PGA Tour: FedEx Finale: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).Still not sure PGA Tour Towers has got this notion of a totally blank week right. Three exciting tournaments in the books at Bethpage, TPC Boston and Crooked Stick and . . . . . then what? A bit like building up a four-Test Ashes Series to an eagerly awaited Fifth Test winner-take-all finale . . . . . . . which is delayed for a month. Completely agree the players could use a break - would much rather see it betwen Rounds 2 and 3.

2).Dear PGA Of America,
Thank you for giving golf fans something for fans to be interested in with all the chat about the Ryder Cup.
Love,
Timmy F

3).And there's been lots of rhetoric about the Ryder Cup, Davis's "picks", the Medinah course, etc, etc. Some of it on here of course, with conflicting views about golfing stereotypes by Continent, usually about American bombers, European chipping and pitching prowess versus American flop-shots.
According to Jaime Diaz in GolfWorld, Medinah's rough has been been given a haircut, widening fairways and making wayward drives less heavily punished, allegedly a la Azinger's Valhalla set-up in 2008.

4).Not sure if I subscribe to the notion that Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson are significantly longer than Colsaerts and McIlroy; would have thought it would be more relevant to consider who might actually be playing the most matches. Still, Davis promises a US Open course with a PGA Tour set up, fast greens and birdies a-plenty.

5).Woods and Stricker, Mickelson and Bradley, Simpson and Watson are suggested as likely opening pairings, but reality is that each team depends heavily on its best players; in particular, I would suggest that if Garcia and Westwood play in ten days' time as they did at Valhalla, the European goose will be cooked. Long-range projections of key players: How about Jason Dufner and Peter Hanson?
And, if I was Jose-Maria, I'd be tempted to bring the wildly entertaining Pablo Larrazabal to drive my cart. That would warm up the Chicago crowd.

6).But this week will be all about FedEx's $10 million! Sure part of Rory feels as if he's already done enough to deserve the jackpot but blame Vijay Singh (and his two-tournament walkabout in 2008 with the winnings already secured) for the changes that mean he has to earn the FedEx Cup all over again. In reality, one would bet that if he can finish ahead of Woods, Watney, Mickelson and Snedeker the rest will look after itself and he'll be $10M richer.
To quote Alf Ramsey: "You've won it once, go and do it again."

7).A $10M FedEx bonus would lift Rory to the top of the list of European bonus beneficiaries during the six years of FedEx fun. This list currently looks like:
1).Luke Donald: $4,410K + 2012 winnings, at least $175K
2).Sergio Garcia: $2,757K + at least $175K
3).Rose: $1,637.5K + at least $175K
4).Harrington: $1,293K
5).Casey: $1,027K
6).Pettersson: $619K + at least $175K
7).Laird: $717K
8).Poulter: $692K
9).Jacobson: $676K
10).Davis: $$625K

8).The media wags are tonguing that Rory may be invincible "every time the Tour goes to a big, long golfcourse that plays wet and soft with no wind". That's the caveat du jour (articulated by Gary Van Sickle but seemingly widely held) when comparing McIlroy's run with Tiger in his prime. I'll be interested in comparisons when Rors has played at this pace for at least five years, but it's nice to see credit offered to a Number One after the disparagement accorded to Donald and Westwood.
And East Lake might just fit the Rory bill; hopefully he's kept his swing nicely tuned during the week off and it's good for another two weeks.

9).In the absence of Tour excitement this past week I watched some web.com action from Idaho and a salutary reminder that last week's rising star can just as easily be this week's car crash. Aberdeen's Michael Sim and one-time hotshot Jamie Lovemark were both among the alternates who were unable to gain entry into the field. While last year's flavour of the month (June anyway) and newly-minted pro, Patrick Cantlay, failed to make the cut. Luke Guthrie took home first prize and he'll grace the PGA Tour with his presence in 2013. Anyone's guess whether he'll be any more successful than Sim or Lovemark, though.
This week's web.com field in West Texas (Midland, Friday Night Lights country, the business home of Dubya and by all accounts a good place for him) includes Gary Christian and Russell Knox as well as Sweden's David Lingmerth and Colwyn Bay's Ben Briscoe.

