The Tour Championship and FedEx Cup could come down to one tee shot and a putt or two on Sunday.
East Lake Golf Club finishes with a 235-yard par-3 featuring deep bunkers left and right. It’s rare for any course to end with a par-3, nevermind a significant championship in golf. It’s a difficult test, however.
The hole has the potential for some volatility. Dustin Johnson hit a 4-iron into the green in each of the first two rounds. His first Thursday hit a hospitality tent, his second was 9 feet from the pin. He managed to make par on both. Jim Furyk got up and down for par from a bunker to win the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup last year.
There are different opinions on ending with a par-3. Johnson and Justin Rose offered a couple.
Said Rose: “It's one shot. You stand up on that last hole, you're so close to winning, one swing away, and I think that's the fun thing about a par-3. A par-5 or a par-4, you're two or three shots away, whereas you can put it away with one good final swing. I think that's fun for people to watch. The spectators around 18 get to see the whole hole and really feel the situation.”
Said Johnson: “It's a good hole. It's long, it's hard to hit the green. It's a tough hole. It's a good, hard par-3. You've got 16, 17 and 18 are pretty tough holes.
“They could switch these nines around and it would be a great finish, finishing on 9. Finishing on 9 with the par-5, maybe it would be a lot more exciting. You've got guys where you can reach the green, making eagles, or to come from one or two back to tie or win. I think that definitely makes for a little more excitement.”
