East Lakes GC, originally designed by Donald Ross, redesigned by Rees Jones © Rees Jones
Phil Mickelson 12/1 © Kevin Murray
East Lake Golf Club is the home course of legendary amateur golfer Bobby Jones and has held some major golf tournaments including the Ryder Cup in 1963 and the US Amateur in 2001 and is now the permanent home to the Tour Championship since 2005.
The club motto is “Golf with a Purpose” and working with the local community, all profits from the club, as well as charitable donations from the club’s corporate membership support the East Lake Foundation. Helping Atlanta’s East Lake residents by giving them opportunities to build a better future through education for children and adults, affordable housing, job readiness and connections with the broader community.
Established in 1904, East Lake is the oldest golf course in Atlanta. Originally designed by Tom Bendelow, but completely reworked by Donald Ross in 1913. In 1994, Rees Jones restored Donald Ross’ original golf course layout, which now measures 7,374 yards.
The signature hole at the 168-yard, par 3 6th plays from an elevated tee to a diagonally angled peninsula green. This green existed on the original Tom Bendelow course where it served as the green at the par 5 16th and was at the time, one of the first island greens in America.
As there is a limited field this week I will only pick one to win, one each-way and one outside bet.
Louis Oosthuizen 22/1
My pick to win:
I must admit I do feel Rory McIlroy 9/2 could pull off three in a row and take the championship, but at those the bookies are not giving much away, so I am going for Phil Mickelson 12/1. It seems the divorce between Phil and his driver has been put on the back burner after their love in at the BMW Championship and when he puts the ball in play from the tee, there are not to many better players at building a score.
My each way pick:
I know I am repeating myself here, but I have to stick with Louis Oosthuizen 22/1. I have had a feeling all year that he was going to win a big tournament and just missing out on the Masters and the Deutsche Bank Championship, I think it could be the South Africans week.
My outside pick:
Has to be John Senden 66/1 I have picked John a couple of times this season, he has eleven Top 25 finishes this season, with five of those being Top 10s and the Australian may just come good this week.
For updated betting odds during the tournament go to planetgolfreview.com
