Tour Championship
|
East Lake Golf Club, current home of the Tour Championship | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Established | 1987, 29 years ago |
| Course(s) | East Lake Golf Club |
| Par | 70 |
| Length | 7,385 yards (6,753 m) |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | $8.5 million |
| Month played | September |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 257 Tiger Woods (2007) |
| To par | −23 Tiger Woods (2007) |
| Current champion | |
 Rory McIlroy | |
Golf Club
The Tour Championship (stylized as the TOUR Championship) is a golf tournament that is part of the PGA Tour. It has historically been one of the final events of the PGA Tour season; prior to 2007, its field consisted exclusively of the top 30 money leaders of the past PGA Tour season.
Since 2007, it has been the final event of the four-tournament FedEx Cup playoff, and eligibility is determined by FedEx Cup points amassed throughout the season instead. While originally followed by the PGA Tour Fall Series (for those competing for qualifying exemptions in the following season), a re-alignment of the PGA Tour's season structure beginning in 2013 makes the Tour Championship the final event of the season.
From 1987 to 1996, several courses hosted the event. Beginning in 1997, the event alternated between Champions Golf Club in Houston and East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta; since 2004, East Lake has been the event's permanent home.
Format: 1987–2006
From its debut in 1987 through 2006, the top 30 money winners on the PGA Tour after the penultimate event qualified for the event. It took place in early November, the week after the comparable event in Europe, the Volvo Masters, which allowed players who are members of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour to play in both end of season events. After the Tour Championship, the money list for the season was finalized. There were, and still are, a number of additional events between the Tour Championship and Christmas which are recognized by the PGA Tour, but prize money won in them is unofficial. Also, because this tournament's field is not as large as other golf tournaments, there is no 36-hole cut; all players who start the event are credited with making the cut and receive some prize money.
Format: 2007–present
In 2007, the Tour Championship moved from its November date to a date in mid-September, where it ends a four-tournament "Chase for the FedEx Cup"; this was announced on the Wednesday of the week of the 2005 event. As in past years, 30 players qualify for the event; however, the basis for qualification is no longer prize money. Instead, FedEx Cup points amassed during the regular PGA Tour season and then during the three preceding playoff events determine the participants. Beginning in 2009, the assignment and awarding of points assures that if any of the top five FedEx Cup point leaders going into The Tour Championship win the event, they will also win the FedEx Cup. It still remains possible, however, for one player to win the Tour Championship and another player to win the FedEx Cup. In 2007, Tiger Woods won both the 2007 Tour Championship and the inaugural FedEx Cup. In 2008, The Tour Championship was won by Camilo Villegas, while Vijay Singh won the FedEx Cup. In 2009, Phil Mickelson won The Tour Championship, while Tiger Woods won the FedEx Cup.
2007 was also the inaugural year for the Tour's Fall Series, which determined the rest of the top 125 players eligible for the following year's FedEx Cup, which made the event no longer the final tournament of the season. However, starting in 2013, the Tour Championship was the end of the PGA Tour season; seasons will now begin in October of the previous calendar year.[1] Since 2007, those who qualified for the Tour Championship earned a Masters Tournament invitation.
Hole 18 at East Lake Golf Club is a par 3, which has been criticized as lacking drama for fans. The PGA Tour announced in February 2016 that it would be reversing the nines at East Lake for the Tour Championship in the coming year so that play will finish on a more exciting par 5 hole.[2]
Winner's exemption reward
Since 1998 (according to the 1999 PGA Tour Media Guide), the Tour Championship winner, if not already exempt by other means, receives a 3-year PGA Tour exemption (Category-5)
Tournament hosts
| Years | Venue | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004–present | East Lake Golf Club | Atlanta, Georgia |
| 1990, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003 | Champions Golf Club, Cypress Creek Course | Houston, Texas |
| 1995–96 | Southern Hills Country Club | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| 1993–94 | The Olympic Club, Lake Course | San Francisco, California |
| 1991–92 | Pinehurst Resort, No. 2 Course | Pinehurst, North Carolina |
| 1989 | Harbour Town Golf Links | Hilton Head Island, South Carolina |
| 1988 | Pebble Beach Golf Links | Pebble Beach, California |
| 1987 | Oak Hills Country Club | San Antonio, Texas |
Winners
