There’s an $18million payday awaiting the winner of this week’s Tour Championship, and while there are plenty of big names set to do battle after the East Lake field was confirmed, there’s plenty of stars who will be watching from the sidelines for one reason or another.
Injury has ruled out some, while loss of form has seen others fail to qualify. And of course, those that have signed to LIV Golf have been deemed ineligible and will not be playing. The top 125 finishers in the FedEx eligibility list, which replaced the Fedex standings and removed all LIV players, qualified for the St Jude Championship. The top 70 after that headed to last week’s BMW Championship, with the top 30 making it to the Tour Championship.
A whole raft of Major winners will be missing from the field. In the five years from 2016-2020, there were 15 Majors played, but only three of the winners will play this week at East Lake. Those that have qualified are guaranteed $500,000, even if they finish 30th this week, making it even more painful for those on the outside looking in.
1. Tiger Woods
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The biggest name in golf for more than 20 years, and while he’s not quite the force he once was, Tiger Woods is still a name golf fans like to see in any event. He is one of those recent Major winners not playing, the 2019 Masters being the last of his 15 Major wins. Tiger has struggled to regain full fitness following his serious car crash last February, and lack of playing time saw him finish way down in 213th on the FedEx eligibility list.
2. Will Zalatoris
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After a stellar season, Zalatoris was set to start to start the Tour Championship in third place at 7-under-par, but injury has forced him to pull out. He was actually leading the standings going into the BMW Championship, having won his maiden PGA Tour event a week earlier, the FedEx St Jude Championship, but he had to retire from that event and has confirmed his absence from the Tour Championship and Presidents Cup with herniated discs.
3. Shane Lowry
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