(Reuters) – Jon Rahm is not a fan of the FedExCup Playoffs format but the world number one said on Tuesday he would not let that impact his preparation for this week’s season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta where a $15-million prize awaits the winner.
According to Rahm, while the PGA Tour’s decision to move to a staggered scoring system for the finale at East Lake provides clarity compared to the previous method he feels it is not the best way to crown a season-long champion.
“I’m not going to say too much because I know my words are going to be possibly, let’s say, muddled to the extreme and almost make it sound about something different than what I feel, but I’m not the biggest supporter of the full format itself,” the Spaniard told a virtual news conference.
“What I do like is the fact that you understand what’s going on and what’s going to happen and who is on the lead and what you have to do to win, but I don’t agree with every part of the format this week.”
Due to his place in the FedExCup standings after two of the three playoff events, Rahm will begin the week at six under par and four strokes behind American Patrick Cantlay.
But Rahm, who picked up his first career major at this year’s U.S. Open, is confident that he can close that gap while playing on a course where he has managed two top-10 finishes in four appearances.
“This is a ball-striker’s golf course and my ball striking has been very, very good, and I’m only four shots back, so it’s only a one-shot difference each day, and we all know that four shots can be gone very, very quickly,” said Rahm.
“So I’m confident in what can be done. Obviously Patrick has to worry about his own game, but I feel like I’m doing the right things and I’m giving myself a really good chance.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; editing by Clare Fallon)
