Fedex Cup playoff system

**trumps4** · September 10, 2009

Let me start by saying I am a fan of the Fedex Cup. I like anything that gets the big names to play more frequently. Particularly when they play several consecutive weeks. I also like the idea of it being a playoff, i.e. "survive and advance."
Having said that, some of the promotional pieces out there seem to suggest that the winner of the Fedex cup is the ""Season-long champion." One in particular features a prominent pro saying something like, "if you win the Fedex cup, you will have had the best season." I could not disagree more. If i understand it correctly (and i may not), Heath Slocom has a mathematical possibility to win the whole thing and not win another tournament. IMO, that wouldn't make him the "season-long champion."
Again, I like the idea of the fedex cup and would have no problem with the above scenario actually happening. Nor would I have a problem with a middl'a nowhere state university winning the NCAA basketball tournament. However, in neither case, would I say they had the best season by virtue of winning.

Has anyone else noticed the Fedex cup being promoted this way?
If so, do you have a problem with it?

**enduro** · September 10, 2009

It's a playoff like any other playoff system. A couple years ago in the NFL most everyone would agree the Patriots were the best team in the league. The Giants won the Super Bowl but the Patriots won more games and were the better team. But the champion is decided by a playoff where anything can happen. It's the same thing here.

Playoffs don't necessarily determine who the best player/team is. They are a tournament setup for the teams/players that excelled that season and any one of them can become the champion of that playoff.

The only thing I dislike about it is the trophy. It's hard to take a trophy that is trying to be prestigious seriously when it has a corporate sponsor plastered on it. None of the major trophies have or ever will have a corporate sponsor on them and there will likely come a time when the FedEx Cup is the ACME Cup or something.

**flanagan** · September 13, 2009

It's not a playoff like other playoffs which do culminate in an overall champion like the Super Bowl, World Series or NBA playoffs. A true playoff has the loser going home, so make it match play if you want to call it a playoff. It's just a ripoff of NASCAR and totally artificial, just so we can pretend to have the "champion of the year" in golf. Basically, the way it is set up, we'll have the champion of one maybe two weeks of golf, nothing more.

**soup** · September 13, 2009

It's still a dumb setup.

If someone wins the first 3 playoff events and finishes 2nd in the Tour Championship, and someone in the Top 5 wins....the guy that goes 1-1-1-2 doesn't win. Makes no sense.

Keep the point system. Top 2 guys or Top 4 guys standing play 36 hole stroke play for the $10 million.

**enduro** · September 14, 2009

It's not a playoff like other playoffs which do culminate in an overall champion like the Super Bowl, World Series or NBA playoffs. A true playoff has the loser going home, so make it match play if you want to call it a playoff. It's just a ripoff of NASCAR and totally artificial, just so we can pretend to have the "champion of the year" in golf. Basically, the way it is set up, we'll have the champion of one maybe two weeks of golf, nothing more.

The losers do go home. The losers are those that don't qualify weekly as the field is narrowed.

I agree it's artificial but it's fun none the less. You get some great pairings out there. Matchplay would be absolutly awesome. I wish more golf would go back to that format.

**JOSEPHLB** · September 14, 2009

The playoffs are about one thing and one thing only:
$$$$

**bioman** · September 14, 2009

How many fedex cup pts is the tour championship worth?

**sacm3bill** · September 14, 2009

The number of points for winning each of the 4 playoff tournaments is 2500.

**DavidFehertysBike** · September 14, 2009

I am also in the match play crowd. If the PGA tour continues to push this "playoff" nonsense. They could keep the first 3 tourneys as is, but I think they should just take the final 32 at the tour championship and play them off that way. Use the regular season points to determine seeding.

**bioman** · September 14, 2009

The number of points for winning each of the 4 playoff tournaments is 2500.

Since Stricker is at ~5k, and Tiger around ~7k, isn't Stricker the only one who would be able to win the Fedex cup besides tiger? I believe the rest of the guys are at around 3k pts or less.

**iPutt** · September 14, 2009

So is it the person with the most points in the end winning, or is it the person that wins the top 30 tournament?

**sacm3bill** · September 14, 2009

Since Stricker is at ~5k, and Tiger around ~7k, isn't Stricker the only one who would be able to win the Fedex cup besides tiger? I believe the rest of the guys are at around 3k pts or less.

The points get reset for the final event, so now anyone in the top five - Woods, Stricker, Furyk, Zach Johnson and Heath Slocum - can win the trophy by winning the final event.

So is it the person with the most points in the end winning, or is it the person that wins the top 30 tournament?

The person with most points. All 30 have a mathematical chance of winning, but only the top 5 control their own destiny - the rest would need poor performances by the top players.

MX 876 · September 14, 2009

I like the idea of a playoff, I don't like how complicated this system is. You shouldn't need an accounting degree to be able to follow the standings. There won't be a true overall season champion because thats not the PGA's primary concern. Last years format was a good way to determine the player with the best overall year, but the PGA would rather it be setup so that the winner isn't crowned until the last event, hence the changes. Unfortunately, I think these changes have made it harder to follow.

My suggestion would be to get rid of all the point resets.

Have all regular season events worth the same point value, except majors.

Have majors and elimination rounds worth a substantial amount more (reward those performing when it matters most and competition is toughest).

