The Tour Championship - 2022

[fixyurdivot]

And then there was one.  The last event of the season, the grand finale, the FedEx Cup winner. The top 30 players will get after it at Eastlake GC in Atlanta next week.  The winner will take home $18,000,000... wowzah!  Can Patrick get it done?  He sure looks like he's peaking at just the right time... seems like we've seen this movie before .  The "starting strokes" always seems odd to me; count me amongst those who would prefer the event is played like every other event of the season. 

I'm going to go with my one of my two FTx Cameron's making this event - Cameron Young.  Who are you picking to win?

[LICC]

The starting strokes is ridiculous. I would like to see them use a composite three-tournament score to determine the winner.

And I know it is important to sponsors that the tournament be held in Atlanta, and the Bobby Jones connection is good, but it seems like East Lake could use a renovation to make it more interesting.

Edited August 22, 2022 by LICC

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

I'm pulling for anyone but Cantly. Hoping Zalatoris is healthy enough to compete and make a run. Would be impressive for Finau to pull it off. Sleeper of Adam Scott. Would be hard for him to do it but would be a huge boost for LAB Golf.

[GolfSpy TCB]

Lot's of my favorites on that list...

I would like to see Scottie Scheffler cap of his amazing year with the Tour Championship.   4 - Wins this season including the Masters / 4 - 2nd place finishes including the US Open.  I usually pick Cameron Smith... and it was hard not to for this week.  For my longshot... Sahith Theegala.  That guy can PLAY!

[Kenny B]

McIlroy is pi$$ed after his lackluster play at the BMW.  He will be on fire!!  He also seems to like Eastlake.

My sleeper is Jordan Spieth... I don't know why I would pick him when he seems to have one horrible round in most tournaments.  Maybe this time he will be solid.

[fixyurdivot]

1 hour ago, Kenny B said:

McIlroy is pi$$ed after his lackluster play at the BMW.  He will be on fire!!  He also seems to like Eastlake.

My sleeper is Jordan Spieth... I don't know why I would pick him when he seems to have one horrible round in most tournaments.  Maybe this time he will be solid.

And with this post, Rory and Jordan's hopes at making a $15,000,000 deposit into their bank accounts is dashed .  

[Kenny B]

1 hour ago, fixyurdivot said:

And with this post, Rory and Jordan's hopes at making a $15,000,000 deposit into their bank accounts is dashed .  

So true!!  But I couldn't say who I REALLY think will win... could I??

[RDel90]

7 hours ago, Vegan_Golfer_PNW said:

I'm pulling for anyone but Cantly.

+1 I just don't like Cantlay. He's just such a goober.

I'll be up there but won't be able to stay for the Tourney like last year . My coworkers will be there all weekend. 

[FrogginBullfish]

Getting a bit annoyed with all of the complaints about the playoffs. Don't get me wrong, I don't much like the staggered starting scores for the Tour Championship but it is a simpler solution to the original format.

That being said, these guys complaining that the points in the playoffs are too weighted so that all a guy has to do is get hot in the playoffs to win the FedEx Cup rather than having season long excellence are fundamentally misunderstanding the point of playoffs, imo. It's also hilarious when they compare the staggered starting scores to the NFL saying the top ranked team wouldn't get spotted two TDs or whatever at the start of the Super Bowl. Sure, that never happens but guess what does? The top team in each conference in the regular season get a bye week but if they lose at all during the playoffs, they don't win the Super Bowl.

The reward for season long excellence is playing in the playoffs. The best of the best should receive some kind of reward for sure come playoff time, be it a bye or something else, but to say the FedEx Cup playoffs are flawed cause a guy could win every regular season tournament and not win the FedEx Cup cause someone got hot in the playoffs is silly. The Patriots lost a Super Bowl while 18-0 to a team that was 10-6 in the regular season. That's how playoffs work.

I do think there's a better solution to combat things however. Maybe a three tournament playoff where say the top 16 in regular season standings get automatic byes into the second tournament but there's no points come the playoffs. If you finish in the top whatever of the field you make it to the next tournament. Winner takes all. I think that would be a true playoffs format personally. Also, maybe to combat someone attempting to make the playoffs by just playing every week, maybe take an average point value of a player's top 15 or 20 (with some allowances for injury or whatever) events played to reward the players who were the most consistent throughout the regular season.

