The 2023 PGA Tour Championship will feature the top 30 golfers in the current FedExCup rankings competing for a massive purse, including $18 million to the winner, during four rounds at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s a departure from the other two FedExCup playoff events, featuring a starting strokes format that accounts for a golfer’s entire body of work throughout the 2023 PGA Tour season.
Since 2019, we’ve seen this starting strokes format implemented, resulting in Patrick Cantlay winning in 2021, while Rory McIlroy has won twice, including last year, making him the defending champion. It’s important to note that no golfer has ever won consecutive FedExCup titles, adding additional interest toward McIlroy’s performance at East Lake this week.
Other notable golfers seeking their first FedExCup win include Scottie Scheffler, ranked No. 1 in the FedExCup, resulting in a -10-under-par starting strokes designation for the top golfer in the current FedExCup rankings. Scheffler saw his lead erode on Sunday at this event in 2022, allowing McIlroy to surge back and do just enough in the final round to earn his third FedExCup victory. Jon Rahm is another elite golfer seeking his first FedExCup win, while Viktor Hovland’s record-setting round of 61 on Sunday to win the BMW Championship has him ahead of Rahm at No. 2 in the FedExCup, giving him a big edge with an -8-under-par starting strokes scorecard.
DFS at the Tour Championship is guaranteed fun, as we get to roster the best golfers who have managed to separate themselves from a couple of hundred other PGA Tour players, creating value all over the board. At a course like East Lake that doesn’t have as much bite in terms of scoring average, albeit a par 70, there will be plenty of opportunities for birdies and eagles to occur, which is our chance to cash DFS contests in a big way to end the 2023 PGA Tour season.
For the last time this year, let’s find out which golfers should be prioritized in our DraftKings and FanDuel DFS lineups ahead of Thursday’s opening round from East Lake Golf Club at the 2023 Tour Championship.
Before we get into our Tour Championship DFS Picks and Targets, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. You can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your 2023 Tour Championship selections this week.
DRAFTKINGS $50,000 MAXIMUM SALARY
Viktor Hovland ($12,500)
We’re getting Viktor Hovland as the lone player in the $12,000 salary bracket, cheaper than Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy in the $13,000 bracket. Hovland has proven that he’s capable of manufacturing clutch plays in the biggest events this season, so ranking 12th or better in strokes gained on approach, tee-to-green, and off-the-tee is enough to justify this salary. Hovland is a priority blue-chip addition to DraftKings lineups this week.
Max Homa ($10,900)
Max Homa could be in store for an outright win at East Lake. He’s won twice this season while flying under the radar despite an -8-under-par round on Friday at the BMW Championship. He’s priced fairly as a top-five player at $10,900 on DraftKings, as he’s recorded marginally better finishes since the Scottish Open, going T12, T10, T6, and T5 entering Thursday. He’s starting at -4-under-par, which puts Homa in a great position to produce at an aggressive pace to win his first FedExCup title.
Corey Conners ($7,900)
We’re getting massive value on Correy Conners this week. Starting at -2-under-par this week at East Lake, the Canadian has ripped off two T10 finishes during the first two playoff events, gaining momentum ahead of the Tour Championship. Conners has accurate irons, ranked 12th tee-to-green, 15th off-the-tee, and 16th approaching the green. His putting tends to hold him back, but Conners produced two rounds of -3-under-par or lower at East Lake in 2022, so let’s insert him confidently as a strong salary-saving prospect at under $8,000 on DraftKings.
Predict the top five finishers at this week's Tour Championship for a chance to win this Golf Monthly x OddsChecker free-to-play golf contest.
How to Enter the $10,000 Tour Championship Free-to-Play Game
1. Make your selections using the widget above - Ensure you have selected each player in your chosen finishing position e.g. Scottie Scheffler (1st), Rory McIlroy (2nd), Viktor Hovland (3rd), and so on.
2. Enter your email address
3. Check your inbox and follow the instructions to create your Oddschecker account
FANDUEL $60,000 MAXIMUM SALARY
Xander Schauffele ($11,600)
A slow start at +1 during the BMW Championship kept Xander Schauffele from contending on Sunday, as he piled on -8-under-par across Friday and Saturday to wind up with a T8 finish. Schauffele won at East Lake back in 2017, albeit before the starting strokes format arrived in 2019, but he’s another underrated golfer who could quickly climb the leaderboard this week. Ranked fifth strokes gained on approach, fourth strokes gained putting, and 14th tee-to-green, Schauffele could wind up with another FedExCup championship starting at -3-under-par. We have to grab him at a slight discount on FanDuel.
Russell Henley ($9,600)
Russell Henley has logged three T8 finishes or better since Wyndham, averaging between 82 and 129 FPPG on FanDuel. The Georgia native returns to East Lake for the first time in six years, where he last managed a T3 finish, going -10-under-par to finish two strokes behind Schauffele. Henley is a dark horse to win outright this week, starting at -3-under-par. His high floor is attractive in this salary bracket on FanDuel, so let’s insert Henley into our lineups.
Brian Harman ($8,800)
Brian Harman could arguably be the comeback player of the year with his performance down the stretch this season. The Georgia native won his first career major at The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool in dominant fashion, while he’s managed five T12 finishes in his last six events played, with his worst result being a T31 at the St. Jude Championship. Harman has found his rhythm all over the golf course, plus he’s ranked 24th in strokes gained putting. He creates good lies, ranking top-ten in the edge of fairway distance and top-25 in hole proximity. Harman is a huge value at $8,800 on FanDuel, considering he started at even par at the 2022 Tour Championship while now earning a -4-under-par starting strokes designation.
