They could have a mini-event and forget the cart. Just do the run and finish in 1:53.
But certainly, the brilliant minds at the PGA Tour can think of a better way to configure the FedEx and Tour Championship where it is not handicapped.
Tour Event 2021 Tour Championship
They could have a mini-event and forget the cart. Just do the run and finish in 1:53.
But certainly, the brilliant minds at the PGA Tour can think of a better way to configure the FedEx and Tour Championship where it is not handicapped.
SunnyGolfDaysAhead
Member
PGA Tour needs to listen to you. Problem solved?!
Let's hope behind the scenes that they see the issue instead of what they say in public.
SunnyGolfDaysAhead
Member
Or they can just ask the players. How to make it a compelling final season event for the fans for a Tour Championship?
if the players want a certain format, then it is up to the PGA/USGA to accommodate it. The TC is what it is due to past lessons learned due to complexity, and avoiding a repeat of a winner winning the event with enough points accrued before hand. Money list as qualifier wasnt good enough. For this staggering amount of $$ to be played for, it is necessary for a multi week event / playoff format to take shape for the best 30 at end of season. Mickelson wasn't good enough despite winning a major. Maybe all major winners and end of season #1 ranked player gets an automatic invite.
So the players can figure this out.. who needs to be included in top 30. What's the process to qualify and is a 'playoff' series required or not? and finally how can players turn this last hurrah of the golf season into a fun event so it becomes a worthy event for fans and golfers can enjoy. The previous 2 tournament playoff weekends were uniquely competitive and overshadowed 'fun' in the final event. Bryson + Cantlay playoff for the ages were really fighting for that extra advantage. Cantlay still had to win the event with his built in advantage.
What's funny is no one seems to be talking about how Rahm could very well have taken a huge advantage in FedEx points and it would have served him very well with a win in Tour Championships if it wasnt for Covid messing up his plans. Can Rahm finishing 2nd place be the reason for all the griping and the format is not good enough? We were fortunate to have a clear cut separation of the 'pack' in the final 2 playoff events (Tour Champs and BMW). What we did not have is Cantlay running away with a 10+ shot margin and turning it into a snooze fest. The exciting story lines were all there this year. Can the players come up with a better process/event worth their time for a 30 player finale? We're listening...
Or they can just ask the players. How to make it a compelling final season event for the fans for a Tour Championship?
if the players want a certain format, then it is up to the PGA/USGA to accommodate it. The TC is what it is due to past lessons learned due to complexity, and avoiding a repeat of a winner winning the event with enough points accrued before hand. Money list as qualifier wasnt good enough. For this staggering amount of $$ to be played for, it is necessary for a multi week event / playoff format to take shape for the best 30 at end of season. Mickelson wasn't good enough despite winning a major. Maybe all major winners and end of season #1 ranked player gets an automatic invite.
So the players can figure this out.. who needs to be included in top 30. What's the process to qualify and is a 'playoff' series required or not? and finally how can players turn this last hurrah of the golf season into a fun event so it becomes a worthy event for fans and golfers can enjoy. The previous 2 tournament playoff weekends were uniquely competitive and overshadowed 'fun' in the final event. Bryson + Cantlay playoff for the ages were really fighting for that extra advantage. Cantlay still had to win the event with his built in advantage.
What's funny is no one seems to be talking about how Rahm could very well have taken a huge advantage in FedEx points and it would have served him very well with a win in Tour Championships if it wasnt for Covid messing up his plans. Can Rahm finishing 2nd place be the reason for all the griping and the format is not good enough? We were fortunate to have a clear cut separation of the 'pack' in the final 2 playoff events (Tour Champs and BMW). What we did not have is Cantlay running away with a 10+ shot margin and turning it into a snooze fest. The exciting story lines were all there this year. Can the players come up with a better process/event worth their time for a 30 player finale? We're listening...
I don't think it was about Rahm not winning. It was about those Cantlay and Rahm as the only ones being in real contention over 4 days. I think Rahm was the better player overall for the year but Cantlay came on strong late in the year and that's what people tend to remember.
But yes, you can have the Players offer substantial feedback to the PGA Tour where you can find deal breakers. But I don't think they make the final decision. Leaders tend to see the bigger picture and that's where a PGA Board comes into play.
