East Lakes GC, originally designed by Donald Ross, redesigned by Rees Jones © Rees Jones
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.
Picks to the win:
1st in Scoring averages © Kevin Murray
Another gutsy performance for Luke Donald 6/1 at the BMW Championship, after shooting an opening round of 75, he hit back with rounds of 66, 67 and 68 to get back to forth place. Anyone who’s in first place for scoring average, second place for putting averages and forth place for birdie averages has got to be worth a punt.
Anyone who plays for Steve Williams!! Adam Scott 14/1 had a good finish to the BMW Championship shooting a final round 68 to move seventeen places, but with 13 cuts made his been in the Top 25 nine times and the Top 10 six times, so look for Adam to have a big finish here.
Geoff Ogilvy back in the groove after his early season injury © Kevin Murray
Its not been the greatest of seasons for Geoff Ogilvy 20/1, but now he has recovered from his injury he seems to be getting back to somewhere near his best. Four rounds in the 60s at the BMW Championship to finish third to go with his forth place at the Canadian Open could see Geoff in the thick of it come Sunday.
Each-way bets:
Everyone remembers the 15th at this year’s USPGA Championship, but up until that one bad swing Jason Dufner 40/1 looked the epitome of composure. Jason has had six Top 10 finishes this year including his sixth place at last weeks BMW Championship. He would love to finish the FedEx with a bang and make a point that one bad swing doesn’t define him.
After his fifth place finish at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Chez Reavie 40/1 has started to play his best golf of the season. With another fifth place and six other Top 25 places with a second and eighth place finish in the last two tournaments, Chez could well be the surprise package this week.
YE Yang 40/1 has only shot a score in the 60s in his final round twice this year, back in the early part of the season, but has had seven opening rounds in the 60s and with the field only consisting of thirty players and everything to go for, I can see YE playing well this week.
