Golfbet Insider: The TOUR Championship

Now that we’re deep into betting here at Golfbet, I’m going to open the last Golfbet Insider of the 2022-23 season by stealing a phrase from that world to help set the stage for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf for the TOUR Championship – live betting.

If you don’t bet and you’re unfamiliar with what it means, for the purposes of this exercise, all you need to know is that it’s a method of betting that permits you to wager on a competition as it's underway.

Simple enough, right? Well, as it concerns PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf for the season finale, it’s been kind of the opposite often enough to compel me to present the parallel.

See, because FedExCup bonus points will be awarded at the conclusion of the tournament, gamers annually are confused if they’re going to be determined based on actual finish in the tournament using FedExCup Starting Strokes or assigned to only 72-hole scores posted at East Lake Golf Club, thus ignoring or excluding FedExCup Starting Strokes. The latter is how the Official World Golf Ranking will be assigning values, so there’s precedent for the consideration for fantasy.

Not only is it understandable that there isn’t a common-sense go-to for fantasy gamers, but because it’s so important, it’s good that the question is posed. No doubt many other gamers who don’t approach me are curious of the same thing just in case what’s detailed in the Rules isn’t crystal clear to them.

Here’s the note that addresses it in its entirety on the Rules page: “Although no FedExCup points are distributed at the end of TOUR Championship, PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf awards FedExCup Bonus points at the end of TOUR Championship in line with the other two FedExCup Playoffs events based on final leaderboard position.”

There are two explanations within that note.

First, it confirms that the same values that were used to assign FedExCup bonus points for the FedEx St. Jude Championship and the BMW Championship will be used for the TOUR Championship. So, a win will yield 200 bonus points (or 1/10th of 2,000), a solo second would reward 120, and so on.

Second, the last phrase, “based on final leaderboard position,” speaks to the actual result of the tournament that will go into the record book. For the TOUR Championship, it implies that FedExCup Starting Strokes will be included because the actual result of the tournament includes FedExCup Starting Strokes.

This brings me back to the intro.

Pretend that the FedExCup Starting Strokes reflect a completed round of the competition and you get to build a roster based on it, just like you would in placing a live wager with odds based on existing variables during a tournament. The roster deadline remains the first tee ball of the opening round as usual, but we all get a head start and can attack accordingly.

Because my Power Rankings include all 30 in the field at East Lake, the Power Rankings Wild Card and Also Starring usually featured below are on hiatus. However, I’ve still included my favorite props at BetMGM in Tap-ins.

The FedExCup Fall begins with the Fortinet Championship on Sept. 14, so after Payouts and Points for the TOUR Championship is published and Qualifiers turns over, I will not have any regular content until the field for the Fortinet is released on Sept. 8. It will begin with updates to the Medical Extensions and the Korn Ferry Tour Graduate Reshuffle.

Finally, a personal note.

As always, thank you for your loyalty to my work and the expanding contributions to the Golfbet team. It’s enjoyable to hear directly from you about your experiences, your outcomes and your perspectives regarding whatever stirs your interest. It’s also fulfilling to engage with you about your hobby, how your private league operates and everything else that helps me learn more about the world we share. All of it pays forward into other conversations and innumerable considerations to help optimize other experiences. It’s a healthy space that continues to grow at a healthy pace.

Peace and love…

Odds were sourced on Wednesday, Aug. 23, at 4:00 a.m. ET. For live odds, visit BetMGM.

TAP-INS

NOTE: Not everything needs a setup. For a variety of reasons, these lines are too enticing to ignore.

Tournament Match (Tie No Bet) – FedExCup Starting Strokes applied: Sam Burns (+100) over Jason Day
Patrick Cantlay (+110 = Top 5)
Brian Harman (+300 = Top 5)
Sungjae Im (+138 = Top Asian)
Sungjae Im (+160 = Top 10)

RETURNING TO COMPETITION

None.

NOTABLE WDs

None.

RECAP – BMW Championship

POWER RANKINGS
Power Ranking Golfer = Result
1 Rory McIlroy = 4th
2 Patrick Cantlay = T15
3 Scottie Scheffler = T2
4 Viktor Hovland = Win
5 Jon Rahm = T31
6 Lucas Glover = T22
7 Max Homa = T5
8 Tommy Fleetwood = T25
9 Xander Schauffele = T8
10 Jordan Spieth = T34
11 Corey Conners = T10
12 Sungjae Im = 7th
13 Hideki Matsuyama = WD
14 Russell Henley = T8
15 Emiliano Grillo = T31
* - For the recommendations below, an asterisk represents a bet that won.

SLEEPERS
Golfer (recommended bet) = Result
Byeong Hun An (+120 = Top 20) = 43rd
Cam Davis (+125 = Top 20) = 40th
*Cam Davis (+100 = Top Australian) = 40th
*Andrew Putnam (+210 = Top 20) = T10
Justin Rose (+115 = Top 20) = T22
*Sahith Theegala (+160 = Top 20) = T15

GOLFBET INSIDER
Team (recommended bet) = Result
Wild Card: Collin Morikawa (+150 = Top 10) = T25
Also Starring: Rickie Fowler (-105 = Top 20) = T25
Also Starring: Tyrrell Hatton (-160 = Top 20) = T34
*Also Starring: Matt Fitzpatrick (+110 = Top 20) = T2
Tap-in: Corey Conners (+450 = Lowest Score Over 72 Holes – Group D) = T10 [Russell Henley = T8]
*Tap-in: Corey Conners (+140 = Top Canadian) = T10
Tap-in: Si Woo Kim (+125 = Top 20) = T31
Tap-in: Kurt Kitayama (+260 = Top 20) = T41
Tap-in: Adam Schenk (+210 = Top 20) = T34
*Tap-in: Cameron Young (+100 = Top 20) = T15

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