The two major champions lead the field as the PGA Tour's lucrative season-ending series gets under way at The Barclays
The major championships may be over for the year, but there is still a lot of prestige – not to mention prize money – to play for on the PGA Tour.
As the season-ending FedExCup Playoffs begin at The Barclays this week, it is the former that will be the main motivation for golf’s leading names.
The tournament, which returns to the 7,012-yard, par-70 Plainfield Country Club for the first time since 2011, is not short of star power – despite the absence of Tiger Woods (DNQ) and Rory McIlroy (resting) respectively.
Here are a selection of the players who are likely to challenge in New Jersey.
Jordan Spieth
The Masters and US Open champion tees up for the first time since overtaking the missing McIlroy as world No. 1.
The 22-year-old, who also triumphed at the Valspar Championship and John Deere Classic in 2015, unsurprisingly leads the standings for the lucrative four-event series.
Physical and mental fatigue could be a concern for the Texan, who came close to achieving golf’s grand slam after a stunning year.
Five of his past six starts have yielded top-four finishes, though, so there is no legitimate reason to suggest that the best golfer on the planet will not challenge this week.
Spieth is 6/1 to win and 5/4 to finish in the top five.
Jason Day
The recent first-time major winner has won twice in his last three starts – at the RBC Canadian Open and US PGA Championship respectively.
Having won the Farmers Insurance Open earlier in the year, the Australian is one of two players – alongside Spieth – to win at least three times during the regular PGA Tour season.
The world No. 3 – a career-high position – and Bubba Watson are second and third in the FedExCup standings and the only players who can overtake the current leader.
A tweaked back forced the 27-year-old to withdraw from this week’s pro-am, but his courageous performance at the US Open – when he suffered from vertigo – was evidence of his resolve.
Day is 9/1 to win and 15/8 to finish in the top five.
Dustin Johnson
Despite his well-documented weekend struggles at the majors, the American still boasts tied sixth, tied second and tied seventh finishes at the Masters, US Open and US PGA Championship respectively.
The 31-year-old’s victory at the WGC-Cadillac Championship in March, meanwhile, proved he can triumph in the Tour’s most prestigious events.
Currently seventh in the standings, the big hitter won The Barclays the last time it was held at this venue four years ago, although the tournament was shortened to 54 holes due to Hurricane Irene.
Johnson is 12/1 to win and 5/2 to finish in the top five.
Brooks Koepka
The talented American established himself as a professional in Europe before returning to the country of his birth, where he is now one of the PGA Tour’s most exciting talents.
Currently 12th in the standings, only Spieth and Day have more momentum than the 25-year-old, who hasn’t finished outside the top six in his last three starts and has been in the top 25 in his last eight.
That run – coupled with his maiden win on home soil at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February – has seen him ascend to a career-high 16th in the world rankings and his length off the tee should make him a threat this week.
Koepka is 22/1 to win and 9/4 to finish in the top 10.
Brandt Snedeker
The Texan holds the 18-hole record at Plainfield, having shot a stunning 61 that inspired him to a tied-third finish in 2011.
A year later, he pocketed a $10million bonus by winning the FedExCup and, at 13th in the standings this season, the 34-year-old can propel himself into real contention this year.
Having won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in February, finished as runner-up at the Crowne Plaza Invitational in May and secured six other top-ten finishes, he is certainly playing well enough to do so.
Snedeker is 35/1 to win this week and 7/2 to finish in the top 10.