| Year | Player | Country | Score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Purse ($) | Winner's share ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tour Championship | ||||||||
| 2016 | Rory McIlroy | Northern Ireland | 268 | −12 | Playoff |  Kevin Chappell Ryan Moore | 8,500,000 | 1,530,000 |
| Tour Championship by Coca-Cola | ||||||||
| 2015 | Jordan Spieth | United States | 271 | −9 | 4 strokes |  Danny Lee Justin Rose Henrik Stenson | 8,250,000 | 1,485,000 |
| 2014 | Billy Horschel | United States | 269 | −11 | 3 strokes | Jim Furyk Rory McIlroy | 8,000,000 | 1,440,000 |
| 2013 | Henrik Stenson | Sweden | 267 | −13 | 3 strokes | Jordan Spieth Steve Stricker | 8,000,000 | 1,440,000 |
| 2012 | Brandt Snedeker | United States | 270 | −10 | 3 strokes | Justin Rose | 8,000,000 | 1,440,000 |
| 2011 | Bill Haas | United States | 272 | −8 | Playoff | Hunter Mahan | 8,000,000 | 1,440,000 |
| The Tour Championship presented by Coca-Cola | ||||||||
| 2010 | Jim Furyk | United States | 272 | −8 | 1 stroke | Luke Donald | 7,500,000 | 1,350,000 |
| 2009 | Phil Mickelson (2) | United States | 271 | −9 | 3 strokes | Tiger Woods | 7,500,000 | 1,350,000 |
| 2008 | Camilo Villegas |  Colombia | 273 | −7 | Playoff |  Sergio García | 7,000,000 | 1,260,000 |
| 2007 | Tiger Woods (2) | United States | 257 | −23 | 8 strokes | Mark Calcavecchia Zach Johnson | 7,000,000 | 1,260,000 |
| 2006 | Adam Scott |  Australia | 269 | −11 | 3 strokes | Jim Furyk | 7,000,000 | 1,170,000 |
| 2005 | Bart Bryant | United States | 263 | −17 | 6 strokes | Tiger Woods | 6,500,000 | 1,170,000 |
| 2004 | Retief Goosen |  South Africa | 269 | −11 | 4 strokes | Tiger Woods | 6,000,000 | 1,080,000 |
| 2003 | Chad Campbell | United States | 268 | −16 | 3 strokes | Charles Howell III | 6,000,000 | 1,080,000 |
| 2002 | Vijay Singh |  Fiji | 268 | −12 | 2 strokes | Charles Howell III | 5,000,000 | 900,000 |
| The Tour Championship presented by Dynegy | ||||||||
| 2001 | Mike Weir |  Canada | 270 | −14 | 1 stroke | Sergio García Ernie Els David Toms | 5,000,000 | 900,000 |
| The Tour Championship presented by Southern Company | ||||||||
| 2000 | Phil Mickelson | United States | 267 | −13 | 2 strokes | Tiger Woods | 5,000,000 | 900,000 |
| 1999 | Tiger Woods | United States | 269 | −15 | 4 strokes | Davis Love III | 5,000,000 | 900,000 |
| 1998 | Hal Sutton | United States | 274 | −6 | Playoff | Vijay Singh | 4,000,000 | 720,000 |
| The Tour Championship | ||||||||
| 1997 | David Duval | United States | 273 | −11 | 1 stroke | Jim Furyk | 4,000,000 | 720,000 |
| 1996 | Tom Lehman | United States | 268 | −12 | 6 strokes | Brad Faxon | 3,000,000 | 540,000 |
| 1995 | Billy Mayfair | United States | 280 | E | 3 strokes | Steve Elkington Corey Pavin | 3,000,000 | 540,000 |
| 1994 | Mark McCumber | United States | 274 | −10 | Playoff | Fuzzy Zoeller | 3,000,000 | 540,000 |
| 1993 | Jim Gallagher, Jr. | United States | 277 | −7 | 1 stroke | .svg.png){kind=small} David Frost John Huston Greg Norman Scott Simpson | 3,000,000 | 540,000 |
| 1992 | Paul Azinger | United States | 276 | −8 | 3 strokes | Lee Janzen Corey Pavin | 2,000,000 | 360,000 |
| 1991 | Craig Stadler | United States | 279 | −5 | Playoff | Russ Cochran | 2,000,000 | 360,000 |
| Nabisco Championship | ||||||||
| 1990 | Jodie Mudd | United States | 273 | −11 | Playoff | Billy Mayfair | 2,500,000 | 450,000 |
| 1989 | Tom Kite | United States | 276 | −8 | Playoff | Payne Stewart | 2,500,000 | 450,000 |
| 1988 | Curtis Strange | United States | 279 | −9 | Playoff | Tom Kite | 2,000,000 | 360,000 |
| 1987 | Tom Watson | United States | 268 | −12 | 2 strokes | Chip Beck | 2,000,000 | 360,000 |
2015 Tournament purse
Breakdown of the $8,250,000 purse for the 2015 Tour Championship
Prizes shown below were awarded to the top 30 finishers in the Tour Championship itself. See also: FedEx Cup bonus pool payouts
| Place | Earnings ($) | Place | Earnings ($) | Place | Earnings ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,485,000 | 11 | 222,750 | 21 | 155,100 |
| 2 | 891,000 | 12 | 211,200 | 22 | 151,800 |
| 3 | 569,250 | 13 | 201,300 | 23 | 148,500 |
| 4 | 396,000 | 14 | 191,400 | 24 | 145,200 |
| 5 | 330,000 | 15 | 181,500 | 25 | 141,900 |
| 6 | 297,000 | 16 | 174,900 | 26 | 138,600 |
| 7 | 280,500 | 17 | 168,300 | 27 | 136,950 |
| 8 | 264,000 | 18 | 165,000 | 28 | 135,300 |
| 9 | 247,500 | 19 | 161,700 | 29 | 133,650 |
| 10 | 234,300 | 20 | 158,400 | 30 | 132,000 |
References
- ↑ "PGA Tour announces changes". ESPN.com. March 21, 2012. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
- ↑ Hole 18 is a par 3, which has been criticized as lacking drama for fans. The PGA Tour announced in February 2016 that it would be reversing the nines at East Lake for the Tour Championship in the coming year so that play will finish on a more exciting par 5 hole.[12]
External links
- Coverage on the PGA Tour's official site
- Tour Championship Overview and Past Results - Includes past winners and runners-up of tournament from 1987 to 2010
- East Lake Golf Club official site
- The FedEx Cup home page on the PGA Tour's official site
Coordinates: 33°44′35″N 84°18′11″W / 33.743°N 84.303°W