10).While the Seniors were in Hawaii where Willie Wood's fairy tale summer continued when Bionic Bill Glasson (he of the 22 surgeries - so far) capitulated and his 18th hole bogey was trumped by Willie's 18th hole bird. There's been speculation about Europeans flocking over to PGA Tour Q-School (entries have to be in by Sept 26th), but I hope that one or two Seniors also wade in to Champions Tour qualifying; Barry Lane and Forsbrand were among those trying last year and it would be good to see at least one of them following in the recent footsteps of Langer and Roger Chapman, both of whom are still in the running for the Champions Tour year-end bonus.

But this week is all about the PGA Tour's rich getting richer.

96's in Q-School is exactly why there is Pre-Qualifying in Q-school. This for the people who have nothing noteworthy on their golfing resume. All they have is the $5K (or whatever) to take the chance.

They have a better chance of giving me the money, and let me take to Vegas put the money on "RED", win and take the resulting 10K and and enter the Main Event at the World Series of Poker.

One of the guys had three triples in a row and the other guy had two "9's" on his scorecard, one on a par 5 and the other on a par 3.

Am I the only one who thinks the fed ex stuff is a load of rubbish?

I really like the Fedex Cup finale. Sure it has its flaws and Rory by rights should have won, but hey, the way its set up makes it more exciting and as we didnt have Woods and Coco really going head to head in the majors this is the next best thing as both are in great form, obviously Coco in awesome form and a hot favourite.
What I do find a complete damp squib is the RTD, in fact its a while since I looked at a European Tour event and was really interested in who won.

Diggers prefers America shock!

Fed Ex cup a success thus far. Attracts the top golfers on the planet and delivers professional golf ratings (to the US market at least) where virtually none existed.

Can't speak for everyone else Super but I've really enjoyed it this year and I'm looking forward to the finale.

I've not been interested in previous years mind you.

I think the problem with the RTD is that it's too weighted in favour of the limited number of players who play in the majors and the WGC Events rather than those who support the ET year round.

super_realist wrote:Am I the only one who thinks the fed ex stuff is a load of rubbish?

Why even comment on it on then?

Do you make it habit on commenting on "rubbish"?

Must have missed that you can only comment in an affirmative fashion.

It's a rubbish format I mean.

SmithersJones wrote:Diggers prefers America shock!

Smithers in unfunny comment shock.

super_realist wrote:Must have missed that you can only comment in an affirmative fashion.

It's a rubbish format I mean.

The players like it. The sponsors like it. The PGATour likes it.

Honestly, SR, I have been on this board for about 7 months now, and I can't remember too many positive things you have ever said, and let alone about the PGATour.

There is reason why virtually all the top ranked players are members of the PGATour. The top 22 and #23 will be joining in 2013. That will leave #27 Paul Lawrie as the only player in the top 30 that is not on the PGATour.

Gpb, who cares? I've never really said anything about the pga tour other than the reason I don't follow it is because the coverage is absolutely abysmal. I'm sure its a great product, I just think this fed ex is a rather a vulgar and superfluous end to the season.

Super - obviously plenty (the majority even?) care. Label them lemmings to the sea all you want, but the numbers are compelling.

The ET's inability to get sponsors off their wallet in any ongoing way is certainly a missed opportunity. Do they have the players in Europe? (In droves.) Do they have great courses in Europe (Again, in droves.) What they don't have are events that attract these players.

Where's Chubby when you need him?

Sorry SR, you just appear to me as a really bitter person. See few if any favorable comments from you.

Vulgar? I guess that some sort of commentary on the money? If so, that explains a lot!

IMO, most of the negative comments around the FE Cup is rooted in the money aspect. And that is just bitterness, IMO.

You don't have to take everything Super says so seriously, he doesn't.

Besides which he's more than entitled not to like the Fedex Cup, up until this year I wasn't interested either.

Might just be an impression but seems to me that all the top players are taking it more seriously this year and it's making for some brilliant golf.

It's not a pga v et issue.

I just think its an unnecessary event which dilutes the season a bit too much, not to mention limited field events doing nothing for me.

What is it with nationalities being so over protective and sensitive this week?

I think the Arabs take a besmirching of Muhammad less seriously.

Is this event necessary? Absolutely not - in fact, no event is necessary.

