The PGA Tour’s 2026 regular season will conclude at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta with the finale of the FedEx Cup playoffs. The top 30 golfers in the FedEx Cup standings will compete for $40 million, with $10 million to the winner.

For the second consecutive year, there will be no starting-stroke advantage based on the FedEx Cup standings, an effort to make the season-ending tournament more compelling and competitive. All 30 players will begin the 72-hole stroke-play tournament at even par. The player with the lowest score after 72 holes will win the FedEx Cup, along with a bonus and a five-year PGA Tour exemption.

The oldest golf course in Atlanta, East Lake, is an urban track that was the home course of the legendary golfer Bobby Jones. In 2023, it underwent a complete restoration under the guidance of noted architect Andrew Green. Even with substantial changes that emphasize its classical characteristics, East Lake remains a lush parkland layout with narrow fairways, difficult Bermuda rough, uneven lies, and fast greens.

With numerous holes presenting strategic choices, the course is regarded as a classic ‘risk-reward’ layout. Over the last few years, it has become one of the easier courses in the annual rotation averaging -1.62 strokes per round over the last five years. It has been the permanent home of the Tour Championship since 2004, and it has been held at East Lake 24 times since 1998.

Scottie Scheffler enters as the FedExCup leader for the fifth consecutive year and is joined by a strong group that includes Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark, Collin Morikawa and Tommy Fleetwood.

Here are my favorite plays and fades in each price range for DraftKings contests for the 2026 Tour Championship.

Play: Rory McIlroy, $11,000

After a strong bounce-back performance at last week’s BMW Championship, where McIlroy remained in contention deep into Sunday despite admitting he still wasn’t at his best, he arrives at East Lake with an outstanding track record. Since 2016, he has three wins and four additional top-10 finishes here. Much like Bellerive, East Lake plays directly into his strengths, rewarding length off the tee and elite long-iron play. The putter also appears to be trending in the right direction after he gained 3.5 strokes on the greens last week. That’s particularly encouraging at a venue where he has historically putted well, gaining strokes on the greens in six of his last seven starts.

Burns had a disappointing T-28 last week, losing strokes in every area except approach. That won’t stop me from going right back to him this week, with the stakes even higher. Burns has proven throughout the year that he can contend against the strongest fields on tour. Per the Rabbit Hole, he ranks second in the field in strokes-gained in tournaments with very strong fields, gaining 1.81 strokes per round. His elite ball-striking paired with a strong putter is a combination I’m very confident in at just $9,200.

Fade: Ludvig Aberg, $9,700

Even with his best putting week of the year, Aberg still managed to lose strokes both off the tee and on approach for the first time since the 2025 PGA Championship. There always seems to be one round where he completely loses it. Last week, that came in Round 2, when he lost 1.86 strokes to the field. The week before in Memphis, it happened Saturday, when he lost a staggering 4.29 strokes. While he has the upside to contend any week, I need much more round-to-round consistency at this salary.

Play: Collin Morikawa, $8,100

Morikawa enters East Lake in excellent form, and East Lake sets up perfectly for him to keep it rolling. He’s coming off a T-4 at the BMW Championship, where he gained over five strokes ball-striking, and returns to a venue where he’s finished inside the top six in three of six appearances, including a runner-up finish two years ago. The two-time major champion has also recorded seven top-10 finishes this season and leads the tour in SG/approach.

East Lake’s long par-70 layout will place a premium on driving accuracy, particularly with the penalty for missed fairways and difficult Bermuda rough. That plays directly into Morikawa’s strengths, as his precision off the tee and elite iron play should help him avoid the trouble and consistently give himself scoring opportunities. He also ranks second in the field in Par 4 birdie-or-better percentage.

The best part is that his recent form isn’t limited to his ball-striking. Morikawa has gained strokes putting in six of his last seven starts, giving him a more complete profile heading into the final event of the season. With his game trending in the right direction, a strong history at East Lake, and a skill set that fits the course, Morikawa is my favorite value play on the board.

Play: Russell Henley, $7,500

Henley has consistently delivered at East Lake, posting three top-four finishes in four career appearances. He’s also shown just how low he can go here, firing rounds of 62 and 61 over the past two seasons. That recent course success carries into this week, as Henley has recorded four top-20 finishes in his last five starts, including a T-12 at last week’s BMW Championship.

A major strength of Henley’s game is his accuracy off the tee, as he leads the tour in driving accuracy while also ranking inside the top five in Bogey Avoidance. His history at East Lake is particularly impressive, with a 27.8 percent birdie-or-better rate over the last five years, third-best in the field. He also ranks second only to Schauffele in strokes gained per round at this venue.

With eight T-13-or-better finishes already this season and his strong combination of course history, accuracy, and scoring ability, Henley offers tremendous upside at his current salary and, like Morikawa, looks significantly underpriced.

With his length off the tee and long-iron play, Scott is another great fit for East Lake. He’s gained ball-striking in each of his last starts that began with a T-9 at the Open Championship, followed by consecutive top 20s in the first two rounds of the playoffs. He has finished inside the top eight in three of his four starts here and should be in the mix if his putter cooperates.