Dustin Johnson, current FedExCup points leader.

By Charlie Crowley, Sports Editor
Image courtesy of golfdigest.com

While sports such as baseball and NASCAR are just nearing playoff time, golf is nearing the end of their season. The Tour Championship begins this coming weekend at at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, and all eyes are on the last event of the season. Although there are a few clear front runners to take home the top prize.

The Tour Championship will feature the top thirty players on the PGA Tour who have qualified for the FedExCup. Similar to NASCAR’s Chase For The Cup, golfers accumulate points over the course of the season to crack the playoff. The catch with the point system is that majors are worth more points than regular events, and once the playoffs start, points quadruple at events; first place at a regular Tour event is 500 points, which goes up to 2,000 in the playoffs.

As referenced earlier, there are a few names to watch going into this weekend. The big name is Dustin Johnson, who currently sits first in the rankings. Johnson has the best shot to win the FedExCup by simply finishing in the top five of the tournament, though he could finish as low as 29th and still be able to win mathematically. If Johnson wins The Tour, then he wins the FedExCup outright. Behind him in the second through fifth place spot are Patrick Reed, Adam Scott, Jason Day, and Paul Casey. If any of them win The Tour, they will be crowned champion. Although it is a tossup for any of the five – or anyone in the tournament for that matter – to win, Johnson has put himself in a good position to win. He won three tournaments this year, including the BMW Championship, preceding tournament to The Tour. He also won the U.S. Open and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. Jason Day has also won three tournaments this year, including The Players Championship. These top five will headline and have the best chance of winning, but they will also have pressure from the likes of Rory McIlroy, who won the first FedExCup tournament, the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Although it would take a myriad of scenarios for a darkhorse to emerge champion, you can never rule it out. Plenty of golfers have had off days which can wreck their entire weekend, though when it comes to crunch time on the playoffs, players come ready to play their A game. Be sure to follow The Tour when it starts on September 25.