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Rahm clear of 'objective' entering Tour Championship

[September 03, 2020] Jon Rahm says he is crystal clear of what it will take to win the Tour Championship and the $15 million first prize that would come from a single weekend of golf in Atlanta, admitting that it will take nothing short of some of the best shot-making he has delivered all season.

Rahm enters Thursday's opening round, after what has been a long and winding 2019-20 season, with a No. 2 ranking in the FedEx Cup standings behind only Dustin Johnson.

It was Rahm and Johnson who put on a show last weekend near Chicago in the second round of the FedEx Cup playoffs that reduced the field to the top 30 for this weekend's final test at East Lake Golf Club. Johnson made a 45-foot putt to force a playoff and Rahm made a 66-footer with a hard-right break to win it on the first playoff hole.

Just like last week at Olympia Fields Country Club, where a demanding course setup was a major part of the story, more of the same awaits the best players in the world. There figures to be no breaks.

"With those Bermuda fairways, Bermuda grass, mainly the Bermuda rough, if you can keep it in the fairway you'll be able to be a lot more aggressive to certain pins, and for the most part, obviously, have a lot more control," Rahm said Wednesday. "It's usually you need to ball strike it good and you need your putting to be on point, as well. So it's kind of like last week."

Rahm would be well-served trying to repeat last week's 4-under-par 66 he shot on Saturday, followed by the 64 on Sunday just to get into the playoff. Now comes East Lake ready to bare its teeth.

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"It's not one of those where you can somehow have a weak spot and win it," Rahm said. "You have to play good all throughout. If you don't happen to hit it that good, that's how much better the putting and chipping needs to be."

Rounding out the top five in the standings and ready to claim the title are Justin Thomas, Webb Simpson and Collin Morikawa. Among those not making the cut for the weekend were No. 46 Bubba Watson, No. 57 Jason Day, No. 63 Tiger Woods and No. 75 Phil Mickelson.

Rory McIlroy was last year's Tour Championship winner, beating out Xander Schauffele. McIlroy is in this year's event, finishing 12th in the standings, while Schauffele finished 14th.

Adding to a difficult course setup will be the expected hot and humid temperatures that Atlanta has to offer this time of the year, as well as the top 30 players who have been grinding most of the summer just to get to this weekend. That doesn't consider the pressure the entire field will be under.

"(The) objective is pretty clear," Rahm said.

--Field Level Media

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