FedEx Final 30 Format

[smashdn]

8 hours ago, disco111 said:

Not really, prior it was points accumulated that determined the FedEx champ and players still had the chance to win the East Lake tournament. Under this new format, those that are not in the top 10 have a more than difficult chance on winning the tournament, when they have to spot their peers strokes. I would'nt want to start 10/8 strokes behind DJ or Rahm and think, I've got a chance at winning. Remember the year that Rose won by points and Tiger won the tournament. Everybody started the tournament even stroke wise, but this format puts too many players way behind the power curve...............Just my opinion and I see where others like this set up, I just don't see the plus to any of it.......  

 

To your point I think this is their way of avoiding the awkward situation where you have a different winner of the tournament and the fed ex cup.  That was a weird optic.  Even worse I think was when the Fed ex cup winner was decided at tournament three and the Tour Championship was rendered moot.

 

They're trying to have their cake and eat it too.  I just don't know that [stroke play] golf lends itself well to this playoff business.  And I have already mentioned the vagaries of match play format.  It would likely be less of a guarantee that "the season's best golfer" won the event. 

[Sean2]

I am not to crazy about it, but I suppose it's the only way to reward players who racked up FedEx cup points during the season. 

[Holy Moses]

8 hours ago, disco111 said:

Not really, prior it was points accumulated that determined the FedEx champ and players still had the chance to win the East Lake tournament. Under this new format, those that are not in the top 10 have a more than difficult chance on winning the tournament, when they have to spot their peers strokes. I would'nt want to start 10/8 strokes behind DJ or Rahm and think, I've got a chance at winning. Remember the year that Rose won by points and Tiger won the tournament. Everybody started the tournament even stroke wise, but this format puts too many players way behind the power curve...............Just my opinion and I see where others like this set up, I just don't see the plus to any of it.......  

It doesn’t put them behind the curve any more than year’s past. The strokes you are behind is pretty much reflective of points behind prior to 2019. 
 

“If you applied this new format to the last 10 years, only one FedExCup champion would have definitely changed, and another would have needed a playoff to come out on top...”

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.pgatour.com/tour-insider/2019/08/07/new-tour-championship-format-aims-provide-excitement-fedexcup-playoffs-east-lake-golf-club.amp.html

[disco111]

37 minutes ago, Holy Moses said:

It doesn’t put them behind the curve any more than year’s past. The strokes you are behind is pretty much reflective of points behind prior to 2019. 
 

“If you applied this new format to the last 10 years, only one FedExCup champion would have definitely changed, and another would have needed a playoff to come out on top...”

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.pgatour.com/tour-insider/2019/08/07/new-tour-championship-format-aims-provide-excitement-fedexcup-playoffs-east-lake-golf-club.amp.html

My reference was about the ability to win the /a tournament, not the overall points winning FedEx cup. I reiterate that being 10 strokes down to the likes of DJ before the darn thing even starts gives the bottom rung guys very little if any chance to win a tournament. Points and strokes are two very different aspects and one (points) has no bearing on the ability to actually win a stroke play event. I'm more than sure that the lower rung guys would love to win and it would certainly be possible, except for that hdcp'ing format. In truth, this is nothing more than a big payday for the top 10 and a not so bad paycheck for the rest of the field.  

[ZettyMcGoo]

I like the idea of having playoffs. Those are the best games to watch in NBA, NHL, NFL because they mean the most. In golf its the majors that are more similar to playoffs then the actual playoffs themselves. I think it would be hard to find a system that can get on that level but it would be really cool if they did. I personally would love a top-32 match play, kind of like march madness style. I love the head to head competition aspect of match play. It is more of you vs. your opponent than you vs. the golf course. Match play would also be something completely different  than stroke play so it could give that major type feeling if it was hyped up and became its own thing. 

 

Also I don't like the handicap. You play the regular season to get in the playoffs and then once you make the playoffs it should be a clean slate. Golf would be great for that because there is so little parity between players. I like to compare it to NHL. Just because you are the best regular season team means nothing in the playoffs. Tampa was #1 seed last year and a heavy favorite... They got swept by the 8 seed. 

