The Tour Championship: A New Chapter with a Juicy Prize
The Tour Championship, a prestigious golf tournament, has elevated its status by offering the highest individual prize in the history of this sport. The PGA Tour has made official the FedEx Cup prize, marking a milestone in the competition. The total prize money amounts to $40 million, with a sum of $10 million going to the champion. This decision represents a significant change since the creation of the FedEx Cup in 2007, where the bonus pool at the end of the Tour Championship was considered unofficial and, in part, deferred. In 2019, modifications were implemented that reduced the postseason from four to three tournaments, which led to the elimination of the cash prize at the Tour Championship and the increase of the FedEx Cup bonus pool. The introduction of “strokes off the tee” that same year, with the number 1 seed starting at 10 under par and a two-stroke lead over the number 2 seed, changed the dynamics of the tournament. The winner at East Lake took home the FedEx Cup and was credited with a PGA Tour title for winning the Tour Championship. For this year, important adjustments have been made. Tee shots have been eliminated, and the top 30 players who reach the Tour Championship will start from scratch, as in a regular tournament. A PGA Tour spokesperson confirmed that the $40 million bonus pool will now be considered official money at East Lake. Another relevant change is the distribution of the $25 million allocated to the victory in the FedEx Cup. Scottie Scheffler received $10 million for leading the FedEx Cup in the regular season, and will get $5 million for being the number 1 seed after this week’s BMW Championship. Although this is part of the bonus fund, it will not be considered official money. Now, the player with the lowest score who wins the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup will take home the $40 million, which will be official, with $10 million for the champion. Scheffler tops the earnings list with $20,362,883. Rory McIlroy, Masters champion ($16,156,418), and J.J. Spaun, US Open champion ($12,302,222), still have mathematical chances to surpass Scheffler if they win at East Lake. The runner-up at East Lake will receive $5 million in official money, while third place will get $3,705,000. Last place will take home $355,000. The last time East Lake had an official prize was in 2018, with $9 million. Tiger Woods won $1.62 million on that occasion. Justin Rose won the FedEx Cup without winning a postseason event and received the $10 million bonus. Patrick Cantlay, among other players, favored the change that eliminates tee shots, arguing that winning the Tour Championship, even if a player starts from 30th place, is an achievement that deserves to be recognized as FedEx Cup champion.I think, at this point, if you play a whole year and get to the Tour Championship with the players who have participated, the top 30 who have played the best all year, and you beat them that week with everything on the line, that’s a great achievement.
Patrick Cantlay