And keep a running total of points until the last round, eliminating players week to week towards the final as they do now, until the final event - a 32 man match-play event, seeded by points as suggested, to determine overall winner.

**golf1234** · September 15, 2009

The current system is really stupid, especially you might not win the FedEx Cup if you don't do well in the Tour Championship even if you have won the first 3 events. Well, the FedEx Cup is just for the PGA to make more money and they could careless how fair the system is. I agree that match play is the best solution, but I doubt it would happen since if Tiger loses early, then the PGA wouldn't make as much money. The currently system is basically the best system to have Tiger and other top players to play in all 4 events, and that's the only thing that the PGA care about.

mso1982 · September 15, 2009

There are some pretty outrageous scenarios out there that would result in a completely off-the-wall "season long champion." One reset was pushing it, but two? C'mon. If will be a shame if anyone but Tiger wins this thing. He's clearly been the most dominant player on tour this year only to have his hard-earned point lead whittled to nothing in the spirit of higher TV ratings. 6 wins, 2 - 2nd place finishes, 13 top 10's...... all for a measly 250 point lead over Stricker going into East Lake.

The resets may add to the excitement, but they come at the price of integrity.

I also hear people trying to justify the system by comparing to other sports. It's one thing to be dominant in a league like the NFL where you have 31 opposing teams (only about half you'll actually face) It's quite another to dominate a field of 120+ opponents several times a year.

**enduro** · September 15, 2009

There are some pretty outrageous scenarios out there that would result in a completely off-the-wall "season long champion." One reset was pushing it, but two? C'mon. If will be a shame if anyone but Tiger wins this thing. He's clearly been the most dominant player on tour this year only to have his hard-earned point lead whittled to nothing in the spirit of higher TV ratings. 6 wins, 2 - 2nd place finishes, 13 top 10's...... all for a measly 250 point lead over Stricker going into East Lake.

The Patriots lost the Super Bowl after not losing a single game the entire year. No one claims the Giants are not the Champions even though the Patriots were the better team and even beat the Giants earlier that season. The entire point of a playoff isn't to judge who was the best regular season player. It's to create an exciting tournament where anything can happen.

What integrity? This is a playoff system designed to get so many players a shot at getting to the "Championship round". You only need to be top 30 to get there. But to add some "integrity" to the system they give the better players an advantage. Sort of like having a bye in other playoff systems. Tigers reward for dominating the regular season is he get an advantage going into the championship. Yes, the NFL you have 32 teams but in golf 30 players make it to the championship round. 125 players get to the playoffs in the first place as opposed to the NFL's 12. Yeah, it's apples and oranges but I think you need to abstract it a little and try and understand the purpose of a playoff and a championship. It isn't designed to find the #1 player in the world just as no playoff system is. It is designed to give the top players (determined in the regular season) a chance to compete (with a smaller field and more money) and decide who was the best player on Championship Sunday.

mso1982 · September 15, 2009

The Patriots lost the Super Bowl after not losing a single game the entire year. No one claims the Giants are not the Champions even though the Patriots were the better team and even beat the Giants earlier that season. The entire point of a playoff isn't to judge who was the best regular season player. It's to create an exciting tournament where anything can happen.

I'm sure if football weren't so physically demanding on the players, they would have best of seven series, or best of 3 even, but the fact is football players need recovery time, so it's just not possible. With most sports, when it's all said and done, there is no doubt who the best is. I love football, don't get me wrong, but winning the superbowl doesn't always remove all doubt. In statistics you're usually better off with a bigger sample. That's why I've never been a fan of single elimination.

What integrity?

exactly, there is none with this system. They took hard earned points away from the leader.

It isn't designed to find the #1 player in the world just as no playoff system is.

Well, it should be, otherwise it's just for TV ratings.

It is designed to give the top players (determined in the regular season) a chance to compete (with a smaller field and more money) and decide who was the best player on Championship Sunday.

You must have missed the advertising with all the pros talking about how you have to have a great SEASON. See youtube "FedEx cup: the ultimate test"

**enduro** · September 15, 2009

I'm sure if football weren't so physically demanding on the players, they would have best of seven series, or best of 3 even, but the fact is football players need recovery time, so it's just not possible. With most sports, when it's all said and done, there is no doubt who the best is. I love football, don't get me wrong, but winning the superbowl doesn't always remove all doubt. In statistics you're usually better off with a bigger sample. That's why I've never been a fan of single elimination.

If you don't like single elimination then there isn't anything I can say to change that. I think however that the NCAA tournament and NFL Playoffs are the highest rated sporting events of the year however. People like single elimination because it is frantic, exciting and everything comes down to that 1 game.

exactly, there is none with this system. They took hard earned points away from the leader.

The leader still has a healthy advantage on those further and further behind him in the pack. And of course it's just for TV ratings. All sports are just for TV ratings. But that's the point: create an exciting event that lots of people will enjoy and make lots of money doing it. And you do have to have a great season to make it to this round and give yourself a chance at it, don't you?

I think the issue with you is the value of this championship. What it means and what value you associate with it. And of course, if the players aren't playing for something of value the championship becomes worthless. In the majors, you're playing for the prestige and the trophy and the history. I think for this you're playing for the money. There is a lot of money to be won here.

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Fedex Cup playoff system

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