Tour Championship

Tour Championship
Tournament information
Location Atlanta, Georgia
Established 1987, 31 years ago
Course(s) East Lake Golf Club
Par 70
Length 7,346 yards (6,717 m)
Tour(s) PGA Tour
Format Stroke play
Prize fund $9 million
Month played September
Tournament record score
Aggregate 257 Tiger Woods (2007)
To par −23 Tiger Woods (2007)
Current champion
United States Tiger Woods
Atlanta 
Location in the United States

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, with eligibility determined by FedEx Cup points accumulated throughout the season. 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, 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: 2007–2018

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 ends a four-tournament "Chase for the FedEx Cup". As in past years, 30 players qualify for the event, but the basis for qualification is no longer prize money. Instead, FedEx Cup points accumulated 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 any of the top five FedEx Cup point leaders entering The Tour Championship who wins, 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. In 2018, Tiger Woods won the 2018 Tour Championship, while the FedEx Cup was won by Justin Rose.

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 2016 that it would be reversing the nines at East Lake for the Tour Championship so that play would finish on a more exciting par 5 hole.

Format: 2019

Beginning in 2019, the tournament will adopt a new format so that its winner will also be the FedEx Cup champion. Rather than FedEx Cup points being reset for each qualifying player based on seeding, the tournament will begin with the #1 overall seed starting at 10 under par. The second seed will start at −8, the third seed at −7, and so on down to the fifth seed at −5. Seeds 6–10 will begin at −4; seeds 11–15 will begin at −3; and so on, down to seeds 26–30 who will start at even par.[2][3]

Calamity Jane trophy

The Calamity Jane is a sterling silver commemorative putter given to the winner of the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. The putter is an exact replica of Bobby Jones' original putter.[4] The putter/trophy has been given to the winner of the Tour Championship since 2005 and each winner before that year was retroactively given one.[5]

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

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

YearPlayerCountryScoreTo parMargin
of victory		Runner(s)-upPurse ($)Winner's
share ($)
Tour Championship
2018Tiger Woods (3) United States269−112 strokesUnited States Billy Horschel9,000,0001,620,000
2017Xander Schauffele United States268−121 strokeUnited States Justin Thomas8,750,0001,575,000
2016Rory McIlroy Northern Ireland268−12PlayoffUnited States Kevin Chappell
United States Ryan Moore		8,500,0001,530,000
Tour Championship by Coca-Cola
2015Jordan Spieth United States271−94 strokesNew Zealand Danny Lee
England Justin Rose
Sweden Henrik Stenson		8,250,0001,485,000
2014Billy Horschel United States269−113 strokesUnited States Jim Furyk
Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy		8,000,0001,440,000
2013Henrik Stenson Sweden267−133 strokesUnited States Jordan Spieth
United States Steve Stricker		8,000,0001,440,000
2012Brandt Snedeker United States270−103 strokesEngland Justin Rose8,000,0001,440,000
2011Bill Haas United States272−8PlayoffUnited States Hunter Mahan8,000,0001,440,000
The Tour Championship presented by Coca-Cola
2010Jim Furyk United States272−81 strokeEngland Luke Donald7,500,0001,350,000
2009Phil Mickelson (2) United States271−93 strokesUnited States Tiger Woods7,500,0001,350,000
2008Camilo Villegas Colombia273−7PlayoffSpain Sergio García7,000,0001,260,000
2007Tiger Woods (2) United States257−238 strokesUnited States Mark Calcavecchia
United States Zach Johnson		7,000,0001,260,000
2006Adam Scott Australia269−113 strokesUnited States Jim Furyk7,000,0001,170,000
2005Bart Bryant United States263−176 strokesUnited States Tiger Woods6,500,0001,170,000
2004Retief Goosen South Africa269−114 strokesUnited States Tiger Woods6,000,0001,080,000
2003Chad Campbell United States268−163 strokesUnited States Charles Howell III6,000,0001,080,000
2002Vijay Singh Fiji268−122 strokesUnited States Charles Howell III5,000,000900,000
The Tour Championship presented by Dynegy
2001Mike Weir Canada270−141 strokeSpain Sergio García
South Africa Ernie Els
United States David Toms		5,000,000900,000
The Tour Championship presented by Southern Company
2000Phil Mickelson United States267−132 strokesUnited States Tiger Woods5,000,000900,000
1999Tiger Woods United States269−154 strokesUnited States Davis Love III5,000,000900,000
1998Hal Sutton United States274−6PlayoffFiji Vijay Singh4,000,000720,000
The Tour Championship
1997David Duval United States273−111 strokeUnited States Jim Furyk4,000,000720,000
1996Tom Lehman United States268−126 strokesUnited States Brad Faxon3,000,000540,000
1995Billy Mayfair United States280E3 strokesAustralia Steve Elkington
United States Corey Pavin		3,000,000540,000
1994Mark McCumber United States274−10PlayoffUnited States Fuzzy Zoeller3,000,000540,000
1993Jim Gallagher, Jr. United States277−71 strokeSouth Africa David Frost
United States John Huston
Australia Greg Norman
United States Scott Simpson		3,000,000540,000
1992Paul Azinger United States276−83 strokesUnited States Lee Janzen
United States Corey Pavin		2,000,000360,000
1991Craig Stadler United States279−5PlayoffUnited States Russ Cochran2,000,000360,000
Nabisco Championship
1990Jodie Mudd United States273−11PlayoffUnited States Billy Mayfair2,500,000450,000
1989Tom Kite United States276−8PlayoffUnited States Payne Stewart2,500,000450,000
1988Curtis Strange United States279−9PlayoffUnited States Tom Kite2,000,000360,000
1987Tom Watson United States268−122 strokesUnited States Chip Beck2,000,000360,000

2018 Tournament purse

Breakdown of the $ 9,000,000 purse for the 2018 Tour Championship

Prizes shown below were awarded to the top 30 finishers in the Tour Championship itself. See also: FedEx Cup bonus pool payouts

PlaceEarnings ($)PlaceEarnings ($)PlaceEarnings ($)
11,620,00011243,00021169,200
2972,00012230,40022165,600
3621,00013219,60023162,000
4432,00014208,80024158,400
5360,00015198,00025154,800
6324,00016190,80026151,200
7306,00017183,60027149,400
8288,00018180,00028147,600
9270,00019176,40029145,800
10255,60020172,80030144,000

References

  1. ↑ "PGA Tour announces changes". ESPN.com. March 21, 2012. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
  2. ↑ "PGA Tour making extreme changes to Tour Championship, FedEx Cup format in 2019". CBS Sports. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  3. ↑ McAllister, Mike (September 18, 2018). "Simplicity the key with changes to FedExCup Playoffs finale". PGA Tour.
  4. ↑ "Awards". East Lake Golf Club.
  5. ↑ "Calamity Jane Replica". PGA Tour.

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

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