The PGA Tour season concludes this week in Atlanta, Georgia with the Tour Championship, where the season-long race for the FedEx Cup will be decided. This year’s field has been trimmed to 30 players, and for the first time since 2018, everyone will begin at even par, rather than with staggered scores based on FedEx Cup standings. Opinions are mixed on this change, especially considering how far ahead Scottie Scheffler is in the rankings, but the tournament promises excitement since every player in the field now enters with an equal chance to capture the FedEx Cup by week’s end.

Entering the FedEx Cup Playoffs, there were 6 Carolinians in the mix, but that number has now been cut in half to 3. Each of them has little to no experience in this event, making it intriguing to see how they’ll perform under the spotlight. Let’s take a look at each player, their current form, and their outlook for this week.

The Golfers

Akshay Bhatia: Getting in by the skin of his teeth, Akshay Bhatia secured the 30th and final spot in the FedEx Cup standings, narrowly edging out Michael Kim for a place in the Tour Championship. Heading into the FedEx Cup Playoffs, it was unclear how things would unfold for Bhatia, especially after he withdrew mid-round in the final event before the postseason. He responded with a blazing start at the St. Jude Championship, finishing in a tie for 6th, and followed that up with a tie for 26th last week—just enough to sneak into this week’s field. Of the Carolinians in the Tour Championship, Bhatia is the only one with prior experience, having finished 26th last season under the staggered-start format. Across his four rounds, he posted scores of 70, 69, 71, and 71, which would have put him at -3 if starting at even par. This year, however, East Lake will be set up as a par 70.

Among the Carolinians in the field, Bhatia holds the second-shortest odds to win at +5000 (per DraftKings). He, along with many others, carries longer odds than usual largely because Scottie Scheffler is playing some of the best golf we’ve ever seen. For bettors seeking more value, Bhatia is currently listed at +200 to finish inside the top 10 (including ties) (per DraftKings). DraftKings also offers a market excluding Scheffler, where Bhatia’s outright odds shorten to +3500—still an excellent number.

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Ben Griffin: Making his first appearance in the Tour Championship, Ben Griffin represents the biggest threat among the Carolinians to contend for the title. He has easily been the most impressive of the group, showing strong consistency throughout the playoffs with a tie for 9th at the St. Jude Championship and a tie for 12th at the BMW Championship. Driving accuracy has historically played a critical role at East Lake Golf Club, yet Griffin ranks just 99th on the PGA Tour at 58.76%, which sits below the tour average. With East Lake’s unpredictable rough and firm greens, any struggles off the tee could make it difficult for him to stay in contention. The positives, however, come from his ball-striking and short game: he ranks 27th in strokes gained approach-to-green at +0.439 per round, well above the tour average, and 23rd in strokes gained putting at +0.336 per round.

From a betting standpoint, Griffin has the shortest odds among the Carolinians to win, currently listed at +3500 (per DraftKings). He also offers good value for a top-10 finish (including ties) at +150, and sits at +2500 to win in markets that exclude Scottie Scheffler. While his lack of experience at East Lake makes him a tougher player to back with confidence, Griffin’s consistency gives him the strongest case out of this group.

Andrew Novak: Another first-timer at the Tour Championship, Andrew Novak enters looking to silence doubters and make a name for himself. He played very well at the St. Jude Championship, finishing in a tie for 6th, but last week’s BMW Championship raises concerns after posting four straight rounds in the 70s and finishing dead last at +20. Driving accuracy has also been an issue, as he ranks 118th on tour with a 57.21% average. The one bright spot in his game is strokes gained total, where he averages +0.400 per round, good for 59th on tour. Novak will need to deliver his absolute best this week if he hopes to have any chance of staying in contention.

Andrew Novak not only has the longest odds among the Carolinians, but the longest odds in the entire field at +12000 (per DraftKings). With only 30 players in the tournament, however, if Novak can put together a solid performance, his top-10 (including ties) odds of +360 offer a much more realistic angle.