Tour Championship
Tournament information
LocationAtlanta, Georgia
Established1987
Course(s)East Lake Golf Club
Par70
Length7,346 yards (6,717 m)
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatStroke play
Month playedAugust
Tournament record score
Aggregate257 Tiger Woods (2007)
To par−23 as above
Current champion
Norway Viktor Hovland
Location Map
East Lake GC is located in the United States
East Lake GC
East Lake GC
Location in the United States
East Lake GC is located in Georgia
East Lake GC
East Lake GC
Location in Georgia

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.

Starting in 2007, it was the final event of the four-tournament FedEx Cup Playoffs, with eligibility determined by FedEx Cup points accumulated throughout the season. From 2019 onward, the FedEx Cup was reduced to three events, and the Tour Championship is now held in late August rather than mid-September.

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 schedule in 2013 made 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 a number of additional events between the Tour Championship and Christmas which were recognized by the PGA Tour, but prize money won in them was unofficial. Also, because this tournament's field was not as large as other golf tournaments, there was no 36-hole cut; all players who started the event were credited with making the cut and received some prize money.

Format: 2007–2018

Brandt Snedeker winning in 2012
Jordan Spieth and Henrik Stenson on the 17th green in 2015
Rory McIlroy during practice rounds in 2015

In 2007, the Tour Championship moved from November to mid-September, where it ended the four-tournament FedEx Cup Playoffs. As in past years, 30 players qualified for the event, but the basis for qualification was no longer prize money. Instead, FedEx Cup points accumulated during the regular PGA Tour season and then during the three preceding playoff events determined the participants. Beginning in 2009, the assignment and awarding of points assured that if any of the top five FedEx Cup point leaders entering The Tour Championship won the event, that player would also won the FedEx Cup. Therefore, it still remained possible for one player to win the Tour Championship and another player to win the FedEx Cup. For example, Tiger Woods won the 2018 Tour Championship but finished second in the FedEx Cup, while Justin Rose won the FedEx Cup despite finishing the tournament tied for fourth, because Woods entered the Tour Championship 20th in overall points while Rose was 2nd.[1][2]

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 final tournament of the PGA Tour season; seasons begin in October of the previous calendar year.[3] Since 2007, those who qualified for the Tour Championship earned a Masters Tournament invitation. For 2020, players who qualify for the Tour Championship will be invited to the Sentry Tournament of Champions, a byproduct of tournament cancellations from the coronavirus pandemic.

Prior to 2016, hole 18 at East Lake Golf Club was a par 3, which had been criticized as lacking drama for fans. Starting in 2016, the PGA Tour reversed the nines at East Lake for the Tour Championship so that play now finishes on a more exciting par 5 hole.[4]

Format: 2019–present

Beginning in 2019, the tournament adopted a new format in order to ensure that the winner would also be the FedEx Cup champion. Using a method similar to the Gundersen method in Nordic combined, the player with the most FedEx Cup points leading into the tournament starts at 10 under par. The player with the second most points starts at −8, the third at −7, the fourth at -6, and the fifth at −5. Players ranked 6 through 10 begin at −4; 11 through 15 at −3; and so on, down to numbers 26 to 30 who will start at even par.[5][6]

For purposes of the Official World Golf Ranking only aggregate scores are taken into account, disregarding any starting scores in relation to par.[7]

Calamity Jane trophy

The Calamity Jane is a sterling silver replica of Bobby Jones's original "Calamity Jane" putter, that has been presented to the winner of the Tour Championship since 2005. In 2017, it was made the official trophy for the tournament.[8][9] Each winner before 2005 has been awarded one retroactively.[10]

Winner's exemption reward

From 1998 to 2018, the Tour Championship winner, if not already exempt by other means, received a 3-year PGA Tour exemption. Since 2019, the Tour Championship winner has been directly awarded the FedEx Cup and a 5-year PGA Tour exemption.[11]

Tournament hosts

YearsVenueLocation
1998, 2000,
2002, 2004–present
East Lake Golf ClubAtlanta, Georgia
1990, 1997,
1999, 2001, 2003
Champions Golf Club,
Cypress Creek Course
Houston, Texas
1995–96Southern Hills Country ClubTulsa, Oklahoma
1993–94The Olympic Club, Lake CourseSan Francisco, California
1991–92Pinehurst Resort, No. 2 CoursePinehurst, North Carolina
1989Harbour Town Golf LinksHilton Head Island, South Carolina
1988Pebble Beach Golf LinksPebble Beach, California
1987Oak Hills Country ClubSan Antonio, Texas

