tiger’s name coming up the 72nd hole, stated he was happy for Tiger but didn’t enjoy that walk to the final green.
His stated goals this week: Shoot the lowest overall score and win the FEC.
Mission accomplished. McIlroy joins Woods as the only two-time winners of the FEC.
Final “Net” Leaderboard:
(-13): Rory McIlroy (66-67-68-66)
(-10): Xander Schauffele (64-69-67-70)
(-7): Paul Casey (66-67-68-72)
(-6): Brooks Koepka (67-67-68-72)
(-5): Adam Scott (68-70-71-66)
(-5): Chez Reavie (71-64-70-70)
(-4): Tony Finau (70-69-70-67)
(-4): Bryson DeChambeau (68-71-67-70)
(-3): Justin Thomas (70-68-71-68)
(-3): Kevin Kisner (71-70-68-68)
(-3): Jason Kokrak (71-67-72-67)
(-2): Hideki Matsuyama (66-75-66-71)
Note: 12 players shot under-par
(E): Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood
(+1): Patrick Reed, Gary Woodland, Sungjae Im, Louis Oosthuizen
(+2): Rickie Fowler
(+3): Matt Kuchar, Marc Leishman
(+4): Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker, Corey Conners, Charles Howell III
(+5): Abraham Ancer, Justin Rose
(+9): Patrick Cantlay
(+10): Lucas Glover
(+13): Dustin Johnson
Final Leaderboard, including Starting Strokes (pre-tourney odds outright):
1- (-18) Rory McIlroy (8/1)
2- (-14) Xander Schauffele (25/1)
3- (-13) Justin Thomas (12/5); fave
3- (-13) Brooks Koepka (9/2)
5- (-9) Paul Casey (100/1)
Note: Repeat top-10 finishers in the event: McIlroy (1-7-1); Schauffele (2-7-1); Thomas (3-7-2-6); Scott (6-8-9); Kisner (9-3); Matsuyama (9-4)
McIlroys’ Position by Round:
Starting Strokes: 5th (5 back)
R1: 4th (1 back)
R2: T2 (1 back)
R3: T2 (1 back)
McIlroy in Round 4:
After beginning the week solo 5th (-5) in Starting Strokes, he recorded rounds of 66-67-68 to begin R4 T2 on 14-under, one back of leader and playing competitor Koepka.
McIlroy striped 10 (of 14) fairways and hit 11 greens in regulation, posting 1.389 SG: Off-the-Tee, 0.167 SG: Approach, 0.421 SG: Around, and 1.978 SG: Tee-to-Green.
He squared two bogeys and 14 and 15, outflanked by six birdies at 6, 7, 12, 13, 17 and 18, three from between 11 and 23 feet.
McIlroy recorded 1.455 putts per GIR and 2.355 SG: Putting with 25 total putts, saving par three times from between five and 10 feet.
OUT: 2-under 33 (2 birdies, 0 bogeys); McIlroy leads by one (over Koepka).
IN: 2-under 33 (4 birdies, 2 bogeys); McIlroy WINS by four (over Schauffele).
How McIlroy Won the Tournament:
Ranked 1st (or T1) in: SG: Off-the-Tee; SG: Tee-to-Green; Total Birdies; Birdie or Better Percentage; Birdie to Bogey Ratio; Par-5 Scoring; Driving Distance (all drives); All-Around
Ranked 2nd (or T2) in: SG: Around-the-Green; Total Bogeys; Par-3 Scoring; Par-4 Scoring; Putts per GIR
Note: See “Strokes Gained Leaders Stats” at the bottom, along with his full stats.
