2019 Tour Championship

[dalehead]

The handicapping is an attempt to insure that the winner of the Tour Championship wins the Fed Ex Cup. No more two winners. So why not skip the play off charade and go straight to the Tour ch?> @stanger37 said:

> Koepka's putting coach was on Breed this morning talking about the system and what he would be telling his team and I thought it was a decent approach to keep your mind open. THOUGH I will say, how often has it actually happened?

>

> "The Master's after 36 holes keeps those within 10 strokes of the lead. You have 72 holes this week to make up that ground, where as the Master's gives you 36." With the outlier being, which we have all said, JT goes out and shoots 64-66, this weekend is a big fail for FedEx and the PGA. I want to see how it plays out, but I still am skeptical.

 

I'm rooting for this. I'd like to see JT win the tournament and the Fed Ex Cup and if he blows up the tournament by going low the first two rounds so much the better. Highlight how ridiculous the format is. Second choice is Patrick Cantlay wins. I know he's not well liked here but give him credit for playing some top flight golf this year.

[NJpatbee]

I do not like the new format but hopefully we will see some great golf. I was glad to see JT get a win but based on his season should he start with -10? I don't think so. The PGA Tour and FedEx are desperate to make the "race to the FedEx Cup" important but they have diluted the entire season for the Tour Championship.

[nicelife]

It's the opposite of handicaps.

[Darth Putter]

> @Hankshank said:

> > @Dicka said:

> > $15,000,000 to the winner is obscene.

> I remember when Watson won 315.000 back in 93 or something like that. I felt like that was the limit.

 

$360,000 in 1987.

 

 

[Darth Putter]

As far as the money title goes, Brooks has already won that at just less than $10,000,000.

 

They are not playing for official money at the Tour Championship this year, just bonus money.

 

 

[Kookaburra1966]

Let's just call it the "TOUR Championship Final for the FedEx Cup". Not a tournament, but an artifice to wrap the season up and distribute cash. Don't actually mind the whole handicap idea so long as no-one pretends it's an actual tournament in its own right. The "winner" might get five years' exemption based on the season's body of work but no official "win" as such.

 

But the points as they stand are way out of whack, as many other posters point out. My humble suggestion:

* Majors: Masters, US PGA, US Open, The Open - 1000

* WGCs, Players', Playoff series (Western Open, GHO): 600

* Tier 1 TOUR events - Bay Hill, Colonial, Memorial, Charlotte: 500

* Tier 2 TOUR events - the rest except opposite-field events: 400

* Tier 3 TOUR events - opposite field events: 350

 

To extend the process, let's set the secondary (currently the Korn Ferry) Tour events at, say, 350 points (the same as the opposite-field events), and have both TOUR and KFT points carry over into their Finals series. Those events could be 500 point events. Anyone on the KFT that scores points on the TOUR or in the Majors keep those points to count towards The 25/ Finals/ Next 25 qualification.

Thoughts?

 

[2putttom]

^ you've spent too much time in the outback under the burning sun

[MountainGoat]

Nobody thought much of the Super Bowl the first few years, either. But, it has gained world-wide acceptance since then. Give this new format a few years.

[nichho]

> @MountainGoat said:

> Nobody thought much of the Super Bowl the first few years, either. But, it has gained world-wide acceptance since then. **Give this new format a few years. **

 

That would be a bit difficult as the PGA Tour change the format year after year, and I'm sure that they will again.

[MountainGoat]

> @nichho said:

> > @MountainGoat said:

> > Nobody thought much of the Super Bowl the first few years, either. But, it has gained world-wide acceptance since then. **Give this new format a few years. **

>

> That would be a bit difficult as the PGA Tour change the format year after year, and I'm sure that they will again.

My bet is that they keep the format but alter the points to put more emphasis on majors.

 

[nichho]

> @MountainGoat said:

> > @nichho said:

> > > @MountainGoat said:

> > > Nobody thought much of the Super Bowl the first few years, either. But, it has gained world-wide acceptance since then. **Give this new format a few years. **

> >

> > That would be a bit difficult as the PGA Tour change the format year after year, and I'm sure that they will again.

> My bet is that they keep the format but alter the points to put more emphasis on majors.

>

I suppose that the reality is that the future depends totally on what happens this weekend, who wins and how that winner is received. Sky Sports are already on full positivity mode with the closest thing to a negative comment being Rory's interview, but the presenters appear to be in full gush mode fully committed to selling the product. Let's see what happens.

 

[QuigleyDU]

I like that they are trying something a bit different to make it easier to understand. I hope they can tweak it so that it feels a little less artificial and has some more meaning to it.

[iutodd]

> @musclefront said:

> > @TomBomb51 said:

> > > @snizzle said:

> > > > @"Blade Junkie" said:

> > > > Just a stupid gimmick on top of a stupid gimmick for me.

> > > > And the Masters champion and The Open champion missing from the Top 30 ? ... OK then ....

> > >

> > > Something seems off when Koepka isn't the clear #1 seed entering this event after the season he just had esp at the Majors. This tells me they don't weigh the Majors heavily enough with the FedEx point scoring..

> > > As already mentioned above, the winner of the Northern Trust gets 2000 points but the winner of the Masters and Opens only gets 600 for the win?

> > > By no means am I some huge Koepka fanatic but every casual golf fan on the planet knows that Brooks had the best season and the OWGR reflects it too.