I don't know how it would work or if it would be logistically possible but the playoffs could be the group of anyone who won a tournament over the course of the year, people that win multiple gets a -1 for each additional past the first and then it's the overall lowest score over the three weeks of playoffs added together wins the big bucks?
Just making things up in my head while I'm back at work full time on site now for the foreseeable future.
Just making things up in my head while I'm back at work full time on site now for the foreseeable future.
rickkimbrell
Active member
Totally agree. This is not an amateur event where your handicap comes into play. These guys are professional. They should start every event dead a$$ even.
Cantlay (and I like him) starts out with a 4 shot advantage over Rahm and beats him by 1 stroke. They guy with the best 72 hole score over the event should be the winner unless there is a tie for the lowest 72 hole score and then the winner decided by playoff.
Do you really think Cantlay should start out 4 shots ahead of Rahm and only beat him by 1...not me.
I was thinking treat it more like how other sports do their playoff system. Accrue FedEx Cup points throughout the regular season, and at the end of the season/before the playoffs start, the player with the most points wins the FedEx Cup. Then everybody zeroes out when the playoffs start - maybe give the top 4 or 5 players a first-round bye, but from there, the rounds are played just like any other rounds. The NFL team with the best regular season record doesn't get to start the Super Bowl with a 21 point lead.
TwoGlovesGarcia
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2011
- Messages
- 1,508
- Reaction score
- 747
- Handicap
- 36
I don't know what the perfect solution is, but I like this format better than what we had before. You know who turned in the same score at East Lake as Rahm? Kevin Na. You really think it would be ok if Na -- with 1 previous win and only 5 top 10s -- is crowned FedEx champ after beating Rahm in a playoff?
tommyhaka
Well-known member
Good point, and no.
tommyhaka
Well-known member
jmo, but he more I think about it, yes I think Cantley should have that advantage. He earned it.
2021 Tour Championship format: Starting strokes, handicaps and cut rules
The 2021 Tour Championship format is the only PGA Tour event on the schedule to use a handicap starting strokes system. We explain how it works.
thegolfnewsnet.com
I'd vote for just keeping total score over the three event. Each event could have an event winner while the cumulative score could crown the Fed Ex Cup champion. Would it be the end of the world to have to scores by the names? Seems simpler than the points systems you have to follow.
In that light you double your chances of having something compelling Sunday at East Lake. The individual tournament would have been compelling with Rahm and Na, not sure how the Fed Ex Cup would have played out that way.
Some might say it would lessen the individual tournament, if someone in contention at East Lake played it safe to ensure the Fed Ex Cup but watching someone decide to maker that call real-time could be fascinating.
The only downside is you risk losing some big names due to cuts but maybe you allow for certain guarantees like top 20 in points scored over the season is guaranteed week 2 and top 10 is guaranteed East Lake?
All I know is that I was much more interested in the women playing at Toledo than seeing if anyone could chase down Cantlay's head start.
In that light you double your chances of having something compelling Sunday at East Lake. The individual tournament would have been compelling with Rahm and Na, not sure how the Fed Ex Cup would have played out that way.
Some might say it would lessen the individual tournament, if someone in contention at East Lake played it safe to ensure the Fed Ex Cup but watching someone decide to maker that call real-time could be fascinating.
The only downside is you risk losing some big names due to cuts but maybe you allow for certain guarantees like top 20 in points scored over the season is guaranteed week 2 and top 10 is guaranteed East Lake?
All I know is that I was much more interested in the women playing at Toledo than seeing if anyone could chase down Cantlay's head start.
Hoganman1
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 24, 2021
- Messages
- 294
- Reaction score
- 322
I guess "it is what it is" to quote an old football coach. I don't like the format, but I will keep watching. My guess is they'll probably change it again if a majority of the players call for changes. As I've stated many times before the majors are still the ultimate measuring stick. The FedEx Cup is kind of like the NFL Pro Bowl. It's an entertaining sideshow and a cash bonanza for the winner.
Same here. I watched almost every minute of the Solheim Cup (albeit a lot of it DVR'ed) - I caught a bit of the Tour Championship here and there, but it didn't really hold my interest as it was pretty much a foregone conclusion. I like watching Supercross, but if it came to the championship race and they gave the points leader a 4 lap head start, why bother watching him ride what's essentially a 20 minute victory lap?