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Tour Championship 2019: Revamped format and $15 million jackpot sure to deliver thrills in golf’s answer to Super Bowl | The Independent

“It’s going to be weird,” Justin Thomas proclaimed in anticipation of this week’s Tour Championship as the PGA Tour roll out their latest attempt at golf’s answer to the Super Bowl. That’s because Thomas, fresh from winning the BMW Championship, now leads the FedEx Cup standings, the Tour’s cumulative year-long points leader board, to take a two-shot lead into Thursday’s play-off finale. Last year we had the baffling situation of two winners with Tiger Woods winning the tournament, but Justin Rose prevailing in the FedEx Cup to pocket the obscene $10 million (£8.2m) bonus. Innovation is vital at a time when golf is struggling to attract and keep fans. So while this year’s staggered handicap system, merging the two competitions together, is not perfect, it is certainly less perplexing for viewers.From extras.The PGA Tour has even cranked up the winner’s prize to $15m (£12.35m) this year for the player who emerges from this 30-strong field. That sum alone would place you 122nd in the all-time career earnings list, topping Greg Norman, who spent 331 weeks as the game’s best player. Second place on Sunday will land $5m (£4.1m), which presents this tantalising prospect: a putt on the 72nd hole worth $10m (£8.25m) and perhaps the closest example sport might ever find to clutch. Dead last week incidentally brings home $395,000 (£325,000), so any niggling injury should disappear a little quicker than it might usually.