Viktor Hovland, currently ranked fifth in the world, is making headlines as he approaches the prestigious Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. Two years ago, his talent was on full display with a breathtaking five-shot victory in the very same tournament. This year, Hovland will look to use not only his past success but his recent form to ride the momentum and secure yet another strong showing.
All of Hovland’s recent success seems to foreshadow his forthcoming triumph at East Lake. He ended up tied for seventh at the BMW Championship, where he was third in the field in approach shots. His strong performance would indicate that he’s back in touch with his fiendish competitive streak. We’re looking forward to seeing what he does in the championship this year, so stay tuned! Additionally, Hovland’s past performance at East Lake reinforces his status as a top candidate. He’s done well here, placing inside the top 12 in each of his last two trips to this venue.
More relevant is that the East Lake setup should play to Hovland’s strengths. Famed for its Bermuda greens, the course fits his aggressive game that’s on full display this past season. How well he’s able to adapt to these unique greens will be key as he goes up against arguably the most talented field in all of golf.
Besides Hovland, other stars like Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Jon Rahm are all definitely primed to take part in the Tour Championship. American Scottie Scheffler, the current world number one, will lead the strong field of frontrunners. Rory McIlroy returns to tour. Rory McIlroy last played almost a month ago. He finished T-12 at three under in the BMW Championship, his highest finish of the year, a sign that maybe he’s getting his groove back.
Harry Hall has established himself as a significant player on tour, ranking second in strokes gained: putting at .910. He ranked T9 and T7 during the first two weeks of the FedEx Cup playoffs to further highlight what’s been a steady summer. So far, Akshay Bhatia has met all expectations. He shot 66 to tie for sixth in the FedEx St. Jude Championship and followed that with a T-26 at the BMW.
On the local representation front, Georgia native Sam Burns will likely be adding his competitive fire to East Lake. Harris English is back in the exciting field at the Tour Championship for the first time since 2021, after a two-year absence. He won a stunning 7-shot victory at the Farmers Insurance Open and finished second at the PGA Championship and The Open.
With the championship fast approaching, Patrick Cantlay has long been a favorite on analyst’s boards to be one of Keegan Bradley’s six captain’s picks. His Ryder Cup record of 5-2-1 is herculean. Logically, I think all of his success in the Presidents Cup really solidifies his image and accolades as a big-time competitor. Shane Lowry, it seems, stands a good chance of being one of Donald’s captain’s picks if he fails to qualify on points.
Hideki Matsuyama is another player with a strong track record at the Tour Championship, including four career top-10 finishes. Cameron Young is making a Sunday run in contention! He went on to post a fifth-place finish at the FedEx St. Jude Championship and finished 11th at the BMW Championship.
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