Fed Ex Cup - Good Golf Drama or Another Pointless American Play Off System

The FedEx Cup is a championship trophy for the PGA Tour. Its introduction marked the first time that men's professional golf had a playoff system. Announced in November 2005, it was first awarded in 2007 after a NASCAR-like points race.

The PGA Tour has adjusted the rules around the FedEx Cup in each of the two years since its introduction in 2007. Each set of changes was introduced to address issues that arose the previous year, particularly with the playoffs portion of the FedEx Cup.

In February 2008, the changes were designed to allow more golfers a chance to improve their positions on the points list as the playoffs progress. The changes involve a tightening of the playoff reset points and awarding more points to playoff participants. This is effectively a penalty on those players that skip a playoff event.

In November 2008, the changes were designed to help ensure that the championship would not be won until after the final playoff event. This resulted from the fact that Vijay Singh had accumulated enough points through the first three playoff events in 2008 to guarantee that he would win the Cup by simply finishing the final event.

Qualifying for the playoffsThe following are the criteria for the 2010 season (unchanged from 2009).

For the first portion of the season, the "regular season", from January through the latter part of August, PGA Tour players can earn points in each event they play. The number of points for winning each tournament varies from 250 to 600, depending on the quality of the field for each event, with the typical tournament awarding 500. Fewer points are awarded to other players who finish each tournament, based on their final position.

The ultimate goal is to be among the top 125 Points Leaders following the final event of the regular season. Only those players who are regular full-time members of the PGA Tour will earn points. A non-member who joins the PGA Tour in mid-season will be eligible to earn points in the first event he plays after officially joining the Tour.

After the final event of the regular season, the top 125 players participate in the playoffs. The number of points for winning each playoff tournament is 2500 - five times the amount for a typical regular season tournament. Points won in playoff events are added to those for the regular season, and the fields are reduced as the playoffs proceed.

After the third playoff event, the top 30 players move to the final event. Points are reset at that time, so the #1 player has 2500 points, the #2 player has 2250 points, down to the #30 player who is given 210 points. The goal is to ensure that any of the 30 players has a chance to win the FedEx Cup, but give the top players the best chance, with all of the top five players assured of winning the FedEx Cup by winning the Tour Championship

Once the final 125 playoff qualifiers are set, no alternates will be allowed. It is possible for any player among the final 125 (then 100, then 70) to skip a playoff event prior to the Tour Championship, but if he did he would risk his standing on the points list, and this could potentially result in him being eliminated from the playoffs.

For the Tour Championship itself, only the Top 30 Points Leaders after the BMW Championship will be eligible. If for any reason a player among the Top 30 does not compete in the Tour Championship, he will not be replaced.

My personal opinion is that the fed ex is another cash cow for Tim Finchem and the PGA tour, and is farcical in the sense that the top 30 players on tour (those is the T30 on the money list) are not the ones qualifiying for the Tour Championship as they should be how it was in the past pre FedEx. Now it's just the top 30 from a ridiculous points system from the previous handful of events, in order to fit golf in with the current sports in the states that all have Playoffs e.g the NFL and Baseball

Maverick,

I share your views. Much better watching the pros playing for titles rather than cash alone.

But if the PGA have found the moneys then I have no problem with the pros getting a big payday. At least the payments are public knowledge rather than the appearance fees the top guys get from now till Xmas and the FedEx gives the middle ranks a chance of big money with one good months play.

Westwood shows his class again by prioritising a family holiday before his kids go back to school over the cash.

I'd say it's good drama, usually (but not always!) played on top courses, with a humungous pot of FedEx gold at the end of their rainbow.
Prestigious? Not really.
Lucrative? You bet.

Pointless but if the money's there, you can bet those millionaires won't be passing it up.

Not a fan of FedEx Cup system at all. I think it's a system specifically designed to enhance primarily the drama around the game (i.e. maximise the sponsor's exposure, etc.) and not the game itself. Ideally there should be a good balance between these two aspects and in this case I don't think we have that...

Related to that, one thing that came to my mind watching the whole Padraig 'drama' yesterday is that it really creates something of an additional 'circus' around pre-Playoff tournaments like Greensbro and extending then to those that are part of the Playoffs, with some of the players, caddies, managers, fans, etc. practically concentrating more on the 'side show' of FedEx point table, rather than the actual tournament itself... But, of course, Fedex couldn't care less of people like me criticising their system, as long as I've already mentioned their NAME already 3-4 times only in this post!!!
For them, this means... mission accomplished!

