Tour Championship tips and predictions

The Punter's Preview: More East Lake success for Rory?

Steve Rawlings: My sole selection before the off is the East Lake specialist, Rory McIlroy.

The world number two will be disappointed by his finish at the BMW Championship on Sunday, when he played his last seven holes in one-over-par, after he'd traded at odds-on to win, but that near miss may just give him the motivation to claim his fourth Tour Championship and his fourth victory at East Lake in 11 years.

I was more than happy to back him at odds in excess of 10/111.00.

Each-way Picks: Back Morikawa to shine

Dave Tindall: Starting strokes meant Collin Morikawa didn't win the 2024 Tour Championship. He had to give Scheffler six shots and could only narrow the gap to four despite shooting 18-under for the week.

The year before, Morikawa opened 61-64 at East Lake to lead by five. That beat Tiger Woods' record 36-hole total by two. The problem was, he was trying to wipe out a nine-shot deficit that week and he completely ran out of gas on the weekend.

But the two-time major winner clearly loves this layout (he also opened with a 64 last year) and has the form to throw in a huge challenge this week.

After looking a little rusty at St. Jude following a month off, he really clicked into gear at the BMW Championship last week, shooting 68-65-67-68 to finish fourth. His ball-striking was strong, as you'd expect, but it was worth noting that he gained strokes on the greens for the sixth time in seven events.

At East Lake, he's ranked in the top five for Approach in each of the last four editions so, add in the greater driving accuracy he has compared to some of his rivals, and everything looks in place for him to shine here again.

First Round Leader Picks: Former winner fancied to start well

Dave Tindall: Adam Scott scraped through to East Lake in 28th spot but now he's here the Aussie can make a mark.

Scott won the Tour Championship way back in 2005 but he also shot the fifth best 72-hole score in two of his last three visits (2019 and 2024). It's a course he clearly gets on with.

As for fast starts, he opened with a 66 to sit second after the opening lap in 2024 while he's been in the top five following round one on five different occasions.

Two tournaments ago, Scott started out with a 66 (sixth after R1) at St Jude where he posted 12th while a closing 67 at the BMW Championship on Sunday put him 16th.

He's in the second group out alongside fellow veteran Justin Rose at 11:12.

Course and current form stats

Current form pick: Wyndham Clark's victory at the BMW Championship, following a T5 at the St Jude, came two months after he won the US Open. Clark is having an excellent season and another tournament win should not be ruled out.

British Masters tips and predictions

The Punter's Preview: In-form Jordan the sole selection

Steve Rawlings: I'm being cautious and chancing just one before the off, the bang-in-form Englishman, Matthew Jordan.

Jordan arrives at the Belfrey in fine form having finished runner-up to Winther in Denmark and to Jamieson last week and it's his tee-to-green game that's seen him contend so strongly.

Jordan, who turned 30 in January, ranked sixth for Greens In Regulation and second for Strokes Gained: Tee-to Green in Denmark and 15^th and third for those two metrics in Scotland.

His Belfry numbers reading 19-MC-MC-34-66-33 are only ordinary but he sat fourth at halfway in his first visit back in 2020 and he was in eighth place after round one three years ago, so he's played better here than his form figures suggest.

Fine Me a 100 Winner Pick: Winther can end summer in style

Steve Rawling: Since the British Masters returned to the Belfry in 2021, elite approach play has been the key to success with Greens In Regulation and Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green being the two metrics to concentrate on so the fact that Jeff Winther has ranked eighth, 17^th and third for SG: Tee-to-Green in his last three starts bodes very well.

He also topped the GIR rankings when coming from off the pace to win in his homeland last time out in the Danish Golf Championship.

Winther withdrew from this event in 2021, and he missed the cut in 2022, but in his last three visits he's finished eighth, 33^rd and 41^st so he's shown an aptitude for the venue.

It's never easy to win back-to-back events and Winther is an in-and-out performer but after winning in his homeland at the age of 38, securing his playing privileges on the DP World Tour for another couple of years, he's likely to be very happy and relaxed this week and he might just cause another surprise.

Place order to lay 8 Us @ 10.09/1 and 12 Us @ 2.01/1

Course and current form stats

Current Form: Englishman Andy Sullivan could give the Belfry crowd something to cheer. Sullivan arrives off the back of a third-place finish last week north of the border. He was fifth here 12 months ago.

Get in-play golf betting updates this weekend from The Punter