Viktor Hovland was the toast of the BMW Championship after his course-record 61 to pip Scottie Scheffler but it is the World No.1 who will tee off in the best position in the Tour Championship after the 30-man field was confirmed.
The season's lucrative Playoff finale for the $18m first prize will once again feature a staggered start beginning in the first round at East Lake in Atlanta where Scheffler starts top of the leaderboard at 10-under before a ball is even hit following the first two Playoffs events.
That's because the FedExCup points leader begins the championship at 10-under par and the No. 2 player, Hovland, will start at 8-under.
The No. 3 player, Rory McIlroy, starts at 7-under, the No. 4 player starts at 6-under and the No. 5 player starts at 5-under.
Players listed 6-10 start at 4-under, players 11-15 start at 3-under, golfers 16-20 start at 2-under, those 21-25 start at 1-under; and players 26-30 start at even par.
At the end of Sunday, the player with the lowest stroke total over 72 holes when combined with his FedExCup starting strokes will be crowned the FedExCup champion, be credited with an official victory at the Tour Championship, earn a bonus of $18m and a five-year PGA Tour exemption.
Scheffler is in the box seat going into Thursday's first round after a consistent season with two wins from 22 event plus two runner-up finishes, 16 top tens and 20 top 25 finishes as he has pocketed over $21m in prize money.
After the American, Hovland starts on eight-under after two wins, one runner-up place and eight top 10s from 22 events for just over $14.1m in prize money. Then next is McIlroy on seven-under with two wins , two runner-up finishes and 12 top 10s from 17 events for $13.9m as he defends his title.
Jon Rahm starts at six-under teeing off with McIlroy after four wins from 19 events for $16.5m in a season that has included one missed cut and one withdrawal.
In-form Lucas Glover, who won back to back recently, starts at five-under before Max Homa, Patrick Cantlay, Brian Harman, Wyndham Clark and Matt Fitzpatrick start at four-under.
For all the jockeying for position over 72 holes at Olympia Fields Country Club in the BMW, only Fitzpatrick - who has over $8.1m prize money this season - was able to play his way into the Tour Championship as the field was cut from 50 to the final 30.
Despite starting the final round as joint leader, Fitzpatrick, who shot 66, had no complaints with Hovland's win, he said. “Just really pleased again that I played really well final round in contention with world No. 1, and I didn't lose it. Someone else came from behind and won it.”
After Fitzpatrick and Co. tee off , then it is Tommy Fleetwood, Russell Henley, Keegan Bradley, Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele at three-under.
Tom Kim, Sungjae Im, Tony Finau, Corey Conners and Si Woo Kim are two-under. Taylor Moore, Nick Taylor, Adam Schenk, Collin Morikawa and Jason Day are one-under. While Sam Burns, Emiliano Grillo, Tyrrell Hatton, Jordan Spieth and Sepp Straka start level par.
Tour Championship starting scores:
- -10 Scottie Scheffler
- -8 Viktor Hovland
- -7 Rory McIlroy
- -6 Jon Rahm
- -5 Lucas Glover
- -4 Max Homa, Patrick Cantlay, Brian Harman, Wyndham Clark, Matt Fitzpatrick
- -3 Tommy Fleetwood, Russell Henley, Keegan Bradley, Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele
- -2 Tom Kim, Sungjae Im, Tony Finau, Corey Conners, Si Woo Kim
- -1 Taylor Moore, Nick Taylor, Adam Schenk, Collin Morikawa, Jason Day
- E Sam Burns, Emiliano Grillo, Tyrrell Hatton, Jordan Spieth, Sepp Straka
