Brooks Koepka Given Best Odds to Win Tour Championship Ahead of 3rd Round
By Chris Amberley in Golf
Updated: April 1, 2020 at 1:50 pm EDTPublished:
- Brooks Koepka has a one stroke lead after 36 holes at the Tour Championship
- Justin Thomas and Rory McIIroy are one stroke back, while 2017 winner Xander Schauffele is two shots off the pace
- See the live updated odds entering Round 3 at the Tour Championship
The final event of the 2018-19 PGA Tour season has reached the halfway point, and the game’s most dominant player is atop the leaderboard at the Tour Championship.
Leaderboard update @PlayoffFinale after 36 holes:
1. @BKoepka (-13)
T2. @JustinThomas34 (-12)@McIlroyRory
4. @XSchauffele (-11)
5. @Paul_Casey (-9)
6. Patrick Cantlay (-7)
T7. Chez Reavie (-6)@PReedGolf
Matt Kuchar#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/8CzkcR3er6— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 23, 2019
Four-time major winner and world number one Brooks Koepka takes a one stroke lead into Round 3 at East Lake, but Rory McIIroy and pre-tournament favorite Justin Thomas are right on his tail.
Live Tour Championship Odds
| Golfer | Position | Score | Rounds | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooks Koepka | 1 | -13 | 67, 67 | +150 |
| Rory Mcllroy | T-2 | -12 | 66, 67 | +250 |
| Justin Thomas | T-2 | -12 | 70, 68 | +400 |
| Xander Schauffele | 4 | -11 | 64, 69 | +600 |
| Paul Casey | 5 | -9 | 66, 67 | +1600 |
| Patrick Cantlay | 6 | -7 | 70, 71 | +3300 |
| Chez Reavie | T-7 | -6 | 71, 64 | +15000 |
| Patrick Reed | T-7 | -6 | 70, 70 | +15000 |
| Matt Kuchar | T-7 | -6 | 66, 72 | +15000 |
| Adam Scott | 10 | -5 | 67, 66 | +15000 |
*Odds taken August 23 at 9pm EST.
Top of the Board
It’s impossible not to love Koepka in this spot. Sure, it would have been nice to jump on him pre-tournament at +500, but no player in the field performs better when the pressure is on than Brooks.
Nobody is taking the conservative route on No. 18.
That includes @BKoepka.
What an approach at the last. pic.twitter.com/Fg1weN5SsX
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 23, 2019
His last five results in the Majors and WGC’s, aka the richest purses on Tour, are: 2nd, 1st, 2nd, 4th and 1st. Now that an extra $15 million is on the line this week, his game looks ultra sharp and he ranks in the top five of the field in ball striking, putting and strokes gained tee to green through 36 holes.
Another tie at the top.@BKoepka gets to -12 after he birdies the 7th. pic.twitter.com/PELknKR1Lk
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 23, 2019
You won’t get rich betting Koepka at +150 but I’m actually surprised his odds are not shorter. East Lake is one of most difficult courses on Tour and the way the new FedEx Cup format is set up there’s only a handful of players who even have a shot at winning the title. If I had to back only player over the weekend, Brooks would definitely be the guy.
Don’t Sleep on Schauffele
If passing on Brooks, I’m skipping Rory and JT and moving down to Xander at +600. This guy eats up smaller field events and has two top-7 finishes at East Lake, including a win in 2017, in his only two appearances.
.@XSchauffele hasn’t carded an over-par round at East Lake.
He needed a birdie at 18 today to continue that…
… but why not finish with an eagle?#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/eL188ebCwz
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 23, 2019
Three of his four career victories have come at no-cut events, and his stats are off the charts through two rounds. Schauffele is first in ball striking, second in approach and third in strokes gained off the tee.
Favorite Live Value Picks at the Tour Championship
- Paul Casey (+1600): The ball striking is always lights out, but he’s actually enjoying a rare good putting week through 36 holes. He leads the field in total strokes gained and ranks second in birdies and third in greens in regulation.
- Patrick Cantlay (+3300): He’s gained nearly five strokes on approach through two rounds but has lost 3.3 strokes on the greens. If his putting regresses back to his season average he could go real low this weekend.
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