Stretching your business to its marketable edges, however, a sound practice.

And this event indeed marketable.

So, I'm only allowed in an opinion, if it's the same as yours?
Land of the free?

I do like the fedex but I wish there was more chance of it being tiger v Rory (or whoever is in the top 2/3 positions) even if they are battling for 19th and 20th position. I understand it is weighted like it is because of a few landslide wins early on but if we are entering a more open era then maybe we need a points tweak to ensure it really is only the top 4/5 in with a chance come the tour championship.

If someone runs away with it every now and again, then so be it, and congratulations to great play. Like every sporting event someone can play so well it becomes a non event. But why construct an "artificial" points system to counteract this?


I am certainly enjoying watching tiger and rory play together at the moment and it feels like more than a regular tour event.

And I'm enjoying the fact I had a jacks each way on Juzza at double carpet.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. I just don't understand why some people are constantly obtuse about their opinion.

GPB wrote:Everyone is entitled to an opinion. I just don't understand why some people are constantly obtuse about their opinion.

It's just your opinion that my opinions are obtuse

I said I didn't like the Fed-Ex Final and I gave perfectly valid reasons for that opinion, how can you have a problem with that?

"It's just your opinion that my opinions are obtuse "

Not really, i also think you have obtuse opinions and a rather unconstructive way of trying to make a point.

Mac, that's fine, that's your opinion. I think many of your opinions are simpering and transparently liberal in order to fit in with a perceived public accepted standard of how you ought to think, but I wouldn't necessarily try and stop you from expressing them in the way you do.

I wasn't using "just" as a definitive for GPB and that it was "just" him that would hold that view.

So if Woods wins the Fedex this week that would be 4 wins on tour this year and a climb back from world 50 ish to a fairly clear world number 2. Sounds strange to say it but comeback player of the year award for Tiger ?

I'm not sure Tiger will win, despite his good start. He hit so many excellent iron shots but he holed next to nothing again, 3 absolute sitter birdie chances missed in the last 6, should have been 7 or 8 under with the way he played.

He probably will win, he's pretty good when the field is limited to such a small number and there is no cut. Half the field play their way out of it in the first two rounds, leaving only a dozen or so capable of winning.

Here's hoping for his usual third round collapse.

Yes, I like the FEC as well.

But I also have a small problem with the way the points are being reset, mainly because one player has been so dominant lately, and mainly beacuse you then favour players whose game might "fit" East Lake and how it has been set up for the particular tournament.

Furthermore I have a problem with the fact that a player can win the FEC without winning a single tournament. That could be the case for Oosty, as he can win the entire FEC just by finishing 2nd at East Lake (combined with some not so unlikely scenarios). But all in all the FEC makes it all a bit more interesting.

super_realist wrote:

GPB wrote:Everyone is entitled to an opinion. I just don't understand why some people are constantly obtuse about their opinion.

It's just your opinion that my opinions are obtuse

I said I didn't like the Fed-Ex Final and I gave perfectly valid reasons for that opinion, how can you have a problem with that?

You said it was "vulgar" and "superfluous" which IMO, are not valid opinions without supporting documentation.

Superfluous? I can possibly see your reasoning but only if you are forced to watch it. Which I don't think is happening. Don't like it? Don't watch.

Vulgar? You might as well call it pornographic too!

You know they thought long and hard into the night how to make this final weekend (1) exciting enough that "anyone" (well, almost) could win (2) without over diluting all the "points gained" thus far. Compromises galore, that's for sure.

But, why East Lake? Seems a bit one dimensional to me and with only 30 golfers and not a mid-season event, top courses ALL over would be clamoring to host. This is one final that could move around.

GPB wrote:

super_realist wrote:

GPB wrote:Everyone is entitled to an opinion. I just don't understand why some people are constantly obtuse about their opinion.

It's just your opinion that my opinions are obtuse

I said I didn't like the Fed-Ex Final and I gave perfectly valid reasons for that opinion, how can you have a problem with that?

You said it was "vulgar" and "superfluous" which IMO, are not valid opinions without supporting documentation.

Superfluous? I can possibly see your reasoning but only if you are forced to watch it. Which I don't think is happening. Don't like it? Don't watch.