This could all be moot anyway depending on what Tiger and Rory's plan is for the future of the PGA Tour but I just find some of the complaints silly. The reward for season long excellence is making the playoffs plus winning any potential season long awards, and all the cash earnings that come with doing well on the Tour.

/End rant

 

[Middler]

5 hours ago, FrogginBullfish said:

Getting a bit annoyed with all of the complaints about the playoffs. Don't get me wrong, I don't much like the staggered starting scores for the Tour Championship but it is a simpler solution to the original format.

That being said, these guys complaining that the points in the playoffs are too weighted so that all a guy has to do is get hot in the playoffs to win the FedEx Cup rather than having season long excellence are fundamentally misunderstanding the point of playoffs, imo. It's also hilarious when they compare the staggered starting scores to the NFL saying the top ranked team wouldn't get spotted two TDs or whatever at the start of the Super Bowl. Sure, that never happens but guess what does? The top team in each conference in the regular season get a bye week but if they lose at all during the playoffs, they don't win the Super Bowl.

+1. For those who don't like the current format, what exactly would you suggest? The previous format certainly didn't make any sense with one player winning the tournament at East Lake and $1.6M over the 30 best players, and often another player entirely winning the FedEx Cup and $10M?

What was supposed to be the penultimate event up to 2018, led to a winner who was totally over shadowed by the Cup winner.

There is no obvious solution, what they're doing makes some sense, and every player knows the format when the season starts so hard to say it's somehow unfair. As long as the FedEx Cup winner is also the winner at East Lake, there are quite a few formats that could make sense.

[Shapotomous]

I also don't like the staggered scores to start.  One of the talking heads has an idea that the East Lake tourney would run from Wed through Sat with its own winner and then take the top 4 in Fed Ex standings for a match play event on Sunday.  1 v 4 and 2 v 3 in the morning with the winners of those matches playing in the afternoon for the FedEx Cup & $15M.  

I like this idea more than the staggered scores and using match play makes it easy for the fans to know who is leading without all the math that used to be involved in the points.

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

40 minutes ago, Shapotomous said:

I also don't like the staggered scores to start.  One of the talking heads has an idea that the East Lake tourney would run from Wed through Sat with its own winner and then take the top 4 in Fed Ex standings for a match play event on Sunday.  1 v 4 and 2 v 3 in the morning with the winners of those matches playing in the afternoon for the FedEx Cup & $15M.  

I like this idea more than the staggered scores and using match play makes it easy for the fans to know who is leading without all the math that used to be involved in the points.

I was just gonna suggest a match play format of some sort. Either that or bracket it where 20-30 play match play Thursday. Then they play 15-20 Friday. Then those winners plus the rest of the field play a two day stroke event? Either that or your idea like the WGC Bridgestone match play. 

[fixyurdivot]

Some interesting ideas on the format.  I say play it straight up like every other stroke play event in the season.  No such handicap system is used all season long. That's how they all got to the top 30 event, so why the need for bonus strokes (aka handicap system)?  This is a fairly recent change I believe? Anyone know who came up with this handicap format?  One could argue that it should be used more like the amateur system... #1 gives #30 some strokes.  

One tour fan favorite does not agree with the current format.  

Jon Rahm Speaks for the Entire Golf World by Ruthlessly Blasting the FedEx Cup Point System (sportscasting.com)

[Middler]

28 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

Some interesting ideas on the format.  I say play it straight up like every other stroke play event in the season.  No such handicap system is used all season long. That's how they all got to the top 30 event, so why the need for bonus strokes (aka handicap system)?  This is a fairly recent change I believe? Anyone know who came up with this handicap format?  One could argue that it should be used more like the amateur system... #1 gives #30 some strokes.  

One tour fan favorite does not agree with the current format.  

Jon Rahm Speaks for the Entire Golf World by Ruthlessly Blasting the FedEx Cup Point System (sportscasting.com)

Obviously the PGA came up with the format change starting in 2019. The old format was awkward, so is the new in another way. There will always be players who like one format or another, so one players comments don’t mean much.

Again, what’s a better fairer system that doesn’t result in two winners, with the tournament winner getting a relatively small purse? Those who point to the Super Bowl, etc. - would you approve of two winners for the Super Bowl, where the game winner got a smaller prize?

