Rory McIlroy says the new-look conclusion to the FedExCup Playoffs now presents a “clean slate for everyone” on the Tour Championship – even when he thought the earlier system that noticed the factors chief begin with a bonus over the sector made sense.
The highest 30 gamers on the FedExCup factors checklist will compete for the season-long title – plus the bumper $10m (£7.4m) winner’s prize – at East Lake Golf Membership in Atlanta from Thursday, stay on Sky Sports activities Golf.
However in a big change from the system which had been in place since 2019, the FedExCup factors chief coming into the week – which on this case is world No 1 Scottie Scheffler – won’t begin with any stroke benefit over the remainder of the sector. The earlier system noticed the factors chief begin with a two-stroke benefit over the second-placed participant within the standings and as much as 10 strokes over the remainder of the sector.
It signifies that Scheffler, who has gained 5 occasions on the tour this yr and leads second-placed McIlroy by extra factors (3,769) than the Masters champion has gained (3,687) within the season, will begin on degree par.
The Tour Championship winner can also be topped FedExCup champion, no matter the pre-event factors standings.
“We’ve played this event and this golf course in a bunch of different formats,” stated McIlroy.
“It has a unique really feel. Any one of many 30 has an opportunity to win the FedExCup this yr, which is clearly quite a bit completely different than it has been in earlier years.
“It’s a clean slate for everyone and it’s a great opportunity for one of the guys who maybe wasn’t a huge part of the season to put their hand up and have a chance to win the big prize at the end of the year.”
McIlroy, the one three-time winner of the FedExCup having claimed the title in 2016, 2019 and 2022, admits he was not amongst those that disliked the earlier system, however accepts the change has been made.
“I’m maybe part of the minority. I didn’t hate the starting strokes,” he stated.
“I assumed that the participant that performed the perfect throughout the course of the season ought to have had a bonus coming in right here. However the majority of individuals simply did not just like the beginning strokes.
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Highlights from the ultimate day of the BMW Championship in Owing Mills, Maryland.
“Whether it were players or fans, I was on the PAC [Player Advisory Council] when we were trying to go through that, and really it was just a way to try to simplify the advantage that the top players were going to get over the course of the week instead of [Golf Channel’s] Steve Sands doing calculations on a white board.
“However you would additionally argue if it was beginning strokes this week, Scottie with a two-shot lead, it in all probability is not sufficient contemplating what he is achieved this yr and the lead that he has within the FedExCup going into this week.”
How can I watch the Tour Championship live on Sky Sports?
Sky Sports has extended coverage from all three of the FedExCup Playoffs. Live coverage of the Tour Championship begins from 6pm on Thursday and Friday, 5.30pm on Saturday and 5pm for Sunday’s final round.
Who will win the FedExCup? Watch the Tour Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Stream the PGA Tour and extra with no contract.
