Who Will Be the Star of the FedEx Cup Final Tour Championship in the "War of Money"?

Im Sungjae and Lee Kyunghoon Anticipated to Deliver a Great Finale
"No Upset" Ranking 1st and 2nd Schauffele and Cantlay Top Favorites to Win
Will McIlroy Set His First Ever 3rd PO Victory Record?

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] The 100 billion won 'money war' has only the final winner left to be decided.

The final round of the FedEx Cup Playoffs (PO) for the 2021-2022 PGA Tour season, the Tour Championship, will be held for four days starting on the 25th (local time) at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

After the first Saint Jude Championship and the second BMW Championship, the PO determined the 30 players who will participate in the Tour Championship. The winner of this final round will take home $18 million (approximately 24.2 billion won).

However, the final round includes a variable in that stroke advantages are given to players with higher FedEx Cup ranking points. The first place starts with 10 under par, meaning it is not easy for lower-ranked players to overturn the results.

Here are the key points to watch in this Tour Championship.

Will Im Sung-jae and Lee Kyoung-hoon finish with a splendid finale?

Im Sung-jae

Lee Kyung-hoon

There are two Korean players participating in this Tour Championship. Im Sung-jae (24) leads the way. He showed stable performance by entering the top 10 eight times in 25 tournaments this season. He secured his first win of the season and second career win at the Shriners Children's Open last October, and demonstrated strong form by finishing runner-up at the 3M Open last month and the Wyndham Championship, the final regular season event, on the 7th of this month.

Im Sung-jae, who advanced to the PO ranked 10th in the FedEx Cup, continued his stable play. He finished 12th at the first Saint Jude Championship and tied for 15th at the BMW Championship. Ranked 10th, Im Sung-jae also secured a stroke bonus of 4 under par. There is a high possibility he will break his personal best PO finish of 11th in the 2019-2020 season.

Lee Kyoung-hoon (31), who dramatically qualified for the Tour Championship by shooting 6 under par on the final day of the BMW Championship to finish tied for 5th, is also dreaming of an upset. However, starting at even par due to his FedEx Cup ranking of 26th is a burden.

Number one Scheffler vs. two-time defending champion Cantlay

Scottie Scheffler

Patrick Cantlay

Considering stroke advantages and recent form, the top contenders for the final victory are undoubtedly Scottie Scheffler and Patrick Cantlay (both from the USA).

Scheffler, the Masters Tournament winner this season, currently sits at the top of the FedEx Cup rankings. He starts with a formidable 10 under par advantage. He also showed steady performance by finishing tied for 3rd at the BMW Championship.

The strong challenger is Cantlay. Cantlay is the defending champion who won both the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship last year on the PO stage.

Cantlay is also showing peak form this year. He has played in 19 tournaments, finishing in the top 10 eleven times including two wins. He is likely to continue the momentum from his one-stroke victory at last week's BMW Championship. Ranked 2nd in the FedEx Cup, he receives an 8 under par stroke advantage and will engage in a fierce competition with Scheffler.

7th place McIlroy, can he prove himself again as a PO powerhouse?

Rory McIlroy

It is also a point of interest whether 'PO powerhouse' Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) will write a legendary comeback story. McIlroy is one of the players who have reached two wins in the FedEx Cup alongside 'Golf Emperor' Tiger Woods (USA). Although McIlroy finished 2nd overall despite winning two consecutive PO events in 2012, he finally achieved his first win in 2016. Then in 2019, starting from 5th in the FedEx Cup rankings, he staged a great comeback to become the final winner.

This season, McIlroy has won two tournaments: The CJ Cup and the RBC Canadian Open. Ranked 5th in prize money and 7th in the FedEx Cup, he starts with a 4 under par advantage. Although he suffered the humiliation of missing the cut due to poor condition at the Saint Jude Championship, he posted consistent scores to finish tied for 8th at the BMW Championship. McIlroy is a star who shows strength in 'big matches.' If he wins this year, he will become the first-ever three-time FedEx Cup champion.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.