Despite heat, East Lake in tip-top shape

Spectators at the Tour Championship will find conditions at the East Lake Golf Club are better than ever.

"This may be the best condition it's ever been in," said Ralph Kepple, now in his 24th years as the club's superintendent.

Kepple and his 29-man crew have managed to endure the hot, dry summer and again produce championship-worthy conditions. The club-grabbing Bermuda rough was cut for the last time on Saturday at 2 ½ inches and the greens will be rolling at 12 when the play begins on Thursday morning.

Not even the rainy Sunday weather could dampen Kepple’s spirits. With a few final touch-ups on Monday, he could almost afford to take a step back and enjoy it.

“I like what I’ve got,” Kepple said. “We’ve had a lot of compliments about the course conditions. It’s been a good year.”

Kepple’s crew has overseen numerous changes on the course, some subtle and others more obvious, on the new back nine.

• On the 12th hole (formerly No. 3), a right fairway bunker was moved back 40 yards. In the past players could easily fly the bunker. Now it falls in the area where many tee shots land..
• At No. 15, the back corner of the green on the par 3 has been shaved back, so players can tell from the tee that the water wraps around the green. That additional visual gives players something else to process from that tee.
• At No. 16, the tee was backed up about 20 yards further into the water and slightly lowered. It adds to the difficulty of an already long uphill hole.
• At No. 17, the team added a long tee designed to get a driver into the hands of the players and bring the bunkers into play. Players aren't likely to see the back of the teeing area this week, but the hole will likely play about 425 yards.
• At No. 18, a tee was built onto the front of the existing area and the contour of the hole's landing area was changed so players will likely wind up about 240 yards from the tee. A fairway bunker was added to the right side, if they opt to layup, so they'll be encouraged to go for the green in two shots.

In addition to his regular crew, Kepple will have 70 volunteers – some from as far away at England and Russia – who will be on hand to help ensure a successful week.

No Ryder preview

This week offers no insight into the European Ryder Cup team. The only member of that team in the Tour Championship field is Rory McIlroy. There are nine members of the U.S. team in the competition, with only Rickie Fowler and Brooks Koepka failing to get in.

Sunny skies?

The weather forecast for this week looks better than it did a year ago when things go pretty soggy. There is no rain in the The Weather Underground’s 10-day forecast, which calls for clear and partly cloudy conditions through the weekend.