Lowest-Ranked Stat(s): Proximity (ranked T12); SG: Putting (11th)
McIlroy at the TOUR Championship:
Starts: 6
Top 10s: 5
Top 5s: 3
Wins: 2
Form: 1-7-1-16-2-10
McIlroy in the FEC Playoffs:
Starts: 30
Top 10s: 13 (43.3%)
Wins: 5 (16.6%)
Form (last two seasons): 1-19-6-7-5-12
McIlroy’s TOUR Career:
Starts: 168
Cuts Made: 145 (86.3%)
Top 25s: 111 (66.0%)
Top 10s: 81 (48.2%)
Top 3s: 29 (17.2%)
Wins: 17 (10.1%)
McIlroy’s Season:
Starts: 19
Cuts Made: 17
Top 25s: 16
Top 10s: 14; career high
Top 5s: 8
Wins: 3
Season Form (last 13): 1-19-6-4-MC-9-1-MC-8-8-21-9-1
By the Numbers:
42: After a T37 at the BMW and at 42nd in the FEC standings, Tiger Woods did not qualify, so there was no defending champ. He made just 12 starts this season out of a possible 46 after playing 18 times last season out of a possible 48. For one reason or another, the 43-year-old has now missed four of the last five TOUR Championships.
6: Six spectators were injured when lightning struck the golf course on Saturday afternoon (4:45 pm ET), 28 minutes into a weather suspension.
4: Just four (of 30) players completed their respective laps in R3 on Saturday. Even though t-storms were in the forecast, the first pairing was not scheduled out until 1:00 pm.
57: The final pairing on Saturday (Koepka, Thomas) went out a 3:20 pm and got exactly 57 minutes of golf in (five holes) before play was nixed.
31: Because of Saturday’s suspension, McIlroy had to play 31 holes on Sunday, which he did in 7-under.
23/10: McIlroy’s revised outright betting entering R4.
5: McIlroy’s five wins in the FEC Playoffs is the most all-time, surpassing Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson (4).
9: Of McIlroy’s 16 stroke-play wins, nine have been in come-from-behind fashion.
3: With a solo 6th, a T9 (BMW), and solo 5th at The NT, Adam Scott was the only player to record top 10s in all three Playoffs events.
2: Schauffele’s second-place finish in the FEC standings is a career high, eclipsing a 3rd in his rookie season in 2017, highlighted by his win here.
3: Koepka’s third-place finish in the FEC standings is a career high, bettering a 9th last season when he won Player of the Year. With a major and a WGC among his three wins this season, he’ll repeat as POY, becoming the first to accomplish that since Woods in 2006-07.
T19: Sungjae Im was the only rookie (of 26) to qualify and finished T19. He recorded 16 top 25s this season in a TOUR-leading 35 starts, seven of those top 10s, and will be the Rookie of the Year after being the Player and Rookie of the Year last season on the Web.com Tour.
30: Playing his eighth season on TOUR, Jason Kokrak qualified for his first playoff finale as the last man in at 30th in the FEC standings. He finished 14th and was the top debutant of four.
2: Through 45 non-team events this season, the pre-tourney fave/co-fave won two times: Rory McIlroy (12/1 co-fave) at THE PLAYERS, and Collin Morikawa at the Barracuda (10/1).
12/5: Thomas was a pre-tourney 12/5 fave outright and finished T3, his fourth top 10 in four visits to East Lake.
Field Scoring Average:
This was the 33rd TOUR Championship, 13th in the FEC era, with all 13 at East Lake.
Par 70 (35-35)
7,346 yards
R1: 69.23
R2: 70.47
R3: 70.10
R4: 70.33
Total: 70.03
McIlroy: 66-67-68-66
SG: Total: 13.133
Strength of Field:
With a Strength of Field rating of 492 (down 18 from last year), McIlroy banks 60.00 world-ranking points:
OWGR: From 3 to 2
Leader/co-leaders by Round:
R1: Xander Schauffele (finished: 2nd): Drops to 0-for-1 as 18-hole leader/co-leader
R1: Brooks Koepka (T3): Drops to 1-for-6
R1: Justin Thomas (T3): Drops to 4-for-7
R2: Brooks Koepka (T3): Drops to 2-for-7 as 36-hole leader/co-leader
R3: Brooks Koepka (T3): Drops to 4-for-7 as 54-hole leader/co-leader
Note: Koepka had won his last four as a 54-hole leader/co-leader.
