The 45th best player in the world is now the best player on PGA tour!?

[SirSliceAlot]

Is the Fedex cup an overly-complicated farce?
I mean fair play to Bill Haas (who?), but how can a guy who is ranked 45th in the world win $10,000,000 in one weekend and be crowned the best player on the PGA Tour, it just doesn't make sense to me! He's not even close to being the best player on tour.
Absolute farcical joke in my opinion.
Your thoughts?

 

[BoadieBroadus]

i agree that the fed ex cup still needs to get its point scoring in order. they've tweaked it every year and it's still not right. haas wins one tournament and takes the whole lot? doesn't really reward consistency, just whoever has two good weeks in september.

webb simpson as second best on tour?

 

[smange]

He won a cup competition really.

No different from a football team winning the Champions League and claiming to be the best in Europe even though they didnt win their own league to qualify the previous year or the year they win Champions League.

Every golfer on the tour starts the year with a chance to win it and they know what it takes to win it, if they dont they can only blame themselves.

Fair play to him I say

 

[One Planer]

i agree that the fed ex cup still needs to get its point scoring in order. they've tweaked it every year and it's still not right. haas wins one tournament and takes the whole lot? doesn't really reward consistency, just whoever has two good weeks in september.

webb simpson as second best on tour?

Totally agree about the scoring system. Does seem stupid that 1 win, in the final event, dicates the money winner for the year.

You could basically scrape through on the cut line for every tournament to the final 30, have the week of your life and pocket the prize, daft!

 

[Junior]

The PGA are trying to create a flagship (spectacle) event that gives anyone who makes the playoffs a chance to win. Consistency throughout the season is awarded with a place in the playoffs.

The fact that no "big" names were in contention on the last few holes, did make it a bit dull, but the playoff was a good watch. I'm sure if Luke Donald , Jason Day or Adam Scott would have won (which was possible at the start of the last round) then peoples opinions would be different.

 

[surefire]

As Junior said, the PGA are trying to create a spectacle.

Even though a season long ranking would be fairer, the winner would most likely be decided long before the end of the season and the end of year tournements would not draw big names or viewing figures.

By creating the playoff system, which is loved by all American sports fans - no major American sport is decided by a league system. The problem described above is avoided.

 

[SirSliceAlot]

He won a cup competition really.

No different from a football team winning the Champions League and claiming to be the best in Europe even though they didnt win their own league to qualify the previous year or the year they win Champions League.

Every golfer on the tour starts the year with a chance to win it and they know what it takes to win it, if they dont they can only blame themselves.

Fair play to him I say

I get what your saying but the difference is that the team who wins the champions league would have to have beat every other team they are put up against throughout the tournament to progress, from group stage right up to the finals. So really they can 'class' themselves as the best team in Europe as they have beat everybody else, despite not necessarily winning their own domestic league.

 

[CMAC]

its the American way, pretty much all their major sports have playoffs............
Just look at Baseball and Basketball, in baseball the winners are crowned WORLD champions

 

[SirSliceAlot]

The PGA are trying to create a flagship (spectacle) event that gives anyone who makes the playoffs a chance to win. Consistency throughout the season is awarded with a place in the playoffs.

The fact that no "big" names were in contention on the last few holes, did make it a bit dull, but the playoff was a good watch. I'm sure if Luke Donald , Jason Day or Adam Scott would have won (which was possible at the start of the last round) then peoples opinions would be different.

Your right about them trying to create a spectacle (typical US thing to do), but it just makes it into a farce.
Also, if Luke Donald had won then of course it would be more deserved/celebrated as he is the world number one, and at least Jason Day and Adam Scott have either won big this season and/or been in serious contention several times, including majors.

 

[Junior]

Yes but when the fed-ex was concieved it was a pretty safe bet that Tiger was going to win it. Phil would be in the mix as would say Vijay or Ernie.

The PGA had to guard against this and made the Tour Championship what it is. I think they achieved what they set out to do. It give's pretty much anyone in the that last 30 a chance to win.

 

[BTatHome]

This situation was pretty much forced upon them when vijay racked up enough points to win the fedex before a ball was struck in the tour champs. So they set about stripping the points down on entering the last event. Giving most people the chance to win.

I really can't see a better way to determine the winner.

 

[SirSliceAlot]

Yes but when the fed-ex was concieved it was a pretty safe bet that Tiger was going to win it. Phil would be in the mix as would say Vijay or Ernie.

The PGA had to guard against this and made the Tour Championship what it is. I think they achieved what they set out to do. It give's pretty much anyone in the that last 30 a chance to win.

This is what I don't understand, why would they want to 'guard against this'? Tiger, Phil, Vijay and Ernie were the most consistent, dominant and popular players of that generation, so why should they not be rewarded at the end of the season by winning a vast sum of money and being crowned the PGA tours number 1 player, surely thats fair!? Does consistency count for nothing in the PGA's eyes?

