The first FedEx Cup playoff event will be played at Liberty National in New Jersey. The course was designed by Bob Cupp and Tom Kite in 2006 and has stunning views of the Manhattan skyline. It also has very narrow fairways, small bentgrass greens, and runs firm and fast.

Liberty National hosted this event back in 2019. The winner was Patrick Reed, whose excellent short game was on display that week. The top-10 included players you would expect to see in the final leaderboard of a major championship – except for, perhaps Harold Varner III, who was T3.

The cream will likely rise to the top this week with several top-ranked players in good form.

Who should win? – Jon Rahm 10/1

Despite two bouts with Covid-19 which caused him to miss out on a Memorial win – he had a 6 shot lead after 3 rounds – and the Olympics, Rahm has been the dominant player on Tour this season. A FedEx Cup win would top off his extraordinary year and cement Player of the Year honors.

Who could win? – Collin Morikawa 18/1, Jordan Spieth 16/1, Xander Schauffele 22/1, Dustin Johnson 18/1

Morikawa can not be discounted to win any tournament – he’s that good and he’s very confident. Spieth has his old swagger back and even if he’s missing greens, he can still save par with the best of them. Schauffele is a wonderful golfer who may have gotten the “big tournament” monkey off his back with his gold medal. DJ is the defending champion, albeit on a different golf course. His B+ game is good enough to win most tournaments.

Some others – with long odds – to consider – Adam Scott 40/1, Abraham Ancer 35/1, Viktor Hovland 35/1, Kevin Kisner 80/1

Scott has got to be still seething over that missed putt in Sunday’s playoff. He seems to be back playing well after a long period of mediocrity. Ancer recently won after serial contention. The lid may be off and he could become a consistent winner. Hovland is due to win a big one. Kisner won the playoff last week and at 80/1 – worth putting a few quid on the nose.

Who will win? – Bryson DeChambeau 25/1

This pick seems counterintuitive given his past couple of late 4th round meltdowns. And this golf course with tight fairways and small greens may not play to his strengths….but here’s the thing: Bryson is a smart guy who puts a lot of thought into his game and his game plan. I fully expect that BDC was off at the golf range/laboratory working out the kinks and will be in prime contention this week.