Low Rounds:
R1: 64: Xander Schauffele
R2: 64: Chez Reavie
R3: 66: Hideki Matsuyama
R4: 66: Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott
Bogey-free Rounds:
R1: (2): Xander Schauffele (64); Bryson DeChambeau (68)
R2: (0): NONE
R3: (0): NONE
R4: (1): Jason Kokrak (67)
Multiple Bogey-free Rounds: NONE
47
Season Winners, including team-Zurich:
21 winners were in their 20s
19 were in their 30s (McIlroy age: 30)
7 were in their 40s
Season Leaders in Top-10 Finishes:
14: Rory McIlroy
12: Jon Rahm
9: Brooks Koepka, Adam Scott, Patrick Cantlay
7: Justin Thomas, Hideki Matsuyama, Paul Casey Lucas Glover, Justin Rose, Sungjae Im, Marc Leishman, Dustin Johnson
6: Xander Schauffele, Tony Finau, Chez Reavie, Brandt Snedeker, Ian Poulter, Webb Simpson, Rory Sabbatini, Tommy Fleetwood, Ryan Palmer, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day, Scott Piercy
5: Kevin Kisner, Patrick Reed, Louis Oosthuizen, Si Woo Kim, Jason Kokrak, Charles Howell III, Bryson DeChambeau, Adam Hadwin, Sergio Garcia
Consecutive Top 10s on TOUR:
3: Adam Scott (6-9-5)
2: Justin Thomas (3-1)
2: Tony Finau (7-4)
2: Kevin Kisner (9-9)
2: Hideki Matsuyama (9-3)
Consecutive Top-10 Streak Ended at:
3: Jon Rahm (12-5-3-7)
2: Brandt Snedeker (24-5-6)
McIlroy’s Weekly Stats (ranking of 30 players):
Birdies: 20 (1st)
Bogeys: 7 (T2)
Birdie or Better: 27.78% (1st)
Birdie to Bogey Ratio: 2.86 (1st)
Par-3 Scoring: 2.94 (T2)
Par-4 Scoring: 3.90 (2nd)
Par-5 Scoring: 4.13 (1st)
Driving Accuracy: 36/56 (T3) at 64.29%
Driving Distance (all drives): 314.0 yards (1st)
GIR: 50/72 (T5) at 69.44%
Proximity: 34’3” (T12)
Putts per GIR: 1.620 (2nd)
Total Putts: 110 (T3)
Putts by Round: 29-28-28-25
Scrambling: 15/22 (5th) at 68.18%
All-Around: (1st)
Leaders in Strokes Gained Stats:
SG: Off-the-Tee:
1. Rory McIlroy (5.314)
2. Justin Thomas (3.586)
3. Corey Conners (2.800)
4. Bryson DeChambeau (2.159)
5. Paul Casey (1.929)
SG: Approach-the-Green:
1. Xander Schauffele (8.048)
2. Jon Rahm (5.971)
3. Jason Kokrak (4.911)
4. Adam Scott (4.844)
5. Chez Reavie (4.821)
9. Rory McIlroy (3.182)
SG: Around-the-Green:
1. Justin Thomas (3.586)
2. Rory McIlroy (2.471)
3. Tommy Fleetwood (2.211)
4. Chez Reavie (2.064)
5. Gary Woodland (1.981)
SG: Putting:
1. Sungjae Im (7.066)
2. Webb Simpson (5.592)
3. Matt Kuchar (4.287)
4. Kevin Kisner (4.222)
5. Rickie Fowler (4.013)
11. Rory McIlroy (2.165)
SG: Tee-to-Green:
1. Rory McIlroy (10.968)
2. Xander Schauffele (8.492)
3. Chez Reavie (8.228)
4. Paul Casey (5.792)
5. Jason Kokrak (5.340)