Winners

YearWinnerTo par[lower-alpha 1]Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-upLowest gross[lower-alpha 2]
Tour Championship
2023Norway Viktor Hovland−27 (−8)5 strokesUnited States Xander SchauffeleNorway Viktor Hovland
United States Xander Schauffele
261
2022Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy (3)−21 (−4)1 strokeSouth Korea Im Sung-jae
United States Scottie Scheffler
Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy263
2021United States Patrick Cantlay−21 (−10)1 strokeSpain Jon RahmUnited States Kevin Na
Spain Jon Rahm
266
2020United States Dustin Johnson−21 (−10)3 strokesUnited States Xander Schauffele
United States Justin Thomas
United States Xander Schauffele265
2019Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy (2)−18 (−5)4 strokesUnited States Xander SchauffeleNorthern Ireland Rory McIlroy267
YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-upPurse
($)[lower-alpha 3]
Winner's
share ($)
Tour Championship
2018United States Tiger Woods (3)269−112 strokesUnited States Billy Horschel9,000,0001,620,000
2017United States Xander Schauffele268−121 strokeUnited States Justin Thomas8,750,0001,575,000
2016Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy268−12PlayoffUnited States Kevin Chappell
United States Ryan Moore
8,500,0001,530,000
2015United States Jordan Spieth271−94 strokesNew Zealand Danny Lee
England Justin Rose
Sweden Henrik Stenson
8,250,0001,485,000
2014United States Billy Horschel269−113 strokesUnited States Jim Furyk
Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy
8,000,0001,440,000
2013Sweden Henrik Stenson267−133 strokesUnited States Jordan Spieth
United States Steve Stricker
8,000,0001,440,000
2012United States Brandt Snedeker270−103 strokesEngland Justin Rose8,000,0001,440,000
2011United States Bill Haas272−8PlayoffUnited States Hunter Mahan8,000,0001,440,000
The Tour Championship
2010United States Jim Furyk272−81 strokeEngland Luke Donald7,500,0001,350,000
2009United States Phil Mickelson (2)271−93 strokesUnited States Tiger Woods7,500,0001,350,000
2008Colombia Camilo Villegas273−7PlayoffSpain Sergio García7,000,0001,260,000
2007United States Tiger Woods (2)257−238 strokesUnited States Mark Calcavecchia
United States Zach Johnson
7,000,0001,260,000
2006Australia Adam Scott269−113 strokesUnited States Jim Furyk6,500,0001,170,000
2005United States Bart Bryant263−176 strokesUnited States Tiger Woods6,500,0001,170,000
2004South Africa Retief Goosen269−114 strokesUnited States Tiger Woods6,000,0001,080,000
2003United States Chad Campbell268−163 strokesUnited States Charles Howell III6,000,0001,080,000
2002Fiji Vijay Singh268−122 strokesUnited States Charles Howell III5,000,000900,000
2001Canada Mike Weir270−141 strokeSpain Sergio García
South Africa Ernie Els
United States David Toms
5,000,000900,000
2000United States Phil Mickelson267−132 strokesUnited States Tiger Woods5,000,000900,000
1999United States Tiger Woods269−154 strokesUnited States Davis Love III5,000,000900,000
1998United States Hal Sutton274−6PlayoffFiji Vijay Singh4,000,000720,000
1997United States David Duval273−111 strokeUnited States Jim Furyk4,000,000720,000
1996United States Tom Lehman268−126 strokesUnited States Brad Faxon3,000,000540,000
1995United States Billy Mayfair280E3 strokesAustralia Steve Elkington
United States Corey Pavin
3,000,000540,000
1994United States Mark McCumber274−10PlayoffUnited States Fuzzy Zoeller3,000,000540,000
1993United States Jim Gallagher Jr.277−71 strokeSouth Africa David Frost
United States John Huston
Australia Greg Norman
United States Scott Simpson
3,000,000540,000
1992United States Paul Azinger276−83 strokesUnited States Lee Janzen
United States Corey Pavin
2,000,000360,000
1991United States Craig Stadler279−5PlayoffUnited States Russ Cochran2,000,000360,000
Nabisco Championship
1990United States Jodie Mudd273−11PlayoffUnited States Billy Mayfair2,500,000450,000
1989United States Tom Kite276−8PlayoffUnited States Payne Stewart2,500,000450,000
1988United States Curtis Strange279−9PlayoffUnited States Tom Kite2,000,000360,000
1987United States Tom Watson268−122 strokesUnited States Chip Beck2,000,000360,000

Notes

  1. Since 2019, players have been allocated a starting score (relative to par) based on their position in the FedEx Cup standings. This is shown in parentheses.
  2. With the change of format in 2019, OWGR points have been awarded based on the lowest total strokes for the tournament rather than the winning score relative to par.
  3. From 1987–2018 the Tour Championship had its own purse. From 2019 the tournament no longer has its own prize fund, with prize money being distributed from the FedEx Cup bonus pool.

References

  1. Morfit, Cameron. "FedExCup update: Rose heads into final round as projected No. 1". PGA Tour. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  2. Dusek, David. "Justin Rose Rallies to DClaim FedEx Cup Crown, $10 Million Bonus". Golfweek. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  3. "PGA Tour announces changes". ESPN. March 21, 2012. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
  4. "East Lake Golf Club Front, Back Nines to be Reversed for Tour Championship by Coca-Cola". PGA Tour. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  5. "PGA Tour making extreme changes to Tour Championship, FedEx Cup format in 2019". CBS Sports. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  6. McAllister, Mike (September 18, 2018). "Simplicity the key with changes to FedExCup Playoffs finale". PGA Tour.
  7. Hawkins, John (September 1, 2021). "How the PGA Tour Gutted Its Own Championship". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  8. "Awards". East Lake Golf Club.
  9. "'Calamity Jane' now official trophy of the Tour Championship". Independent Sports News. August 9, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  10. "Calamity Jane Replica". PGA Tour.
  11. "How it works: Tour Championship". PGA Tour. Retrieved August 19, 2019.

33°44′35″N 84°18′11″W / 33.743°N 84.303°W / 33.743; -84.303

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