TOUR Championship Preview: That's a Good Berger

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Updated on September 21, 2016 7:01PM EST

The TOUR Championship -- the culmination of 12 months of golf, where only the best come to play. In that aspect, it's like the Super Bowl. The field whittles down in the preceding weeks, only the best survive and the finale is the last time we'll see this sport for seven long months...uh, well, in the case of the PGA Tour, seven days between seasons is more accurate, but you get the point. The TOUR Championship will put a period at the end of what was a pretty crazy season. Twelve months ago, Jordan Spieth put an exclamation point on what was an incredible season, but he wasn't alone. Jason Day also had an amazing campaign and at season's end, it was clear that there were three golfers ahead of the pack. The funny thing is though, none of the "Big 3" captured a major this season. In fact, the "Big 3" turned into the "Big 4," and heading into the season finale, the fourth member is now the best player in the world. Dustin Johnson's talent was never in question, but everything else seemingly was. Whether it was questions surrounding his drive or his inability to close when the pressure was on, Johnson remained on the outside looking-in when the discussion of best golfers on the planet came up. That is no longer the case however as Johnson not only grabbed his first major this season, but he's also well on his way to winning Player of the Year.

Dustin Johnson

The last time this event was held here was 2004, so course history isn't relevant. With that in mind, it's all about how you are playing right now. Unfortunately for DJ, and some others, the week off couldn't have come at a worse time. However, DJ has managed to play well the entire season, so I doubt one week-off will slow him down.

Paul Casey

Perhaps the guy who was hurt most by the week off, Casey was rolling as of two weeks ago, but it's hard to tell if he Will be able to pick up where he left off as it's not like he's been a model of consistency this season. With that said, you can't argue with how he's played during the past two events and he proved last year, that this stage is not too big for him.

Jason Day

It was certainly concerning to see Day hauled away on a cart two weeks ago at the BMW Championship, but unlike the first two names on the list, Day can only benefit from the additional time-off. Day is the lone member of the "Big 3" that showed-up for the entire season and I expect another good outing to cap this season.

Daniel Berger

Whether or not the final Ryder Cup spot is truly up for grabs still, Berger could make life very difficult for the captains this week with another good showing. While all the focus will be on Bubba Watson this week, Berger will have a chance to play well in the shadows and build an already impressive resume.

Jordan Spieth

Spieth has undoubtedly failed to live-up to expectations this season, mostly due to one disastrous hole at Augusta, but a win this week could actually salvage the season. Hey, even the best of all-time couldn't win a major every season, but making the most of those major-less seasons adds to the lore.

PLAYERS TO AVOID

Bubba Watson

As we all know, Watson is a unique individual. He's a man who loves and hates the spotlight. Unfortunately for him, he'd rather not be in the spotlight on the golf course. With the Ryder Cup on everyone's mind this week and Watson still on the outside looking in, Watson will garner plenty of attention...which doesn't bode well for his prospects.

Justin Thomas

I mentioned last week that Thomas, while in the midst of a solid season, is still extremely hard to predict and nothing has changes entering this week. Thomas ranks 12th in FedExCup points entering this week, but he doesn't have the consistency you'd expect from someone ranked that high.

Sean O'Hair

No matter the outcome this week, the 2015-2016 season will be an unquestioned success for O'Hair as he will tee it up at the TOUR Championship for the first time since 2009. That's the good news. The bad news is, hasn't played very well the past two events and unless he turns it around in a major way, he'll end up at the bottom of the pack this week.

Si Woo Kim

Kim could have phoned it in after picking up his first win last month, but he's continued to play well since then and looks like a legit golfer at this point. That being said, this is the TOUR Championship and the stakes are a little higher than he's used to. Hey, there are only 30 guys in the field this week, it's not exactly easy to find a good reason why five golfers won't play well.

Jhonattan Vegas

Again, 30 players in the field, so the reasoning behind the guys on this list could be considered a reach. With that in mind, Vegas will put a period on his most complete season this week at East Lake, but he's still got a ways to go in the consistency department. With that, expect Vegas to finish in the bottom half of the pack this week.

ONE AND DONE GOLFER

Last week: Ryan Moore (T64) - $17,935; Season - $9,621,067

This week: J.B. Holmes - Holmes hit a rough patch in August, but has since righted the ship. He was actually in a great spot to win at the BMW Championship, but faltered on Sunday. Final-round fade notwithstanding, Holmes should play well this week and once again contend.

YAHOO PICKS

Points: 5045
Rank: 17,070

This Week:

Group A: Jason Day, Dustin Johnson

Group B: J.B. Holmes, Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, Brandt Snedeker

Group C: Paul Casey, Daniel Berger

SURVIVOR PICK

Last week: N/A - N/A (NA); Streak - 2

This week: N/A - N/A