By Associated Press | August 21, 2019 at 11:15 pm ATLANTA — Justin Thomas has a two-shot lead, and the Tour Championship hasn’t even started. If that seems difficult to fathom, consider that someone could win this week without having the lowest 72-hole score. And remember, such a radical change was to make the FedEx Cup finale easier to follow. The first staggered start in PGA Tour history — Thomas begins at 10-under par, the bottom five players are at even par — unfolds Thursday at East Lake when 30 players who reached the final stage of the FedEx Cup playoffs chase the $15 million prize, the biggest payout in golf history. “I could see a scenario where come Sunday, 15 guys might have a chance to win the entire thing,” Rory McIlroy said Wednesday. “It will be exciting. It will be different. But at the same time, you’ve just got to go out there and try to play some good golf and not look around at what other guys are doing, and trust … [Read more...] about Tour Championship will get off to a strange start
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Golf: McIlroy questions staggered scoring at Tour Championship
(Reuters) - Rory McIlroy is unconvinced by the new staggered start to be used at this week's season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta and questioned on Wednesday whether it could affect the tournament's prestige. The PGA Tour has instigated the scoring system, based on accumulated points, so that top seed Justin Thomas starts the event at 10 under par, with the second seed at eight under, and so on, down to even par for the 26th-to-30th ranked players in the elite field.This has been done so that, for the first time, the winner of the season-long FedEx Cup points race and the winner of the Tour Championship are guaranteed to be one and the same person.Last year, with no staggered start, Tiger Woods won the Tour Championship but Justin Rose won the FedEx Cup. The Englishman almost anonymously collected a $10 million bonus as Woods justifiably earned the headlines for ending his five-year victory drought. Woods did not qualify to defend his title this week."You can shoot the best score … [Read more...] about Golf: McIlroy questions staggered scoring at Tour Championship
Tee Time: TOUR Championship set for Aug. 21-25 at East Lake
As part of the PGA’s restructured tournament schedule, the TOUR Championship will now be played in August instead of September, with the 2019 tournament set for Aug. 21-25 at the East Lake Golf Club. Thirty top golfers – likely to include Brooks Koepka, Rory Mcllroy, and Matt Kuchar – will vie for the coveted FedEx Cup. Between matches, fans can enjoy a cocktail in the Grey Goose 19th Hole, refuel with friends over a meal prepared by the city’s best local restaurants, cool off and test putting skills in the SO Cool Zone and much more. Plus, kids get in free. Along with the new dates, the TOUR Championship will also unveil a new scoring format to determine the FedEx Cup champ. The standings leader heading into the TOUR Championship will start the tournament at 10-under par. The next four players will start at 8-under through 5-under, respectively. The next five will begin at 4-under, regressing by one stroke per five players until those ranked Nos. 26-30 start at … [Read more...] about Tee Time: TOUR Championship set for Aug. 21-25 at East Lake
The Northern Trust: PGA Tour’s best figuring out new schedule
Andy Vasquez North Jersey Record Published 6:35 PM EDT Aug 6, 2019 JERSEY CITY — When the PGA Tour changed its schedule for 2019, the idea was to stack the heart of the season with a big event every month. That run, starting in March at The Players Championship, is coming to an end this month with the FedEx Cup playoffs — which begin this week at Liberty National Golf Club with The Northern Trust. But while the changes have led to a compelling run of golf, it’s hasn’t been easy on the bodies, or schedules of the best golfers in the world. “I’m tired,” said Bryson DeChambeau, who won The Northern Trust last year at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus. “It's part of the job, I guess. We get to play for -- I'm very blessed to be able to play every single week for what we play for, but again, it's just about managing time now and trying to figure out what's going to work best.” The new-look schedule has probably … [Read more...] about The Northern Trust: PGA Tour’s best figuring out new schedule
Charley Walters: Adam Thielen shares bond with Cordarrelle ‘Flash’ Patterson
At the Vikings’ Eagan facility, Kirk Cousins has his locker next to Adam Thielen, who broke into the NFL with the Vikings six years ago with fellow wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. “I heard they were inseparable their rookie year,” Cousins, the Vikings’ QB, said overhearing a conversation about Thielen and Patterson last week. The topic was Patterson’s notable resurgence with the New England Patriots, who host the Vikings on Sunday afternoon. Thielen, likely headed to another Pro Bowl, roomed with Patterson with the Vikings. He said he’s not at all surprised that Patterson has played a significant role in the Patriots’ 8-3 record. “He’s my guy,” Thielen said. “He was that type of player when he was (in Minnesota).” In 11 games with the Patriots this season, Patterson, 27, has 13 receptions for 120 yards (9.2 average) and two touchdowns. He also has rushed … [Read more...] about Charley Walters: Adam Thielen shares bond with Cordarrelle ‘Flash’ Patterson