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PGA Tour Championship Final Day Preview

Kevin McAllister |
September 22, 2013 | 11:01 a.m. PDT

Staff Writer

Henrik Stenson has the best chance to win. (Keith Allison/Creative Commons)
Henrik Stenson has the best chance to win. (Keith Allison/Creative Commons)
At this very moment, the fat lady is warming up those omnipotent pipes of hers. After a long season on the PGA Tour, only the last day of the last event remains. The Green Jacket, Wannamaker Trophy, Claret Jug and U.S. Open Championship Trophy all have owners, but the FedEx Cup is still yet to be engraved, and the $10 million-dollar prize that goes along with it is begging to be claimed. Through 54 holes, East Lake has shown the crowd that nothing is easy, and no golfer's fate is guaranteed. Heading into the final round, the tournament has provided its frontrunners. But with only 18 holes remaining, nearly anything could happen. 

Henrik Stenson (-11)

Stenson, who starts the day at -11, is in the best position to claim the Tour Championship and with it, the FedEx Cup. After a disappointing finish at the BMW, Stenson entered the tournament second in FedEx Cup standings, yet he remains but a few points behind. Despite his poor play in last week's tournament, Stenson came out swinging on Thursday, shooting an impressive 64 and setting the bar for the other 29 contenders. Stenson has dropped a few shots every round since the first, but still finished up Saturday's round with a one-under 69. Right now Stenson is in the driver’s seat, leading by 4 strokes heading into Sunday. But if Stenson has a little bit of Greg Norman in him, the championship could take on a whole new persona. 

Steve Stricker (-5)

The next-most-likely candidate to take home the FedEx Cup is Steve Stricker. Even though Dustin Johnson is currently in second place in the Tour Championship standings, he entered the tournament in 30th and a lot needs to happen for him to rise to claim the grand prize. Stricker, on the other hand, is the next closest to deciding his own fate. It comes down to one simple concept: Despite being down six strokes, Stricker needs to win. Is it likely? No. Is it possible? Absolutely. In fact, Stenson already showed him that a 64 is possible. In addition to winning, Stricker needs to hope that Tiger Woods doesn't finish tied for second. Considering Tiger has channeled his inner Charles Barkley this weekend and sits tied for 27th, that shouldn't be too much of an issue. If Stricker wins though, the FedEx Cup will need to be re-evaluated since Stricker has yet to win an event on the tour this year. 

Zach Johnson (-4)

Coming off a win at the BMW, Zach Johnson was the hottest player of those who controlled their own fates entering the tournament. Now, tied for fourth, he only has an outside shot of taking home the prize. The win at the BMW was Johnson's first win of the tour, but a late win is better than a season without one. Johnson's path to victory is even easier than Stricker's, except for the fact that he will need to play unbelievably. If Johnson can somehow make up the 8-stroke deficit which stands ahead of him, he will win the cup. But as long as Stenson remains in first, Johnson will go home with no hardware.

Justin Rose (-4)

The last player with a remote chance to take home the FedEx cup is the 2013 U.S. Open Champion. Like everyone except Stenson above him on this list, Rose needs to win the Tour Championship. Unfortunately for Rose though, just a win isn't going to cut it. If Rose is to take home the cup, a number of scenarios have to play out. The good news for Rose is through that all of them except one are already happening. Adam Scott, who was a front-runner entering the tournament, needs to finish tied for second or worse, and he currently is tied for tenth. Tiger needs to finish tied for third or worse, and he couldn't even see third with the Hubble Telescope. Zach Johnson would need to finish second or worse, and he is currently in fourth place. The only condition that isn't met for Rose is Stenson will need to finish third or worse, and the way he has been playing, that doesn't seem likely.

18 holes remain, but it is Henrik Stenson's tournament for the taking. Leading by four strokes over Dustin Johnson and six over Steve Stricker, it seems as if Stenson will be the next FedEx Cup champion. With that in mind, the memory of Stenson's Masters meltdown is not too distant, and as the public saw then, one hole can change the whole course of a tournament.

Reach Kevin McAllister here. Follow him on Twitter here.


 

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