It's the final hand. The chips have all been pushed to the middle of the table and 30 players are all-in as the PGA TOUR returns to Atlanta for the final event of the 2015-2016 season, the TOUR Championship.
It could be a winner-take-all scenario, as every player in the 30-man field has a chance to also capture the season-long FedExCup crown with a TOUR Championship victory.
The PGA Tour has flipped the nines at Eastlake Golf Club this year, setting the stage for a dramatic finish on the new 18th hole, the 600-yard, reachable par-5 (formerly No. 9). One player who is looking forward to the change is the defending champion, Titleist Brand Ambassador Jordan Spieth (Pro V1x), who got off to a slow start but quickly righted the ship, shooting 2-under-par 68 in the first round.
"The nines changing I think it's going to be a pretty cool dynamic, and I'm excited," said Spieth. "The big part of the 18th hole now is just hitting the fairway, and then from there, I like the idea of going for it, trying to put it on that left center of the green, but if you can't quite get it to the green or on the green, there's always a place to leave it that's an easier birdie chance than a full wedge."
Spieth's fellow Titleist Brand Ambassador Justin Thomas (Pro V1x) also opened with a 68. It's the first trip to East Lake for Thomas, who liked what he saw throughout his first go-around on the par-70, 7,385-yard layout.
"It's a great track in pristine condition," Thomas said. "It's all right in front of you. There's no hidden tricks, which I think is fun. We don't play too many courses like that. There's just not that many courses like that left."
At last year's TOUR Championship, East Lake played long and the rough was jungle-like due to steady rain throughout the event. This year the course is fast and dry, which brings many more players into the discussion, including Titleist golf ball loyalist, Kevin Kisner (Pro V1x), who fired a 3-under 67 on Thursday, a shot off the lead.
"I like these conditions when it's firm and fast, and I don't have to hit 4 irons and 3 irons on every hole," said Kisner after his round. "I don't think the conditions were conditions for me to play well last year. The rough is brutal. When you were hitting drives out there, they were splatting. I remember hitting hybrid to the first hole every day last year, and had 160 yards to the hole today. That's a big difference."
By all accounts, the bermuda rough is still East Lake's main defense, but Kisner was quick to add that the TOUR's final event should be a tough test.
"I think for the TOUR Championship, it needs to be brutal. Major championship golf is what I would expect the setup to be."
The major feel is already present here in Atlanta, and as Justin Thomas summed up, making it to the final leg is simply a fun experience.
"I'm not used to a tournament with 30 guys. You're there when everyone tees off and here when everyone finishes. I wish there were more tournaments like this throughout the year. It's a cool feeling, it's a cool atmosphere. You can hear the roars."
The prestigious TOUR Championship crown is at stake as well as the richest prize in golf, with the FedExCup race winner claiming a $10 million bonus.
With so much on the line, players are sure to give it their all, so sit back, enjoy the roars and watch how the chips fall at the exciting conclusion to the 2015-2016 PGA TOUR season!
Good luck to all of #TeamTitleist!
TITLEIST BY THE NUMBERS
Titleist is the top choice at the Tour Championship with 13 players in the field trusting a Titleist Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball for their success, more than three times the nearest competitor with four.
Titleist is also the top choice among players in the hybrid (T-3) and irons (T-7) categories. Titleist Vokey Design Wedges are tops in the approach, sand and lob wedge (23) category and Scotty Cameron putters are the field favorite among players with 14 putters in play.
#TeamTitleist