Fantasy Golf: Tour Championship preview

East Lake Golf Club, site of this week’s Tour Championship and final event of the FedExCup Playoffs, is largely known as the home course of Bobby Jones.

Another Jones of no relation, Rees, oversaw the renovation following the conclusion of the inaugural FedExCup in 2007 won by Tiger Woods with a tournament-record 23-under 257. Miniverde Bermudagrass replaced Bentgrass greens. Since, the lowest aggregate is a mere 10-under 270, courtesy of this year’s defending champion Brandt Snedeker, who becomes the first FedExCup titleholder to advance to the Playoffs finale the following season.

Ahead of this year’s edition, nine fairways have been were widened, but the course will look similar as a whole, so the Monday finish of the BMW Championship may have little impact on preparation.

Last week’s winner, Zach Johnson, also happens to be the course record holder with a 60 in 2007, so expect him to feature highly in the race to claim the $10m bonus pool for the overall winner. 

Here is TG’s six-man team for the Tour Championship:

Steve Stricker, £3.8m
Stricker finished solo second at TPC Boston last time out, his third runner-up finish in 11 starts this season. He ranks first in par-4 scoring and second in greens hit in regulation, adjusted scoring and the all-around.

Hunter Mahan, £2.6m
Improving results from The Barclays (T25), the Deutsche Bank (T13) and a T4 at the BMW Championship suggest the American might be peaking at just the right time. Mahan has the driving accuracy and putting game ideally suited to this tough Donald Ross par 70, plus he finished runner-up in 2011 so may feel the course owes him one.

Nick Watney, £2.4m
The American has been working on his swing with Todd Anderson and his 64 in the final round of the BMW to finish solo second shows it’s clicking into place. Has a best of tied fourth in 2010 at this event.

Zach Johnson, £2.2m
Since tying second at the John Deere, Johnson finished T6 at The Open, T4 at the WGC Bridgestone, top 10 at the USPGA, T5 at the Wyndham and then got his win at the BMW. He’s also the course record holder having shot 60 here in very soft conditions in 2007.

Jim Furyk, £2.2m 
Furyk has had a big end to the season with four consecutive top 10s from the RBC Canadian Open to The Barclays, so his performance in Illinois was not wholly unexpected. Furyk has a great East Lake record too having only once been outside the top 10 since 2008, including a win in 2010.

Henrik Stenson, £1.8m
Alongside Furyk, the Swede is the form man at the moment, having recorded five top 3s in his last seven starts, which included two Majors and a win at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

> Click here to see a full entry list and player values. You have until 4:40pm on Thursday 19th September to select your team.