PGA Tour: The FedEx Play-Offs: Notes from the Ballwasher

First topic message reminder :

1).Whatever anyone thinks about the 2018/2019 schedule, the fact remains that the PGA Tour's efforts to monopolise the year's golfing calendar culminate these next three weeks in the FedEx Play Offs and, at latest count, 121 of the 125 leading FedEx Points earners over the past 10 or 11 months get to play for $gazillions.

2).I'm inclined to agree with Eamon Lynch writing in GolfWeek that it would be nice if the PGA "Tour worried about what golf fans want to see, and not football fans".
But money talks and has usurped sports in every corner of the world so why should golf be any different? Perhaps FedEx will deploy their immense resources somewhere else one day, but for now we're stuck with this year's schedule.
Or at least until they decide that the NFL's "Pre Season" should also take precedence and the FedEx Play-Offs will occur before, or perhaps simultaneously with, The Open Championship?

3).FedEx Champ Justin Rose has already lamented the changes and clearly other leading pros are reviewing their seasons in light of the "compressed" series of big events.
The one comment that should resonate with the Tour is Jack Nicklaus's reflection of what made the Tour what it is, the series of "community" events staged around the country, and which are slowly being superseded by the series of mega tournaments thru'out the year - it's not clear yet whether the smaller events, and last week's stop in Greensboro could be a case in point, have regressed from "endangered species" to potentially "extinct", but the threat is there.
And, what an irony that the Tour incessantly trumpets the "charitable contributions" generated by the Tour (which helps protect the Tour's tax status), but renders expendable those events, especially in Texas, which annually makes the largest of those contributions.

4).But this is America, or at least the Big Tour, and it is what it is.

5).The Play-Offs have lost a tournament since last year, and the "Northern Trust" will now be shared by the Boston and New York markets, which in itself reminds one how ludicrous it is that NYC only gets half a Tour event per year.
125 golfers qualify for the Northern Trust, and the leading 70 in FedEx Points at close of play Sunday advance to Medinah in Chicago and the "BMW".
Then 30 move on to Hotlanta, whose event has morphed into a handicap tournament which is just about the most absurd thing in sporting history. Almost as bad as ending football games on penalties. (Rumours here that the NRA plans to take the Tour Championship over and initiate a shotgun start.)

6).I won't try to explain the handicap system as I still can't wrap by brain around it, but suffice it so say that pgatour.com describes it as offering "more drama, simplicity". You be the judge.

7).The big FedEx beneficiaries over the years have mostly been the usual suspects, but worth noting their accumulated "bonus pool" goodies nevertheless. The Top 12 have all piled up $10mil or more. $K:
28,275: Woods
15,900: McIlroy
15,247: Furyk
14,665: Spieth
14,508: Rose
13,758: Stenson
12,298: Snedeker
11,645: Horschel
11,475: Bill Haas
11,272: Singh
11,145: Thomas
10,557: Dustin Johnson
Followed by Stricker, Mickelson, Kuchar, Donald, Day.

7).Among those named above, it is quite possible that Messrs Haas and Donald will reappear, not in these Play-Offs but in the KFC series which begins on Thursday week for the leading 75 "Korn Ferry" players and #126 to #200 on the FedEx Points table. I wonder if Alex Noren will participate?

8).With 55 golfers destined to be eliminated after the Northern Trust, their next chance to tee it up on Tour will be the second week in September, in West Virginia's Greenbrier Resort. Followed by:
Sanderson Farms, Jackson, Mississippi
Safeway, Napa Valley, California
Las Vegas
Houston
Far East limited field money grabs
Bermuda (opposite field event the same week as the WGC in China)
Mayakoba, Mexico
RSM, Sea Island, Georgia

9).Sergio Garcia tees it up this week, needing a good result to move on. I'll defend Sergio to the hilt until he goes over the edge, which he seems to have done temperamentally these past few months. Will he sit himself down and take a time out, a la 2010? Or will the Tour do it for him? Both the European and PGA Tours need to be more transparent about discipline and hopefully the European Tour will publish any sanctions against Sergio and, also, of course, Thorbjorn Olesen.  

10).Off for a couple of days of tennis, a little easier for me to figure out than these Play-Offs.

When the USGA (which is sitting about $500 Million last I checked) asks me for financial support to "help grow the game" and they can't be bothered to fund a broadcast of the Walker Cup ... well ... I'm guessing you know what my reaction will be ...