 

This is just my opinion but I would love for golf to somehow get that "playoff" feeling that other sports have

[Titleist99]

17 minutes ago, ZettyMcGoo said:

I like the idea of having playoffs. Those are the best games to watch in NBA, NHL, NFL because they mean the most. In golf its the majors that are more similar to playoffs then the actual playoffs themselves. I think it would be hard to find a system that can get on that level but it would be really cool if they did. I personally would love a top-32 match play, kind of like march madness style. I love the head to head competition aspect of match play. It is more of you vs. your opponent than you vs. the golf course. Match play would also be something completely different  than stroke play so it could give that major type feeling if it was hyped up and became its own thing. 

 

Also I don't like the handicap. You play the regular season to get in the playoffs and then once you make the playoffs it should be a clean slate. Golf would be great for that because there is so little parity between players. I like to compare it to NHL. Just because you are the best regular season team means nothing in the playoffs. Tampa was #1 seed last year and a heavy favorite... They got swept by the 8 seed. 

 

This is just my opinion but I would love for golf to somehow get that "playoff" feeling that other sports have

Sports follow the money$$ match play in golf is not conducive to high tv ratings.....and everything is about sponsors and ratings...

Edited September 2, 2020 by Titleist99

[oikos1]

It completely makes sense.  For television.  The top guys on the official money list for the season are the ones getting the strokes.  If they played for total earnings, which would make the most sense but would lack any drama, and the winners payout was $2,000,000, only the top 5 as it stands now would have a shot at winning.

 

Golf has it's four majors.  This is a bit overkill.  Just give a reward for total season earnings and be done with it.

Edited September 2, 2020 by oikos1

[FairwaysToHeaven]

i'd prefer a pod system with the final 32 players broken into 8 pods of 4. match play of 27 holes against each player in the pod would equal 81 holes if every match went the distance. assume the average is less. that nearly 4 rounds. then add a primetime event where 8 guys handicapped by match play record square off over two days, saturday and monday similar to college basketball. first two rounds of 18 hole match play saturday, while monday is 36 holes. 

 

anyone ready for the 2021 season opener in a week lol

[ZettyMcGoo]

1 hour ago, Titleist99 said:

Sports follow the money$$ match play in golf is not conducive to high tv ratings.....and everything is about sponsors and ratings...

Ya that is very true. You don't think there is a way match play could get that hype to get the ratings? I think if it was done correctly it could get ryder cup style hype and become something really cool and different that everyone wants to watch. I think of a sunday match between two premiere players for 15 mil... could be one of the most watched golf events all year. id prefer that over watching DJ have a 5 stroke lead starting the tournament

[Titleist99]

10 minutes ago, ZettyMcGoo said:

Ya that is very true. You don't think there is a way match play could get that hype to get the ratings? I think if it was done correctly it could get ryder cup style hype and become something really cool and different that everyone wants to watch. I think of a sunday match between two premiere players for 15 mil... could be one of the most watched golf events all year. id prefer that over watching DJ have a 5 stroke lead starting the tournament

The problem is that you rarely get premier matches. Imagine the sponsors getting Jim Herman and Ryan Brehm in the final match, that's their worst nightmare.....

[Bad9]

1 hour ago, ZettyMcGoo said:

I like to compare it to NHL. Just because you are the best regular season team means nothing in the playoffs. Tampa was #1 seed last year and a heavy favorite... They got swept by the 8 seed. 

 

This is just my opinion but I would love for golf to somehow get that "playoff" feeling that other sports have

 

Totally agree. Pro golf and its tv partners seem to be terrified of this outcome.

[FairwaysToHeaven]

41 minutes ago, Bad9 said:

 

Totally agree. Pro golf and its tv partners seem to be terrified of this outcome.

 

its always a possibility, but its worst case scenario and assuming the best players have enough holes in match play (27 vs 18) would increase the likelihood better player wins. compare this to DJ going low day 1 and having substantial lead over pack. 

 

personally, with the amount of money involved, i'd love to see a lesser known name going up against a Rahm, DJ, or Rory. even two Cinderellas where the nerves of a paycheck that affects them more than a top player would be fun to watch. it all comes down to how the TV producers package the production. If you advertise correct, you could get viewers to watch Herman vs Brehm if they present some features on their backgrounds, lifestyle, etc. 