I guess “straight up” with bigger points being awarded for places at East Lake would work - but that’s a lot like the stroke advantage system they’re now using. Straight up the #1 player would have the most points to start, not entirely different than starting with a 2 to 10 stroke advantage over the rest of the field. Except viewers can understand leaderboards with strokes vs par, and it avoids two winners. No easy answer… [On second thought, maybe the bigger points in the playoffs is part of the problem. If the three playoff events had points like the majors, there wouldn’t be such a large point difference going in to, or after East Lake. But you still have the two winner issue…]

Quote

This was done so that whoever wins the Tour Championship automatically wins the FedEx Cup. It will prevent situations like last season where Xander Schauffele won the Tour Championship, but Justin Thomas won the FedEx Cup.

”As soon as the Tour Championship begins, any fan -- no matter if they've followed the PGA Tour all season or are just tuning in for the final event -- can immediately understand what's going on and what's at stake for every single player in the field.

It's a bit odd, especially considering somebody in last place could theoretically beat the golfer in first by nine strokes and lose the event, but I think overall it works. It's far less convoluted than the previous system and it smooths out the awkwardness of having two champs -- one for the Tour Championship and one for the FedEx Cup -- at East Lake.

"It's going to be different for sure," last year's FedEx Cup winner Justin Thomas said. "I liked the way that it is now, but like anything, you're just going to have to get used to it and ... we're just going to have to become comfortable with it because that's the way it is. Hopefully -- I'm sure it will -- it will produce a lot of great drama and a very deserving winner."

 

[DiscipleofPenick]

+1 for Match Play. I know we have the WGC in Austin, but this is chapionship. A 32 player bracket for $15 million?? Sign me up.

[vandyland]

9 minutes ago, DiscipleofPenick said:

+1 for Match Play. I know we have the WGC in Austin, but this is chapionship. A 32 player bracket for $15 million?? Sign me up.

As a side note they really ruined that tournament by introducing pool play. A straight up single elimination bracket is sooooooo much better. The tour is just scared some a weaker player gets hot and takes out the more popular guys...guess what...that's tournament golf!

 

[LICC]

3 hours ago, Shapotomous said:

I also don't like the staggered scores to start.  One of the talking heads has an idea that the East Lake tourney would run from Wed through Sat with its own winner and then take the top 4 in Fed Ex standings for a match play event on Sunday.  1 v 4 and 2 v 3 in the morning with the winners of those matches playing in the afternoon for the FedEx Cup & $15M.  

I like this idea more than the staggered scores and using match play makes it easy for the fans to know who is leading without all the math that used to be involved in the points.

This would be great for die-hard golf fans, but the TV networks wouldn't like it. Not sure the players would like it either.

[LICC]

2 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:

Some interesting ideas on the format.  I say play it straight up like every other stroke play event in the season.  No such handicap system is used all season long. That's how they all got to the top 30 event, so why the need for bonus strokes (aka handicap system)?  This is a fairly recent change I believe? Anyone know who came up with this handicap format?  One could argue that it should be used more like the amateur system... #1 gives #30 some strokes.  

One tour fan favorite does not agree with the current format.  

Jon Rahm Speaks for the Entire Golf World by Ruthlessly Blasting the FedEx Cup Point System (sportscasting.com)

I think this would be better than the staggered starting scores. Use the points to get to the final 30, then play it straight. I suggested using the aggregate scores from the prior two tournaments to really make it a differentiator and make all the playoff tournaments matter to finding the Fedex Cup winner.

[Hobert]

Zalatoris out

[Middler]

5 hours ago, LICC said:

I think this would be better than the staggered starting scores. Use the points to get to the final 30, then play it straight. I suggested using the aggregate scores from the prior two tournaments to really make it a differentiator and make all the playoff tournaments matter to finding the Fedex Cup winner.

So the leaderboard at East Lake would have to be projected total points, and strokes to par wouldn't win anything? The alternative should be such that there are NOT two winners.

Hopefully everyone can acknowledge that two winners, with the tournament winner getting a much smaller prize, was awkward or worse.

Again, the Super Bowl analogy. The old FedEx format acknowledged the SB game winner, but gave a much bigger prize to the team with best win-loss record for the season through playoffs. Kinda diminishes the SB...Jon Rahm wouldn't like it.

As an aside, I am sure the PGA likes the FedEx season points totals because it stops players from skipping too many tournaments, in the interest of racking up points.

