Tour Championship

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.

Tour Championship
Tournament information
LocationAtlanta, Georgia
Established1987, 34 years ago
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 Tiger Woods (2007)
Current champion
Dustin Johnson
Atlanta 
Location in the United States

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.

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.[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. 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, and so on down to 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.

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.[7][8] Each winner before 2005 has been awarded one retrospectively.[9]

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. Starting in 2019, the Tour Championship winner is directly awarded the FedEx Cup and receives a 5-year PGA Tour exemption.[10]

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

YearPlayerCountryTo par[lower-alpha 1]Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-upLowest gross[lower-alpha 2]
Tour Championship
2020Dustin Johnson United States−21 (−10)3 strokes Xander Schauffele
Justin Thomas
Xander Schauffele265
2019Rory McIlroy (2) Northern Ireland−18 (−5)4 strokes Xander Schauffele Rory McIlroy267
YearPlayerCountryScoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-upPurse ($)[lower-alpha 3]Winner's
share ($)
Tour Championship
2018Tiger Woods (3) United States269−112 strokes Billy Horschel9,000,0001,620,000
2017Xander Schauffele United States268−121 stroke Justin Thomas8,750,0001,575,000
2016Rory McIlroy Northern Ireland268−12Playoff Kevin Chappell
Ryan Moore
8,500,0001,530,000
Tour Championship by Coca-Cola
2015Jordan Spieth United States271−94 strokes Danny Lee
Justin Rose
Henrik Stenson
8,250,0001,485,000
2014Billy Horschel United States269−113 strokes Jim Furyk
Rory McIlroy
8,000,0001,440,000
2013Henrik Stenson Sweden267−133 strokes Jordan Spieth
Steve Stricker
8,000,0001,440,000
2012Brandt Snedeker United States270−103 strokes Justin Rose8,000,0001,440,000
2011Bill Haas United States272−8Playoff Hunter Mahan8,000,0001,440,000
The Tour Championship presented by Coca-Cola
2010Jim Furyk United States272−81 stroke Luke Donald7,500,0001,350,000
2009Phil Mickelson (2) United States271−93 strokes Tiger Woods7,500,0001,350,000
2008Camilo Villegas Colombia273−7Playoff Sergio García7,000,0001,260,000
2007Tiger Woods (2) United States257−238 strokes Mark Calcavecchia
Zach Johnson
7,000,0001,260,000
2006Adam Scott Australia269−113 strokes Jim Furyk7,000,0001,170,000
2005Bart Bryant United States263−176 strokes Tiger Woods6,500,0001,170,000
2004Retief Goosen South Africa269−114 strokes Tiger Woods6,000,0001,080,000
2003Chad Campbell United States268−163 strokes Charles Howell III6,000,0001,080,000
2002Vijay Singh Fiji268−122 strokes Charles Howell III5,000,000900,000
The Tour Championship presented by Dynegy
2001Mike Weir Canada270−141 stroke Sergio García
Ernie Els
David Toms
5,000,000900,000
The Tour Championship presented by Southern Company
2000Phil Mickelson United States267−132 strokes Tiger Woods5,000,000900,000
1999Tiger Woods United States269−154 strokes Davis Love III5,000,000900,000
1998Hal Sutton United States274−6Playoff Vijay Singh4,000,000720,000
The Tour Championship
1997David Duval United States273−111 stroke Jim Furyk4,000,000720,000
1996Tom Lehman United States268−126 strokes Brad Faxon3,000,000540,000
1995Billy Mayfair United States280E3 strokes Steve Elkington
Corey Pavin
3,000,000540,000
1994Mark McCumber United States274−10Playoff Fuzzy Zoeller3,000,000540,000
1993Jim Gallagher Jr. United States277−71 stroke David Frost
John Huston
Greg Norman
Scott Simpson
3,000,000540,000
1992Paul Azinger United States276−83 strokes Lee Janzen
Corey Pavin
2,000,000360,000
1991Craig Stadler United States279−5Playoff Russ Cochran2,000,000360,000
Nabisco Championship
1990Jodie Mudd United States273−11Playoff Billy Mayfair2,500,000450,000
1989Tom Kite United States276−8Playoff Payne Stewart2,500,000450,000
1988Curtis Strange United States279−9Playoff Tom Kite2,000,000360,000
1987Tom Watson United States268−122 strokes Chip Beck2,000,000360,000
  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 to 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. "Awards". East Lake Golf Club.
  8. "'Calamity Jane' now official trophy of the TOUR Championship". Independent Sports News. August 9, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  9. "Calamity Jane Replica". PGA Tour.
  10. "How it works: Tour Championship". PGA Tour. Retrieved August 19, 2019.

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