It’s been a known fact for some time that the PGA Tour was going to change the FedEx Cup Playoffs format, largely as part of their overall schedule juggle. The biggest “known” was that the “playoffs” would be trimmed from four events to three, which no one seemed all too concerned about. Then rumors started circulating. These rumors mentioned the idea of spotting the top players points in the final event. Giving them shots, if you will. Well, the rumors have been confirmed.
In Ryan Lavner’s article on GolfChannel.com, he lays out some of the ridiculous changes the PGA Tour is making. Maybe it’s because I basically 100% agree with him, but Lavner’s post highlights the missed opportunities and proposes better alternatives. (I strongly suggest heading over and taking a look at the full article.) Yes, the current FedEx system tends to just confuse fans and the points system seems to make no sense, but there has to be a happy medium between that and the new system.
Some of the changes:
- The FedExCup champion will be determined solely on the outcome at the Tour Championship
- The No. 1 player on the post-season points list will begin the finale at 10 under par. The next four players will start at 8 under through 5 under, respectively, while Nos. 6-10 will begin the tournament at 4 under par with the total regressing by one stroke every five players with those ranked 26th through 30th starting at even par.
- The winner at East Lake will also claim the FedExCup
- There will be an “end-of-regular season” bonus pool – the Wyndham Rewards Top 10 – made up of $10 million to be divided amongst the Top 10 with the #1 ranked player receiving $2 million
- The FedEx Champ will now take home $15 million
(You can find a full write up of all the changes from the PGA Tour here.)
I guess we’ll just see how this goes, but I already don’t like it. That’s fine though, prove me wrong. I leave you with a great quote from Lavner.
In an age of points and projections, the Tour’s desire for simplicity is understandable…but its new-look finale violates the spirit of competitive sports.
There are no head starts in sports. That’s the beauty of them.
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots don’t open the Super Bowl with a 7-0 lead.