[Holy Moses]

6 hours ago, disco111 said:

My reference was about the ability to win the /a tournament, not the overall points winning FedEx cup. I reiterate that being 10 strokes down to the likes of DJ before the darn thing even starts gives the bottom rung guys very little if any chance to win a tournament. Points and strokes are two very different aspects and one (points) has no bearing on the ability to actually win a stroke play event. I'm more than sure that the lower rung guys would love to win and it would certainly be possible, except for that hdcp'ing format. In truth, this is nothing more than a big payday for the top 10 and a not so bad paycheck for the rest of the field.  

Then play better up until the Tour Championship. In the NFL, it’s harder to win the Super Bowl without a bye (as it should be). 

[Titleist99]

30 minutes ago, Holy Moses said:

Then play better up until the Tour Championship. In the NFL, it’s harder to win the Super Bowl without a bye (as it should be). 

Not to mention that New England Patriots play in the weakest division in the history of mankind....LOL! just a little sarcasm.

[ZettyMcGoo]

6 hours ago, Titleist99 said:

The problem is that you rarely get premier matches. Imagine the sponsors getting Jim Herman and Ryan Brehm in the final match, that's their worst nightmare.....

Yes that would very much be a problem hahah

[disco111]

2 hours ago, Holy Moses said:

Then play better up until the Tour Championship. In the NFL, it’s harder to win the Super Bowl without a bye (as it should be). 

 OK skippy, not everybody can be number 1. The cut off was 30 players and becuase of the format, only 10 have a realistic chance of winning the tournament. Apparently something about this seems to elude you and making NFL references without a bye makes even less sense trying to associate it to this golf tournament. 

[Holy Moses]

30 minutes ago, disco111 said:

 OK skippy, not everybody can be number 1. The cut off was 30 players and becuase of the format, only 10 have a realistic chance of winning the tournament. Apparently something about this seems to elude you and making NFL references without a bye makes even less sense trying to associate it to this golf tournament. 

A player who is 30th best shouldn’t have a great chance to win it all. Yes, not everyone can be #1. The NFL bye makes complete sense because the better teams in the regular season have an easier time making and winning in the playoffs due to home field, just like the PGA Tour playoffs and especially the Tour Championship.

 

If the 30th-ranked player wants to win it, do well in the first two rounds and set yourself up.  The Tour shouldn’t be bending over backwards for a player that hasn’t had a fantastic season to help him win.

[Titleist99]

5 minutes ago, Holy Moses said:

A player who is 30th best shouldn’t have a great chance to win it all. Yes, not everyone can be #1. The NFL bye makes complete sense because the better teams in the regular season have an easier time making and winning in the playoffs due to home field, just like the PGA Tour playoffs and especially the Tour Championship.

 

If the 30th-ranked player wants to win it, do well in the first two rounds and set yourself up.  The Tour shouldn’t be bending over backwards for a player that hasn’t had a fantastic season to help him win.

Every year there's teams in the NBA, MLB and NFL that we know is going out in the fist round and has no chance at winning ......why should golf be any different with the bottom half of the draw.....that's how it works in sports.

[Titleist99]

For the 30th seeds to win the FedEx cup it should be the equivalent of the 64th seed beating a #1....

[Body_Visions]

Why not match play.  The final day could include matches to decide the top 10 or so.  There should be enough Fedex money to make those matches interesting.  

[disco111]

8 minutes ago, Titleist99 said:

Every year there's teams in the NBA, MLB and NFL that we know is going out in the fist round and has no chance at winning ......why should golf be any different with the bottom half of the draw.....that's how it works in sports.

It's really difficult to take these references and compare them to golf. Name any "team" in sports that going to play and starts with a deficit. Every other golf tournament (pro tour) starts with every player starting at even par, except for this FedEx joke. So it's really not how it works in sports and the tour is not bending over backwards to help non fantastic season players win. It's just the opposite, their penalizing players by not starting at even for everybody. I'm still puzzled as to why some just can't fathom this.  

 

[disco111]

21 minutes ago, Titleist99 said:

For the 30th seeds to win the FedEx cup it should be the equivalent of the 64th seed beating a #1....

