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Todd McGill's DraftKings, FanDuel PGA DFS picks for the 2026 Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. Picks for daily fantasy golf based on course history.
What looked like a possible snoozer on Sunday at the BMW Championship turned into something pretty compelling, as Wyndham Clark outlasted a charging leaderboard that caught him on the back nine. But the reigning US Open Champion made birdies on the final three holes to win by as many shots by the end.
Arguably the most controversial player on the PGA Tour, Clark now heads to East Lake with the other 29 who made it to this season's Tour Championship. After a week when Rory bounced back from finishing nearly DFL in Memphis, and the world witnessed multiple Scottie Scheffler meltdowns after winning by eight, this week in Atlanta could go anywhere.
This is the penultimate season-ender at East Lake and the event's current format. Six men in the field are seeing this historic property for the first time, while Gary Woodland is returning for the first time since 2019. Everyone else has been here within the last five years, which provides a decent amount of recent course history to comb through.
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2026 Tour Championship
With changes coming for the 2028 season, this is the second-to-last time the Tour Championship will be held at East Lake; at least in the tournament's current format. Rotating venues and matchplay are coming, so let's all revel in the memories and historical moments that have happened here.
One thing to note this week is that finishing scores don't exactly line up for every player, since starting positions were staggered from -10 under par to even from 2019 to 2024. Those who climbed from the bottom obviously have the stats to back it up, but some who found their way into low starts haven't had the best form around here despite holding on for decent finishes.
This course has produced some of the most dramatic moments of the modern era, and though I am excited for a change, it doesn't diminish the legacy that embodies the property. And since we are back to the level start, it's anyone's guess who will win the FedEx Cup.
Be sure to read our other top-notch weekly PGA DFS articles and Player News/Matchup Outlook Posts to help you win big!
East Lake Golf Club
Par 70 - 7,440 | Greens: Bermudagrass | Designed By: Tom Bendelow
The most important thing to note about this golf course is the major renovation and total restructure that took place before the 2024 event. It was meant to make the course a more strategic test and require a more well-rounded skill set than its typical ball-striker-centric reputation before.
It's certainly a more diverse set of holes these days, but it didn't do as much to the difficulty as expected. In 2024, it played as the eighth-easiest course on tour. Players will still have to be dialed in with approach shots, especially the ones over 175 yards, but figuring out the now more penalizing green surrounds and getting the ball in correct positions off the tee are now equally important.
At over 7,400 yards, driving distance is certainly a benefit for those who have plenty of it, but the redesign has made finding correct sides of holes a must to score, so simply bombing it wherever isn't a smart decision. With only two par-5s on the scorecard, par-4 performance is even more crucial, especially with the need to make plenty of birdies to keep pace.
Recent FedEx St. Jude Championship Winners
- 2025: Tommy Fleetwood (-18)
- 2024: Scottie Scheffler (-30)
- 2023: Viktor Hovland (-27)
- 2022: Rory McIlroy (-21)
- 2021: Patrick Cantlay (-21)
The Horse
Xander Schauffele
Notable Finishes: 2nd ('23), 4th ('22)
After missing this event last season, Xander Schauffele is back this year to compete in the grand finale, where he recorded top five finishes in all six of the previous years. He also won this tournament in 2017.
He's had a more positive 2026, though it's been winless thus far. But with equal starting position this week, it gives the 32-year-old as good a chance as anyone to find paydirt. His 0.913 strokes gained on approach average at East Lake over the last five years is best in the field, but he'll need the putter to make more birdies than he has most of this year.
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It’s always fun to hit an outright, especially when it’s over 100/1 and with a player that has a story like Gary Woodland!
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The Ponies
Viktor Hovland
Notable Finishes: 1st ('23), T5 ('21)
Viktor Hovland had no business making driver off the deck look this easy 😮💨 #TOURVault pic.twitter.com/AVrxSVLV02
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 19, 2026
Winning this event in 2023, Viktor Hovland is one of those players who have been slightly aided by the old staggered start, as he hasn't finished worse than T20 at East Lake in his career despite the short game struggles early on. He's recorded 12th-place finishes in the two years since going back to a standard start, and looks poised to continue the trend this season.
The worry for Hovland coming into this year's event is off the tee, as he may not have the consistency to get it in the right positions enough to take advantage of his superb iron play, which has averaged 0.901 strokes gained over the past five seasons. What he does on and around the greens isn't a concern right now, but the inconsistency with the driver could impact his ability to score.
Russell Henley
Notable Finishes: T2 ('25), T4 ('24)
Russell Henley is an artist on the course.
His wife Teil Duncan Henley is an artist off the course.
She has worked as a contemporary artist for over a decade and painted this portrait of Russ at the 2024 @PresidentsCup.
“She puts steel in my spine." pic.twitter.com/vFqsAzPrVc
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 1, 2026
With close calls the last two years, Russell Henley hopes his incredibly consistent 2026 season pays off like Tommy Fleetwood last year. Sure, he picked up a win earlier in the year, but it still seemed underwhelming considering how many chances he had.
The former Georgia Bulldog has been an even bigger threat at East Lake since the redesign, since outside of having length, Henley is one of the most well-rounded players on tour. That is no more evident than at East Lake, being the fourth-ranked player in the field in total strokes gained average (1.188) at East Lake since 2021.
Patrick Cantlay
Notable Finishes: 1st ('21), T2 ('25), 5th ('23)
Who wins the race, Black Caviar over 1000m or Patrick Cantlay from 4 feet? I think this is one my favourite videos of the year! 🤣
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) December 31, 2023
Even with disappointing seasons the last couple of years, Patrick Cantlay hasn't missed the tour finale since 2020. And after going T8-T12-2nd over his last three starts, he looks poised to continue his run of great finishes here.
Even with the quality finishes, however, he has never performed great on and around the greens here. He sports negative strokes gained averages putting and around the green over the last five seasons, but his elite ball striking has masked those shortcomings, which could happen again this time.
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