ScottieD18 wrote:Maverick,

I share your views. Much better watching the pros playing for titles rather than cash alone.

But if the PGA have found the moneys then I have no problem with the pros getting a big payday. At least the payments are public knowledge rather than the appearance fees the top guys get from now till Xmas and the FedEx gives the middle ranks a chance of big money with one good months play.

Westwood shows his class again by prioritising a family holiday before his kids go back to school over the cash.

Not sure "class" is the right word, as lack of it is seen a pejorative. But I get what you're saying - he's chosen a certain career-life balance and is happy to stick with that.

I enjoyed the machinations of the Fed Ex last year - it's a bit like the champions league knock out stages, with the field being whittled down. No point just being good, you need to be good at the right time.

Who are the high-ranked OGWR players who haven't made the playoffs then? Who are the notables that won't be there? So far I've gathered that Westwood, Poulter, Casey, Woods aren't there - anyone got a list (let's not debate who is "notable" - I'm just talking about (say) top 100 players

You can see who's in and who is not here (Top 125 make it to the Barclays, all the rest are out)

http://www.pgatour.com/r/stats/current/02394_projections-1.html

Poults is in then? I thought he'd missed it. Also surprised to see GMac there

I tend to enjoy the fedex as it reflects the players who have been playing well this season, and I think the knockout part of it is a fitting ending.

Theres some top names in the 100-125 spots that need to get the finger out, could make for a good opening playoff event.

I believe the Fedex Cup is (you'll have to excuse the pun) point-less!! As a keen golf fan who respects the values and traditions of the game I want to see players battling it out for the Major Championships and Ryder Cups not simply a wad of cash. Anyone in contention for the Fedex Cup has already made it to a high level and therfore financially secure (i.e. frickin loaded!). Law of diminishing marginal utility- meaning that the first unit of consumption of a good or service yields more utility than the second and subsequent units. How much dosh does one need!!?? Therefore any pro worth their salt would give their left arm (or right arm in the case of Phil Mickelson and Mike Weir etc...) to win a major championship- the honour glory respect and history that comes with such. I do not think that an event based primarily around financial reward can create anywhere near the level of pressure or excitement as the back 9 of a major Sunday. I never dream of missing a major, the Fedex Cup- i can take it or leave it depending on my mood.

I think it does its job in adding an extra element of drama, but it does seem strange to introduce another league on top of the "regular season" league. Also, it becomes very difficult to work out how things are panning out, even with the "predicted rankings". I suppose both points stem from the nature of the sport though, as the purist method would involve some sort of head-to-head knockout post-season which would perhaps be logistically challenging...

... Having said that, as I'm typing, I suppose it is theoretically possible to stage a whole bunch of matches (perhaps in a "best of 3" matchplay format at each weekly stage, perhaps needing random draws to break down into manageable pools), with the higher placed player in each match [as determined by the regular season] choosing to play whichever of the available courses earmarked for that stage as their "home advantage".

OK, maybe that last bit doesn't work, but I'm sure there must be some way of giving a slight advantage to the higher ranked player (e.g. the opponent is limited to 13 clubs, not allowed a caddie, has to play blindfolded...!).

Fed Ex cup (so far) gets high marks from me. Very good move by the PGA to earn as much TV audience as they possibly can as they enter the College Football, NFL and even MLB end-of-season. Top purses and quality venues pretty much assure they'll be getting high-end talent.

It doesn't captivate me like a major does, and nor will the TV rankings reflect quite that ... but the PGA knows how to run and market events and you can be sure the winner's check won't bounce so look for continued success.

What is not to like about the fedex. At worst it removed the equity in the system of tour championship qualification but we gained the play off events. Which you have to think are of a better standard than what they replaced.

As shotrock has pointed out it will have done wonders for TV audiences and the profile of the game. When the draw of tiger fades golf needs to prove a pull as spectacle based on the drama of the events and not just one player. In this regard the fedex has provided another taking point along with the majors and WGC's.

I will admit they have never quite provided the sort of action they were probably intended to, as in the top 2 or 3 in the world going for it over the play offs. It is hard to think of events however where this happens anywhere.

Lets face it if it wasn't for the fedex cup, would anyone bother playing or indeed watching the next few tournaments ?? Im happy enough with it better than watching some half a$$ed tournament full of Nationwide rookies !!.

Fair point Dr. Peeps, a balanced way of looking at it. Just have to igonre the TV stations trying to hype it up as something on a par with a major championship