[cnosil]

35 minutes ago, Middler said:

So the leaderboard at East Lake would have to be projected total points, and strokes to par wouldn't win anything? The alternative should be such that there are NOT two winners.

Hopefully everyone can acknowledge that two winners, with the tournament winner getting a much smaller prize, was awkward or worse.

Again, the Super Bowl analogy. The old FedEx format acknowledged the SB game winner, but gave a much bigger prize to the team with best win-loss record for the season through playoffs. Kinda diminishes the SB...Jon Rahm wouldn't like it.

As an aside, I am sure the PGA likes the FedEx season points totals because it stops players from skipping too many tournaments, in the interest of racking up points.

Make it all or nothing.  The top 30 gets you into the final event and only 1 person wins anything and that is the winner of the Tour Championship.  Everyone else goes home empty handed.  

[LICC]

1 hour ago, Middler said:

So the leaderboard at East Lake would have to be projected total points, and strokes to par wouldn't win anything? The alternative should be such that there are NOT two winners.

Hopefully everyone can acknowledge that two winners, with the tournament winner getting a much smaller prize, was awkward or worse.

Again, the Super Bowl analogy. The old FedEx format acknowledged the SB game winner, but gave a much bigger prize to the team with best win-loss record for the season through playoffs. Kinda diminishes the SB...Jon Rahm wouldn't like it.

As an aside, I am sure the PGA likes the FedEx season points totals because it stops players from skipping too many tournaments, in the interest of racking up points.

No, I would make the winner of the FedEx Cup the person with the lowest combined score of all three playoff events. 

[Middler]

38 minutes ago, LICC said:

No, I would make the winner of the FedEx Cup the person with the lowest combined score of all three playoff events. 

So what would FedEx points and all the tournaments before the three Cup events count for? Nothing?

[LICC]

8 minutes ago, Middler said:

So what would FedEx points and all the tournaments before the three Cup events count for? Nothing?

It would count for determining the 30 that make it to the final tournament. 

[Rickp]

Going to be an interesting weekend.  Like a few others I don’t care for the staggered score start but PGA Tour didn’t ask me, go Rory!!

[LICC]

50 minutes ago, Rickp said:

Going to be an interesting weekend.  Like a few others I don’t care for the staggered score start but PGA Tour didn’t ask me, go Rory!!

Another option is play the Tour Championship Wednesday to Saturday, then the top 6 or 8 in points play 18 the next day for the FedEx Cup. 

[Rickp]

2 minutes ago, LICC said:

Another option is play the Tour Championship Wednesday to Saturday, then the top 6 or 8 in points play 18 the next day for the FedEx Cup. 

Interesting though.

[Middler]

15 hours ago, LICC said:

It would count for determining the 30 that make it to the final tournament. 

So you'd keep it as is, then retroactively combine the strokes under par from the two playoffs and East Lake for the final 30 to determine the FedEx Cup winner? So we're back to two potential winners, East Lake and the FedEx, in which case they could've just left things as is pre 2019. Improvement?

[LICC]

1 hour ago, Middler said:

So you'd keep it as is, then retroactively combine the strokes under par from the two playoffs and East Lake for the final 30 to determine the FedEx Cup winner? So we're back to two potential winners, East Lake and the FedEx, in which case they could've just left things as is pre 2019. Improvement?

No, the East Lake winner would be the Fedex winner. The adjusted scoring would be based on the aggregate playoff scores. He would be a 12-round champion. 

Alternatively, as I mentioned above, I like the idea of finishing the East Lake tournament on Saturday, and having the top 6 in points play 18 on Sunday for the Fedex Cup winner.

[GolfSpy SAM]

19 hours ago, cnosil said:

Make it all or nothing.  The top 30 gets you into the final event and only 1 person wins anything and that is the winner of the Tour Championship.  Everyone else goes home empty handed.  

I get the feeling you watch a lot of Mad Max: Thunderdome   30 men enter, 1 man leaves. 

I'm bummed Zalatoris won't be playing - such a likeable kid, and so fun to watch.  I would LOVE to see Finau finally break through here, but no one deserves this more than Sheffler - the kid has been exceptional all year, it'd be fantastic to see him take this home.  I just don't need to hear any more stories about him being "down home" and driving a 20 year old truck - someone please buy him a freaking Rivian or something so I can stop hearing the "Andy Griffith theme song" every time I see him