Vulgar? You might as well call it pornographic too!

......and you don't have to read or respond to my comments either. I also said that I didn't like limited field events, but you seem to have glossed over that particular point.

Shotrock wrote:You know they thought long and hard into the night how to make this final weekend (1) exciting enough that "anyone" (well, almost) could win (2) without over diluting all the "points gained" thus far. Compromises galore, that's for sure.

But, why East Lake? Seems a bit one dimensional to me and with only 30 golfers and not a mid-season event, top courses ALL over would be clamoring to host. This is one final that could move around.

Two words - Coca Cola

With this event falling before the Ryder Cup how about they rotate it to the host country/continent?

Super - I suspect that ...

1. You would have to have the event at a time "live", conducive to Fed Ex's primary market. Otherwise, would make no sense for them to pay up. Which is why this event exists. (IOW - These United States)

2. In lieu of that, find a sponsor that will. (Far east, call Chubby -- Europe, good luck)


Smither - I'll have to look into that - didn't know they were a primary sponsor of this event!

I thought Woods crash would come in the third. I'll take it anyway.

Yes, why East Lake? All the other play-off tournaments seem to rotate. And if coca-cola absolutely wants it in Atlanta, I guess there are other good courses around there?

super_realist wrote:I thought Woods crash would come in the third. I'll take it anyway.

No you didn't you said he would probably win, you were merely hoping for a third round collapse.

Still at least Rose is in with a chance to keep you miserable and Woods is still ahead of the insipid Donald.

I'd rather Hitler or Stalin won a golf tournament that Woods, so even though I'm not keen on chinless Rose, he's preferable to the most ghastly man in sport. Bell End Woods.

Scoring on the opening holes seems a lot tougher today.............the field a collective + 13 so far with 16 players having begun so far

westy looks like a man who wants to NR and forget about golf for a month or two!!

mystiroakey wrote:westy looks like a man who wants to NR and forget about golf for a month or two!!

Given how poorly he seems to be hitting it he must be wondering whether he's dropped a massive bollock dumping Cowan.

Not a great showing from westwood and his short game looking even more forced than normal.

I am never sure how popular he is in the US - myabe or yankie friends can enlighten me - but propping up the tour championship is unlikely to gain him more respect.

I take it you are refering to his coach then?

westy and donald have gone stale. I hope there form isnt the start of the end...

Mac, he's hardly propping it up, he's made it through to the last 30 having had a pretty drab year. So he's played bad in this tournament. someone has to come last.

He's probably more concerned about next week.

Interestingly I played with a guy the other week who'd caddied in the same group as Westwood in a recent Dunhill, and said he was shockingly hungover. I've always wondered how seriously people take some tournaments.

mac- i think all golf fans (and USA has many of them) realise that westy is one of the best ever not to win a major.. I think its as simple as that

Super

I said propping up the "tour championship" not the fedex.

I have always thought westwood was some proper dedication away from a major and if that tale is true, then it may partly confirm what I thought. The dunhill is one of the biggest events on the EuroT so why not take it seriously?

I don't think it is taken that seriously Mac, I've been a few times and it's pretty light hearted, lots of frivolity and crowd interaction.
Weather is often calm at that time of year and TOC is often just a pitch and putt and they have to play the bloody thing twice. There is rarely any drama in that event, so although the money is considerable, it's not exactly a blue riband event.
Now if they played two rounds over Carnoustie, then that really could be an exciting tournament.

sorry to burst your bubble but no Euro event is taken that seriously bar the open and possibly the PGA

Aye ok, so folk in the European Events arent actually trying that hard to win....

I'm sure they are, but I'm not sure every pro is trying 100% 100% of the time.
Sometimes appearance will be at the Sponsors behest, sometimes the weather will be rotten, sometimes something more important might be going on at home, sometimes they might not like the course, perhaps they got off to a bad start, made the cut, but aren't in the hunt and the prize cheque might not be that important to them. they might be striking it like a Jeremy Hunt, they might not be feeling great.

Plenty of reasons why someone might not play to their full focus. Sure it happens in America too.

Sand wrote:Aye ok, so folk in the European Events arent actually trying that hard to win....

I dont think anyone has said that. However it really is the simple fact of prioritising