Also, fairly interesting video posted on youtube by Golf Monthly if anyones interested.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFIGYGeg7LA

 

[HickoryShaft]

Turned out to be quite a thrilling finish.

To be fair Bill Haas has to be the best player in the world ...out of water. That recovery shot on the 2nd play off hole was nothing short of amazing.

Shame Luke dropped those two short putts or we would be looking at him instead of Haas

 

[User 105]

Cmon guys you should know by now it's all about the money.

If the top player was settled 3/4 of the way through the season then who would want to sponsor an event in the last 1/4 of the year? All majors are over and done with by then as well.

By doing it this way, they keep spectators and sponsors interested, which equals advertising which equals money.

Probably not the fairest system for the players, but then again they earn good throughout the season because of the money all the sponsorship and advertising brings.

They need to keep spectators interested to keep sponsors interested.

Just look at F1. Vettel pretty much had the title done and dusted half way through the season. Probably fair for him and Red Bull as they have been head and shoulders above everyone else. But as an F1 fan, makes the last half of the season a bit dull.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think there are $10m reasons why it is so fundamentally wrong. The Fed Ex is over shadowed now by the ultra payoff to the winner. It should never be about that. I get the whole thing about big prizes, creating a season ending finale and all of that and to a degree the race to the Tour Championship is great and the fact that all 30 could win is what its all about.

My gripe is the fact that these guys are all multi-millionairres and so $10m as a bonus is obscene. I'm quite happy for Fed Ex to offer the largest winning purse of the year to reward the champion for the year. But why such a bonus. If they really want to make a statement why not give it to grass roots level or have each player making the final even choose a charity and give it to the winners preferred recipient. To me it loses all its appeal.

I thought the last few holes were entertaining and it was a good playoff but as others have said it really becomes an end of season cup final. It doesn't reward consistancy throughout the season as you only have to get into the first of the knock out event and peak for the next few weeks. There is some mileage in having the tour championship but not at a $10m price tag and not in the current format so Mr 45th in the world is now the best player on tour

 

[palindromicbob]

I'm waiting for the "Win with an anchored putter should the USGA/R&A ban them" thread.

 

[JustOne]

It doesn't reward consistancy throughout the season as you only have to get into the first of the knock out event and peak for the next few weeks.

Eh?

 

[SirSliceAlot]

I think there are $10m reasons why it is so fundamentally wrong. The Fed Ex is over shadowed now by the ultra payoff to the winner. It should never be about that. I get the whole thing about big prizes, creating a season ending finale and all of that and to a degree the race to the Tour Championship is great and the fact that all 30 could win is what its all about.

My gripe is the fact that these guys are all multi-millionairres and so $10m as a bonus is obscene. I'm quite happy for Fed Ex to offer the largest winning purse of the year to reward the champion for the year. But why such a bonus. If they really want to make a statement why not give it to grass roots level or have each player making the final even choose a charity and give it to the winners preferred recipient. To me it loses all its appeal.

I thought the last few holes were entertaining and it was a good playoff but as others have said it really becomes an end of season cup final. It doesn't reward consistancy throughout the season as you only have to get into the first of the knock out event and peak for the next few weeks. There is some mileage in having the tour championship but not at a $10m price tag and not in the current format so Mr 45th in the world is now the best player on tour

Couldn't agree more. Its an obscene sum of money to win for guys, like you say, who are already multi millionaires. The combination of the vast money on offer and the way pretty much anyone (despite their seasons performance and consistency) can win makes the whole PGA/FedEx set up a bit of a joke.

 

[surefire]

Couldn't agree more. Its an obscene sum of money to win for guys, like you say, who are already multi millionaires. The combination of the vast money on offer and the way pretty much anyone (despite their seasons performance and consistency) can win makes the whole PGA/FedEx set up a bit of a joke.

But if the worlds best players are already multi-millionaires, how do you lure them out to play these end of season tournaments, without offering an amount like this?
They're not going to bother if all they get is a tenner, are they?!

It's not like the majors, where there is prestige, regardless of prize money.

 

[One Planer]

Couldn't agree more. Its an obscene sum of money to win for guys, like you say, who are already multi millionaires. The combination of the vast money on offer and the way pretty much anyone (despite their seasons performance and consistency) can win makes the whole PGA/FedEx set up a bit of a joke.

But if the worlds best players are already multi-millionaires, how do you lure them out to play these end of season tournaments, without offering an amount like this?
They're not going to bother if all they get is a tenner, are they?!

It's not like the majors, where there is prestige, regardless of prize money.

The prize purse for the winner was $1.44M, that's hardly pocket change. If that can't inspire someone to play, it's time to give the game.

Christ I'd be happy with 30th positions prize fund of £128k.

$10m dollor bonus is, to me vulgar and excessive.