Tour Championship 2026

The TOUR Championship is the final event of the FedExCup Playoffs, with the season coming down to the final 30 players at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. This year brings a major change to the format: everyone starts at level par, rather than the FedExCup leader receiving a starting-score advantage. So for the first time in several years, it's simply a 72-hole shootout to decide both the tournament and the FedExCup champion.

East Lake is a historic par-70, playing at around 7,500 yards, and has been the permanent home of the TOUR Championship since 2005. It's a strategic course that rewards strong tee-to-green and approach play, with positioning particularly important rather than simply letting the big hitters loose. Bermuda greens, tricky approach angles and a demanding closing stretch make it a proper test, especially with the pressure of a 30-man field where virtually every player has a realistic chance.

It's also the final chapter of the current FedExCup playoff format, with the PGA Tour planning significant changes to the season-ending event in the coming years. So there's plenty riding on this one beyond the usual season finale. And with everybody starting from scratch, I'm expecting a fascinating tournament — and hopefully a bit more scope for us to find some value rather than just backing the obvious names.

Rory McIlroy 5pts win 9/1 (Powers)

Rory McIlroy arrives at East Lake with his confidence restored somewhat after a difficult start to the FedExCup Playoffs. Following the disappointment of an eight-over finish at the St. Jude Championship, McIlroy responded with a steady solo third at the BMW Championship, and while he certainly didn't have his best stuff, there was plenty to like about the way he fought his way into contention. 

Five shots behind Wyndham Clark heading into Sunday, McIlroy steadily chipped away at the deficit and eventually tied the lead with three holes to play. Clark ultimately found another gear, finishing with three consecutive birdies to pull away, but McIlroy can take lots of positives from last week. The fact he was able to put himself in position to win despite the game not being anywhere near its best is particularly encouraging heading into a venue where he has historically thrived. 

And the East Lake record is difficult to ignore: three TOUR Championship victories, including his remarkable six-shot comeback in 2022, and eight top-10 finishes in eleven appearances. With the format now reset to level par, McIlroy doesn't have to worry about overcoming a starting deficit. Perhaps that BMW performance was the first sign that the game is rounding into shape for another charge at East Lake?

British Masters 2026

The Husqvarna British Masters returns to The Belfry this week as the DP World Tour’s “Back 9” gets under way, with four days of action on the famous Brabazon Course. Hosted by Sir Nick Faldo, the event runs from August 27–30 and marks the start of the run-in towards the season-ending Race to Dubai Play-Offs. 

The Brabazon is a par 72 stretching beyond 7,200 yards, and is a proper old-school parkland test. Designed by Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas, the course is now heavily tree-lined compared with its Ryder Cup days, placing a premium on accuracy and strategic play. Water comes into play on a number of key holes, while the famous driveable 10th offers a genuine risk-and-reward opportunity before the brutal 18th, where water guards both the tee shot and approach to a three-tiered green. 

The Belfry has plenty of history with this tournament and with big-time golf in general, having hosted the Ryder Cup four times. With the DP World Tour now entering the business end of the season, there is plenty at stake for the field, and the Brabazon should provide a suitably demanding stage for the first event of the closing stretch.

Keita Nakajima 2pts ew 16/1 (10 places Powers)

Keita Nakajima is one of the most naturally talented players on the DP World Tour, and the supremely talented Japanese star arrives at The Belfry in excellent shape. He has produced two top-four finishes in his last five starts, including an impressive third at the Scottish Open before following that up with another fourth-place finish in the gruelling Nexo Championship last week. 

There is also plenty to like about his record at The Belfry. Nakajima finished 33rd on his debut in 2024 before taking a significant step forward last year, finishing fourth at 13-under par and just three shots behind winner Alex Noren.  That gives him a perfect record of making the cut in two visits, while last year's performance showed that he can genuinely contend around the Brabazon.

His ball-striking is another major reason to be interested. Nakajima ranks among the DP World Tour's strongest performers from tee to green, and his accuracy gives him the sort of control that should be particularly useful around a tree-lined Belfry layout. With his confidence clearly high and a fourth-place finish already under his belt here, another big week from Nakajima certainly wouldn't come as a surprise. 

Oliver Lindell 1.5pts ew 25/1 (10 places Boyles)

Oliver Lindell comes into the British Masters in arguably the best form of his career, with finishes of 2nd, 6th, 13th, 26th and 2nd in his last five starts. That level of consistency is hard to ignore, particularly for a player I've long been an admirer of. Lindell has developed into a very accomplished all-round golfer since graduating from the Challenge Tour, and his recent run suggests another strong performance could be just around the corner. 

This will be his debut at The Belfry, so there is no course history to lean on, but I'm not overly concerned by that. The Brabazon demands accuracy, patience and a strong tee-to-green game, and Lindell's current level of confidence should allow him to embrace the challenge. Given the way he's been knocking on the door in recent weeks, I think this could be a perfect fit for him on his first visit to The Belfry.

Thorbjorn Olesen 1pt ew 45/1 (10 places Boyles)

Thorbjørn Olesen returns to a venue where he has some very fond memories, having won the British Masters here in 2022 with that remarkable eagle-birdie finish on the final two holes. He has also added a pair of top-20 finishes at The Belfry, making this a course where he has consistently looked comfortable. 

It has been a difficult year for Olesen on the PGA Tour, but a return to European soil appeared to breathe a little life back into his game, with a T39 at the Danish Open last time out. Hopefully, a return to a familiar and friendly stomping ground can provide another spark. He knows how to win around the Brabazon, and if that recent improvement can continue, I'm hoping for an impressive week from the Dane.

Thomas Rosenmueller 1pt ew 50/1 (10 places bet365)

Thomas Rosenmüller has been quietly putting together an interesting run of form. After recording a trio of top-10 finishes across the DP World Tour and PGA Tour in July, he has continued to produce solid results back on the Korn Ferry Tour, where he spends much of his time. 

His European appearances have been few and far between, which makes his T6 at the BMW International Open particularly encouraging. That was his first event on European soil since finishing T26 in the same tournament three years earlier. His record Korn Ferry results are also encouraging, a trio of top 16 finishes. 

Given how little competitive golf he has played over here, The Belfry represents something of an unknown, but there's enough in his recent form to make him interesting. I'll be intrigued to see if Rosenmüller can replicate that BMW performance and make another impression on European soil.

Danny Willett 1pt ew 150/1 (10 places Boyles)

Danny Willett is certainly the speculative one, but sometimes the answer is simply fuck it, why not. The 2016 Masters champion and former world number eight may now sit well outside the heights he once occupied, but there is still an awful lot of pedigree there, and The Belfry is a venue where he has repeatedly looked comfortable. 

Willett finished T11 in 2021, T16 in 2022 and T19 last year, giving him a remarkably consistent record around the Brabazon. He hasn't played competitively for over a month, which obviously adds an element of uncertainty, but perhaps that's exactly what we want from a player at this price. Hopefully the time away has left him fully refreshed and fit, and a return to familiar surroundings can bring out something close to his best.

It's a long shot, there's no getting away from that, but a former Masters champion at a course where he has three straight top-20 finishes is certainly worth a roll of the dice. Could he spring one of the biggest surprises of the season? I certainly hope so.