Let’s Get Rid Of The Tour Championship

By Mike Stevens, USGTF Contributing Writer

The FedEx Cup is golf’s answer to playoffs, which is supposed to keep up interest after the fourth major is completed. In the past, most people did not care much about golf after the PGA Championship. They even called it the silly season. Enter the FedEx playoffs, a good idea since most people look forward to the playoffs in other sports at the end of their seasonal run. The only problem is that when you get to the finals, there is this Tour Championship which may or may not be won by the playoff champion. It’s all a bit strange.

Even the playoff format is a bit weird. You can miss the cut in the first playoff round and still advance. I think you can advance without playing well if no one surpasses your season-long point total during the playoff run. What kind of system is that? It would be like telling the Yankees even though you lost the first series you can go on because you had the most wins of any team during the regular season. Playoffs should be playoffs. You either move on by making the cut or you’re out.

Here is what I would like to see: First, the Tour Champion should be the winner of the Players. That comprises all the best tour golfers who qualify for it. We don’t need another trophy signifying the same. Then, for the playoffs, the top 125 from the season-long point totals begin the first round. If you fail to make the cut down, you’re out and keep it that way until down to the final 30 players, who would go to East Lake. But that negates the pros who played the best over the long haul, you might say. Okay, then let’s take the top ten and give them a bye for the first round. I mean, the best teams get byes in their respective sports. In a true playoff, anyone who makes it should be able to win. Under the current system, that is very difficult. So, this is what I would like to see. I hope it comes to pass.