Tour Championship Power Rankings

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10. Francesco Molinari

With a 63-64-67 finish to place T8 at the BMW Championship, the Open Champion Golfer of the Year might be starting another hot streak. That could be scary for the field given the WIN-T2-WIN stretch he had in July.

Francesco Molinari hits a shot in round three of the 2018 Quicken Loans National at TPC Potomac in Maryland. Credit: Getty Images/Sam Greenwood

One of the Tour’s best shotmakers, his irons should give him a big advantage at East Lake. Only Dustin Johnson ranks higher than Molinari this season in strokes gained: tee-to-green.

Odds: 25-1
World Rank: 6
FedExCup Rank: 13
Last Six: 8, MC, 6, 39, 1, 2


9. Xander Schauffele

For the second consecutive season, in just his second PGA Tour season, Schauffele played himself into the East Lake field with an impressive showing at the BMW Championship. After a small skid that likely ended his Ryder Cup hopes, Schauffele came up big when he needed to, starting 63-64 and finishing T3.

Xander Schauffele
Xander Schauffele reacts after making birdie on 18th hole during day three of the Open Championship at Carnoustie GC on July 21, 2018 in Carnoustie, Scotland. Photo by Ross Kinnaird/R&A via Getty Images

In the season finale last year, Schauffele looked very comfortable alongside the big names, becoming the first rookie to win in a 12-under effort.

He’s not driving it as well as he was at this time last year, but he was second in the field in strokes gained: putting last week, and fourth in strokes gained: approach-the-green. A similar effort would likely mean another year in contention for the guy who has an affinity for big-stage events.

Odds: 28-1
World Rank: 19
FedExCup Rank: 18
Last Six: 3, 49, MC, 35, 68, 2


8. Dustin Johnson

DJ is so solid that he never gets classified as a “gamble”, but despite three wins on the season and 11 top-10s, people should be cautious about him this week. The now World No. 3 (he was No. 1 going into the BMW) has looked nowhere near his best over his past four starts, and there have been significant rumblings of personal problems for the 19-time PGA Tour winner.

Dustin Johnson
Dustin Johnson tees off on the 12th hole during day one of The Northern Trust at Ridgewood CC in Paramus, NJ on Aug. 23, 2018. Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Still, he leads the Tour in seemingly everything, and if he can put his potential off-course issues aside, as he has done before, he is as likely to win as anyone in the field.

Even with his pedestrian play as of late, he has the No. 4 position in the FedExCup Standings. Xander Schauffele won the Tour Championship last season by leading the field in strokes gained: off-the-tee, a stat in which Johnson is currently the Tour leader.

Odds: 9-1
World Rank: 3
FedExCup Rank: 4
Last Six: 24, 7, 11, 27, 3, 1


7. Bryson DeChambeau

After missing the cut at last month’s PGA Championship, it would have been shocking to consider that DeChambeau, who just turned 25 on Sunday, could lead the FedExCup Standings going into East Lake. However, after two victories in the first two rounds of the playoffs meant 4000 FedExCup Points, here we are.

Bryson DeChambeau and Tiger Woods
Bryson DeChambeau and Tiger Woods walk off the 13th tee during day three of the Dell Technologies Championship at TPC Boston on Sep. 2, 2018 in Norton, Mass. Photo by Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images

DeChambeau has to be wishing there was no point-reset for the Tour Championship, as he currently leads by nearly 1400 points over Justin Rose, but even with a lead of just 200, he has more winning scenarios than anyone in the field.

DeChambeau has been unreal on the weekends as of late, and if another killer Saturday-Sunday can get him in the East Lake mix, he could very well become the first player ever to win three events in a single playoff. It would also increase his chatter for the PGA Tour Player of the Year Award.

Odds: 18-1
World Rank: 8
FedExCup Rank: 1
Last Six: 19, 1, 1, MC, 30, 13, 51


6. Rory McIlroy

It has not been Rory’s best PGA Tour season, but the 2016 Tour Championship and FedExCup Champion has been very relevant in recent events, capped off by a solo-fifth at the BMW Championship that included a Thursday 62 and a Saturday 63.

Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy lines up a putt on the 7th green during day two of the BMW Championship at Aronimink GC on Sep. 7, 2018 in Newtown Square, PA. Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images

He has lacked consistency this season, and even with a win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March, he is just 17th in the FedExCup Standings, but he could quiet an enormous amount of his negative chatter by taking another East Lake title. At Aronimink, Rory led the field in strokes gained: off-the-tee, strokes gained: approach-the-green, and strokes gained: tee-to-green.

Odds: 9-1
World Rank: 5
FedExCup Rank: 17
Last Six: 5, 12, 50, 6, 2, 28


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