He can't win the FedEx cup.......that's determined by the number of points accumulated. But now here is the problem with your statement, your using seedings of match play and in match play, yes the 64th can beat the number 1 because their playing even.............

[grm24]

23 minutes ago, disco111 said:

He can't win the FedEx cup.......that's determined by the number of points accumulated. But now here is the problem with your statement, your using seedings of match play and in match play, yes the 64th can beat the number 1 because their playing even.............

 

Yes the 30th seed can win it. The FEC points no longer are used in the FEC finals starting last year. The points were replaced by the staggered starting strokes.

 

https://www.pgatour.com/fedexcup/fedexcup-overview.html

 

At the TOUR Championship, the player with the lowest aggregate score over 72 holes when combined with his FedExCup Starting Strokes will win the TOUR Championship and also be crowned FedExCup champion. The TOUR Championship win will be considered an official victory and the FedExCup champion will also earn a bonus of $15 million and a five-year PGA TOUR exemption.

[A.Princey]

I think it should be a match-play final type, where number one gets a huge bye through to just about the last match. It would be very similar to the seeding in a conference basketball final, where the top teams don't play until Saturday or even Sunday. This final tournament, as in the Tour Championship,  should determine the FEC winner, IMO.

 

Seed 1 is automatically in final, Seed 2 is automatically in semi-final, Seed 3 is automatic bid for quarter final, etc up to however many should deserve byes, and them make the remaining up to 30 into a bracket/s that size down to meet the req'd lot. Maybe even seeds up to 10 get some sort of bye through the first round. Seeds 11-30 gotta play through to get to final match. A 30 seed would conceivably have to win say 6 matches in a row to win the FEC, including toppling #1. Something like that.

Edited September 3, 2020 by A.Princey

[freowho]

The concept that a finals system will find the best golfer of the year disrespects the richness of the game. There is no one course that can determine the "best" golfer given the variety of courses and how courses play differently depending on the season or the weather. Would Lee Trevino have ever won at East Lake? He said he didn't it high enough to have a decent chance at Augusta. 

[DavePelz4]

I'll be watching college football NFL Preseason Football Canadian Football going to a baseball game The Tour Championship.

[Titleist99]

With the new FedEx system, any of the participants can win the cup by playing lights out and getting a little help from the top players backing up.....It won't be easy but then again.......It shouldn't be.

[grm24]

49 minutes ago, Titleist99 said:

With the new FedEx system, any of the participants can win the cup by playing lights out and getting a little help from the top players backing up.....It won't be easy but then again.......It shouldn't be.

 

Last year Justin Thomas was the leader at -10 and Rory was -5. During the actual event Rory was -13 and Justin -3. There is a 10 shot difference. While it would be much more difficult for those starting at even par it could happen. The winner of the Tour Championship last year (Rory) was -13. Last place (DJ) was +13. 26 stroke difference. Wild standing swings can take place during the event. 

 

http://www.owgr.com/en/Events/EventResult.aspx?eventid=7597

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_FedEx_Cup_Playoffs#Tour_Championship

 

[disco111]

1 hour ago, grm24 said:

 

Yes the 30th seed can win it. The FEC points no longer are used in the FEC finals starting last year. The points were replaced by the staggered starting strokes.

 

https://www.pgatour.com/fedexcup/fedexcup-overview.html

 

At the TOUR Championship, the player with the lowest aggregate score over 72 holes when combined with his FedExCup Starting Strokes will win the TOUR Championship and also be crowned FedExCup champion. The TOUR Championship win will be considered an official victory and the FedExCup champion will also earn a bonus of $15 million and a five-year PGA TOUR exemption.

 I stand corrected, but it's highly improbable that from 25 to 30 has a chance to win it. For all those that like the format, more power to you. For me, well you know how I look at it and it's really not worth any further discussion.

[grm24]

1 hour ago, disco111 said:

 I stand corrected, but it's highly improbable that from 25 to 30 has a chance to win it. For all those that like the format, more power to you. For me, well you know how I look at it and it's really not worth any further discussion.

 

FWIW I think the FEC finals format is a joke. As I stated earlier no professional tour event should have essentially handicap strokes to determine a winner. 

Edited September 3, 2020 by grm24