“A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier”...

Priceless!

pedro wrote:“A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier”...

Priceless!

Given that Greenbrier owner, WV Guv Jim Justice, makes much of his money from taking the tops off mountains under the guise of coal mining, it should be named "A Coal Miners Tribute at The Greenbrier", but, nah, he was named in 2016 the "Top mine safety delinquent in the United States".
An obese, tax delinquent, bloated ass, just like his mate.

Shotrock wrote:When the USGA (which is sitting about $500 Million last I checked) asks me for financial support to "help grow the game" and they can't be bothered to fund a broadcast of the Walker Cup ... well ... I'm guessing you know what my reaction will be ...

The blame lies at the feet of the R&A for this fiasco. They controlled the telecast rights as it was staged in the UK. Fox did cover the Walker Cup when it was at LACC two years ago and the I believe it will be televised in 2021 when it is at Seminole. In May 2021. I can't wait to see Seminole, I used to live near there, and drove by it many times.

http://www.morningread.com/features/0e18fee1-89ff-4cfc-91cf-00d6033a4da1

With Rory winning the RoY PoY over Koepka, can we put the bed the allegations of jingoism on the PGATour.

GPB wrote:

Shotrock wrote:When the USGA (which is sitting about $500 Million last I checked) asks me for financial support to "help grow the game" and they can't be bothered to fund a broadcast of the Walker Cup ... well ... I'm guessing you know what my reaction will be ...

The blame lies at the feet of the R&A for this fiasco.  They controlled the telecast rights as it was staged in the UK.  Fox did cover the Walker Cup when it was at LACC two years ago and the I believe it will be televised in 2021 when it is at Seminole.  In May 2021.  I can't wait to see Seminole, I used to live near there, and drove by it many times.

http://www.morningread.com/features/0e18fee1-89ff-4cfc-91cf-00d6033a4da1

That article states that it was because of money that the R&A didn't get the Walker Cup televised live. I would have thought that whoever tied up the Open Championship deal should have included the Walker Cup. Anyway, on a turnover of £90,827,000 the R&A made a profit after tax of £8,276,000 in 2018. I think they could have spent some of that £8 million.......

GPB wrote:With Rory winning the RoY over Koepka, can we put the bed the allegations of jingoism on the PGATour.

Yup, he won POTY also, though can't fathom that.

Apparently the votes are a closely guarded secret, but I wonder if Rory"s "I wanted to try and bring my best every single week I played" offers a hint?

GPB wrote:With Rory winning the RoY PoY over Koepka, can we put the bed the allegations of jingoism on the PGATour.

edit Poy not RoY

GPB wrote:Relatively speaking, not many.  Just like not very many know about F1 racing, or cricket matches, or even Man U soccer games.

And only Tennis fans know that the US Open is happening right now

Basketball fans know about the World Cup, and tennis fans know about the US Open

The fans that care, know.  Those that don't care, don't know.  Same thing about Golf, NFL Football, and every other sport.

But how much will (US for instance) Basketball fans care/know about the World Cup now?

rhetorical? because how I would I know such a thing?

GPB wrote:rhetorical?  because how I would I know such a thing?

Well you claimed to know earlier.

super_realist wrote:

GPB wrote:rhetorical?  because how I would I know such a thing?

Well you claimed to know earlier.

Ok, my answer is somewhere in between "a little" and "a lot"

Does that help?

PoY honours, a very tough decision as both Brooks and Rory had an excellent year. A great standard of golf this year. I did like the way the trophy was presented to Rory though, class!!
If anyone hasn't seen it -
https://twitter.com/jacknicklaus/status/1171957848454115328?s=09

Good for Rory getting PoY. Well deserved. (And no ... it likely won't stop the anti-Euro conspiracy theorists who see goblins in their peanut butter. Yawn.)

Now Rory, you're a full Jedi and your training is complete. Time to win Augusta. I'll have money riding on you.

Sr,
You must have had a sneak preview of my latest Notes.
(PS: Why is PHL such a god-awful place for international arrivals? There's always something, or in the past few years at least two things, including the return trip for connecting travellers thru security.)

Agree ... PHL is awful for incoming international. I have Global Entry and it still stinks. City of Brotherly Love? Maybe it's something in the "wadder" here.

GPB - I have played Seminole a couple of times. Some amazing holes and a special place. Hope it does get TV coverage.