September 2-5, 2021
Location & Course Information
East Lake Golf Club,
Atlanta, Ga.
Tom Bendelow’s 1908 design gave way to a complete overhaul just five years later by Donald Ross, which is the configuration where Bobby Jones learned to play the game. George Cobb did a renovation prior to the 1963 Ryder Cup and Rees Jones restored the Ross layout in 1994. Yardage: 7,346; par 70
Notable Course Features
The reversal of nines from the way East Lake plays for members makes for exciting finishes on the tournament 18th. Listed at 590 yards, with an approach played over water, the par 5 is often set up around 570 yards to encourage players to go for the green
in two shots.
2020 Champion
Dustin Johnson, U.S.
Quick Facts
Field: 30 players
Format: 72 holes, FedExCup Starting Strokes scoring system
Purse:
$60 million (FedExCup Bonus)
Winner’s Share: $15 million
Charity Benefit
The TOUR Championship’s beneficiaries are East Lake Foundation, Grove Park Foundation, Purpose Built Schools Atlanta and First Tee of Metro Atlanta. With support of partners Coca-Cola and Southern Company, the event has raised more than $37 million for local nonprofits since 1998. Despite having no spectators, the tournament donated a record $3.56 million in 2020 thanks to special initiatives.
Media Coverage
Golf Channel/NBC
Social Media
@playofffinale
@playofffinale
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HOW DUSTIN JOHNSON WON in 2020
Dustin Johnson built a five-stroke lead with a third-round 64, but was pressed in the final round before emerging with the victory.
Closest pursuers Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas both shot 66s in the Labor Day finish; Johnson held them off with a 68 to win by three. Johnson started strong with birdies on three of the first six holes, but fell back with bogeys on Nos. 7 and 8. Schauffele and Thomas each got within two strokes during the back nine. A key for Johnson was holing a 21-foot par putt on the 13th, where Schauffele bogeyed to fall three behind. Johnson followed with four straight pars and then a birdie at the 18th for a final score of 21-under, including FedExCup Starting Strokes of 10-under as the points leader entering the tournament. Johnson had two victories in the three 2020 FedExCup Playoff events and lost a playoff in the other one.
Johnson won despite ranking 28th of 30 in hitting fairways (24 of 56), including just two of 14 in the second round. He was second in Driving Distance, enabling him to rank seventh in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee.
Johnson made five putts of longer than 20 feet during the week, and also holed a 24-footer from off the green.
Johnson ranked fourth in Strokes Gained: Around the Green at .641 per round, while his short game helped him play the eight par-5s in 6-under, with five of the six birdies coming on up-and-downs from around the green.
Check this out
The FedExCup Starting Strokes scoring system gives the No. 1 player in the FedExCup standings a 10-under par starting score, descending to the Nos. 26-30 players at even par.
Dustin Johnson’s first win in the TOUR Championship was his sixth in the FedExCup Playoffs, the most of any player. He also has the most top-fives (13) and top-10s (21) in the Playoffs, which began in 2007. Rory McIlroy is next in FedExCup Playoff victories with five.
Johnson held at least a share of the 54-hole lead for his fourth straight tournament, dating to the PGA Championship.
Xander Schauffele had the best cumulative four-round total at 15-under par, but he started seven strokes behind FedExCup points leader Johnson at East Lake in Starting Strokes.
Schauffele has played all 16 career rounds at East Lake in par or better, and finished second for the second straight year. He won the TOUR Championship in 2017.
