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PGA Tour Championship
The Tour Championship in Atlanta with an $18 million top prize, Canadian Women’s Open hosts the top LPGA players, DP World Tour heads to Czechia, and more
Jack Middlebrook
August 23, 2023
Top 100 preview
The 30 best men are active in Atlanta for the Tour Championship. The DP World Tour’s Czech Masters has another 9 of the top 100 players, and St Andrews Bay Championship and Boise Open each have 1 in the top 100.
On the women’s side, most of the top players are active again after wrapping up the major season two weeks ago. 52 of the top 100 are playing the CPKC Women’s Open in Canada, 19 are in the Korea LPGA’s Hanwha Classic, and 12 are playing Japan LPGA’s Nitori Ladies.
Purses
Tour Championship
CPKC Women's Open
Czech Masters
Boise Open
St Andrews Bay Championship
Hanwha Classic
Nitori Ladies
Sansan KBC Augusta
PGA Tour - Tour Championship
East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, hosts the final chapter of the PGA Tour season. The Tour Championship has a staggering $75 million in FedEx Cup Payouts that will be assigned to the players based on the final standings, with the champion set to pocket a cool $18 million. The tournament has a net scoring format with players assigned starting strokes based on year-long points totals.
Given the distinctive format of the event, Scottie Scheffler — having topped the FedEx Cup points list — starts in pole position at ten under par, two strokes ahead of last week’s winner Viktor Hovland. Scheffler will be keen to make amends; he began with the lead last year, only to be passed by Rory McIlroy. McIlroy, defending his title, comes in after a strong showing at the BMW Championship, placing fourth, and starts three strokes back of Scheffler.
Jon Rahm starts in fourth, four shots back, and must recapture some of his earlier season form to catch the leaders.
The Tour Championship also marks the last event before the U.S. Ryder Cup Captain’s picks get announced on August 29th. With most of the U.S. team’s picks likely already set, there is still an opportunity for a player like Keegan Bradley or Lucas Glover to get hot and make a strong case for a captain’s pick.
LPGA - CPKC Women's Open
The LPGA Tour descends upon Vancouver this week, as the Canadian Women's Open is set to be contested at the scenic Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club. Notably, this marks the return of the Canadian Women's Open to British Columbia for the first time since 2015. The event's rich history casts a lingering spotlight on Paula Reto, who'll be defending her title amid a competitive field.
Leading the pack is the new world number one, Lilia Vu, fresh off her win at the Women's Open at Walton Heath. A formidable lineup joins her in the field with the other three major winners of 2023: Celine Boutier, Ruoning Yin, and Allisen Corpuz.
A particular focus will be on the Canadian contingent, with all eyes on Brooke Henderson. Not only is she the nation's premier player, but she's also a former champion from 2018. Although she has missed three cuts in her last four starts, expectations will still be high for her to perform well at her national open.
DP World Tour - Czech Masters
This week, the Czech Masters on the DP World Tour takes place at the Albatross Golf Resort in Prague, Czechia. The quest for Ryder Cup spots intensifies with Luke Donald's Team Europe places still in contention; notably, Ludvig Aberg and Rasmus Hojgaard could make a good case for spots with strong performances. Shane Lowry returns to the European Tour field after missing the Tour Championship, while Maximilian Kieffer, last year's victor, aims to defend his title.
Asian Tour - St Andrews Bay Championship
The St Andrews Bay Championship marks a new addition to the Asian Tour as part of the International Series and continues the tour's presence in the UK for a second consecutive week. Set at the Fairmont St Andrews - Torrance Course, a mix of LIV players, including Mito Pereira, Harold Varner III, and Anirban Lahiri, will be vying for the title. Recent International Series England champion Andy Ogletree is also teeing it up after his big win last week.