> >

> > When you have some consistency like Rory, 13 top 10s in 18 events with 2 wins and a runner up...Or someone like Brooks who has 8 top 10s, 3 wins and 3 runner ups (most of this being majors at that)...then JT who comes in and wins one tournament that happens to be just before the Tour Championship, who was injured and only had 6 top 10s AND his win was at a course that every pro said was EASY?? I just dont see how any of it makes sense...at all. Apparently a stellar and consistent season doesnt equal first in FedEx cup points...

>

> Exactly. Reed stunk all year wins one event and was number 2 while Rory was consistent all year. They just can’t get it right

 

That’s the playoffs! The whole point is that if you get in and if you start to play well then you can go all the way.

 

However I think the points are dumb. I would say...points matter to get into the playoffs then after that...it’s literally just about your position that week. Want to make the BMW? Finish in the top-70 at the NT. 6 guys finish T-68? A 6 for 2 sudden death playoff. Then the top 30 at the BMW make the Tour Championship. Can you imagine a 5 for 1 playoff to make the 30th spot at the Tour Championship? That would be pretty cool imo. Then whoever wins the Tour Championship wins the Cup.

 

The thing they can’t figure out is how to give an advantage to the top performing guys in the playoffs (which is what this dumb scoring system is trying to do). The NFL has bye weeks and other sports have seeding so the top teams play weaker teams which gives them a chance to advance. Maybe the top 15 at the end of the regular season are guaranteed entry into the BMW? Then you’d have 110 guys at the NT playing for 55 spots which seems fun. They have the Wyndham rewards already as bonus money at the end of the season - so the top 15 guys wouldn’t miss the paycheck of an extra event.

 

Also this new schedule is making rest weeks a priority so this makes some sense to me.

 

I don’t know. To me a true playoff system rewards those who are playing well.

[nsxguy]

Oopsie, I think that should be a PAR for Matsu.

[third-times-a-charm]

Is everyones driver broken today? They're just spraying and praying off the tee boxes today....

[MountainGoat]

What in the world is going on with DJ?!

[KrazyTrain18]

Was really looking forward to watching Adam & DJ on the featured coverage today....only for them to be dropped after 9 holes for a pairing thats being shown 24/ on normal broadcast anyway.

[QuigleyDU]

seems like everyone is closing the gap on Thomas.

[North Butte]

> @third-times-a-charm said:

> Is everyones driver broken today? They're just spraying and praying off the tee boxes today....

 

It's the new strategy called "Bomb and Curse" aka "Shock and Aw Shucks".

[gvogel]

> @third-times-a-charm said:

> Is everyones driver broken today? They're just spraying and praying off the tee boxes today....

 

Are they already choking over $15M?

[QuigleyDU]

> @"North Butte" said:

> > @third-times-a-charm said:

> > Is everyones driver broken today? They're just spraying and praying off the tee boxes today....

>

> It's the new strategy called "Bomb and Curse" aka "Shock and Aw Shucks".

 

But i thought the ball just went straight these days....

[wcbjr]

A horseshoe lipout is "more than a 360". Ok.

[North Butte]

> @wcbjr said:

> A horseshoe lipout is "more than a 360". Ok.

 

I guess that strategy is called "Putt and Hype".

[gioguy21]

the fellas be like..."hi DJ...bye DJ"


 

 

 

[SkiSchoolPro]

> @Kookaburra1966 said:

> Let's just call it the "TOUR Championship Final for the FedEx Cup". Not a tournament, but an artifice to wrap the season up and distribute cash. Don't actually mind the whole handicap idea so long as no-one pretends it's an actual tournament in its own right. The "winner" might get five years' exemption based on the season's body of work but no official "win" as such.

>

> But the points as they stand are way out of whack, as many other posters point out. My humble suggestion:

> * Majors: Masters, US PGA, US Open, The Open - 1000

> * WGCs, Players', Playoff series (Western Open, GHO): 600

> * Tier 1 TOUR events - Bay Hill, Colonial, Memorial, Charlotte: 500

> * Tier 2 TOUR events - the rest except opposite-field events: 400

> * Tier 3 TOUR events - opposite field events: 350

>

> To extend the process, let's set the secondary (currently the Korn Ferry) Tour events at, say, 350 points (the same as the opposite-field events), and have both TOUR and KFT points carry over into their Finals series. Those events could be 500 point events. Anyone on the KFT that scores points on the TOUR or in the Majors keep those points to count towards The 25/ Finals/ Next 25 qualification.

> Thoughts?

>

 

I like it although I think you may have too much for Opposite field (why not leave it at 300?) and KF (should probably be less than Opposite Field)...I have advocated that they should have points on both tours as you get guys who play on both tours with respectable results who might barely miss out on a card or making the KF finals to a player who didn't have as good a season, but concentrated on a single tour.

[stanger37]

If you are NOT in red figures today. You should be cut. Send those guys home, absolute zero point in sticking around.

[gioguy21]

> @stanger37 said:

> If you are NOT in red figures today. You should be cut. Send those guys home, absolute zero point in sticking around.

 

one bad round does not a tournament make.

[MilkyButterCuts]

Xander!!

[seis]

Watching Cantalay and Schauffle about as exciting as watching paint dry. With all the commercials and these two leading it’s going to be tedious watching to say the least. At least Xander showed up on Feherty the other night. A little bit of life there...

[BlackM00Nlight]

Anyone know what’s on Brooks’ left shoe?