What is the format of the Tour Championship? Explaining the PGA Tour's season finale at East Lake

The PGA Tour heads to East Lake for the season-ending Tour Championship.

World No.1 Scottie Scheffler is the favourite to be crowned the FedEx Cup champion, followed by Masters winner Rory McIlroy. 

This year, things are a little bit different. Before 2019, the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup were technically separate.

The Tour Championship was a normal 72-hole event, whereas the winner of the FedEx Cup was determined by which player had amassed the most points over a single season. 

Presumably to keep the title sponsor happy, the PGA Tour decided to adopt a 'starting strokes' format at the Tour Championship. 

It saw golfers at the tournament begin with a head start based on their FedEx Cup standing. 

The aforementioned Scheffler began last year's finale on 10-under, with the player in second starting on eight-under and so forth. 

Some felt the format was confusing and less exciting. Even Scheffler was among a cohort of players that widely criticised it.

"I talked about it the last few years, I think it's silly. You can't call it a season-long race and have it come down to one tournament." - Scottie Scheffler

What is the current format of the Tour Championship?

The 2025 Tour Championship at East Lake will adopt a 72-hole stroke-play with all 30 competitors starting at even par. 

Under the new format, the player with the lowest total score over four rounds will be crowned the FedEx Cup champion. 

The Tour Championship will be played over 21-24 August. 

Who is playing in the Tour Championship?

The Tour Championship will feature the top 30 players in the FedEx Cup standings at the conclusion of the BMW Championship.

Here's a look at how things stand:

*As of 13 August