Steve Palmer's Tour Championship first-round preview and free golf betting tips

Where to watch the Tour Championship

Sky Sports Golf, 5pm Thursday

Best bets

Xander Schauffele to win 5.43pm twoball
4pts 4-5 general

Sungjae Im top Korean
3pts 11-8 general

Xander Schauffele top American
1pt each-way 14-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

Rory McIlroy first-round leader
1pt each-way 5-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

Tour Championship first-round preview

Xander Schauffele has a long love affair with East Lake Golf Club – it is one of his favourite courses on the planet – and there is every reason to believe the Californian ace will boss his Tour Championship first-round twoball.

Schauffele has played in this tournament six times and has never performed badly. He won the 2017 edition, then was seventh the following year, before the Tour Championship's handicap system was introduced.

In 2019, only one player outscored Schauffele over 72 holes, then in 2020 he was the lowest 72-hole scorer. Only two players outscored him in 2021, then only five last year. Schauffele is made for the East Lake assignment and his six opening rounds in the Tour Championship have been 69, 68, 64, 67, 68, 66.

Given Schauffele's long and remarkable East Lake record, it is surprising that he can be backed at only a shade of odds-on to defeat a debutant. Tom Kim is obviously a great talent with a bright future, but Schauffele's course experience makes him a strong investment for the 5.43pm (UK and Ireland time) contest.

This is the world number six against the world number 16. Consistent Schauffele edged Kim in the BMW Championship last week and there should be an even bigger gap between them this week. Handicap starts do not count for twoball betting purposes.

Kim's lack of course knowledge also counts against him in the top Korean market. Sungjae Im can be much preferred. Im, who is based in Atlanta and will consider the Tour Championship a home game, has rediscovered his A-game in recent weeks.

A share of 14th place in the Wyndham Championship was followed by sixth in the St Jude Championship and seventh in the BMW. Im is back in form and teeing up at a track where he was the second-best scorer last year. Only Rory McIlroy played better than Im in last year's Tour Championship.

Schauffele is also worth an interest in the top American market, which includes the handicaps. If Scottie Scheffler falters, which seems entirely feasible given how frustrated he has become with his putting, Schauffele can catch him.

Schauffele is only two shots behind the second-highest American on the starting grid (Lucas Glover) and each-way terms of a quarter the odds the first three places are available. Getting those terms and 14-1 is a fantastic package about an East Lake beast.

McIlroy is worth backing at 5-1 for first-round leader. The defending champion has an awesome East Lake record and is well capable of reeling in Scheffler immediately.

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