When the FedExCup was announced, there were mixed reactions from the golf world. Fast forward to 2008, and there are still a lot of different opinions on the first-ever playoff system in golf. Nonetheless, this year’s FedExCup playoffs start today.
Things aren’t perfect with the current playoff system (144 golfers is far too many for a playoff), but golf fans are still going to have a chance to see some high-quality golf over the next month or so. Even though Tiger won’t be able to defend this year, eight of the top 10 golfers are playing the Barclays this week. The fields will be strong, the courses will be nice, and the golfers will be playing for $10 million. That sounds like a winning recipe.
Which golfers are going to be the toughest to beat this year? Also, which golfers might have a disappointing run the next month? Finally, who might get hot late in the season and make a surprising run up the FedExCup standings? Keep reading to get my thoughts on this year’s playoffs.
Contenders
Phil Mickelson hasn’t been great in 2008, but he is still the second best golfer in the world. A lot of people will say that spot belongs to Padraig Harrington, but Lefty is still number two for a reason. While it hasn’t been a great year for Mickelson, his work with Butch Harmon has started to pay off recently. He has been hitting the ball better, and he has been really close to finding the winner’s circle.
Phil Mickelson has 16 top-25 finishes in 17 starts this season, so the media has probably been a little too hard on him. He has also played well in his last two starts, finishing in a tie for fourth at Bridgestone and in a tie for seventh at the PGA Championship. Lefty is hitting the ball more consistently, and if he works out a couple minor things on his short game, he could very well win this year’s FedExCup. At the very least, he will be right in the thick of things down to the last minute.
Sergio Garcia has matured a lot this season, but he still didn’t win that elusive major that has avoided him over the past decade. That being said, he seems to rise near the top in big events. The Ryder Cup is a month away, and Garcia always gets amped up for that. Look for him to play well heading into the event as well.
Since winning The Players earlier this season, the young Spaniard hasn’t been great. However, Garcia is coming off the heartbreaking runner-up finish at the PGA Championship two weeks ago. He is going to be on a mission to get that loss behing him, and he will be a definite threat throughout the playoffs. Harrington and Mickelson might be the favorites to win this year’s FedExCup, but Sergio gets my vote.
Leaving out Harrington as a contender will probably get a fair amount of attention. I underestimated him going into the PGA Championship, and you may say I’m underestimating him again. The Irishman will have his moments in this year’s playoffs, but he won’t outlast Mickelson and Garcia over the next month. You can call it a back-to-back major hangover if you want.
Pretenders
Kenny Perry has been the center of controversy on numerous occasions this season. Perry’s goal was to make the United States Ryder Cup team this year because the event will be played in his homestate of Kentucky. He skipped U.S. Open qualifying and missed the event, and he decided to skip the British Open as well. All that aside, he has won three PGA Tour events this year, and he is number two (behind Tiger) in the FedExCup standings heading into the playoffs.
Perry’s three victories this year guaranteed him a spot in the Ryder Cup. In his last two events, however, he hasn’t looked very solid. He finished in a tie for 66th at Bridgestone, and he had to withdraw from the PGA Championship due to an eye injury. That was after an opening-round 79. With so much focus on the Ryder Cup, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Perry struggle mightily in the FedExCup playoffs. He definitely won’t win it all.
In an article a couple months ago, I mentioned Stewart Cink as one of the favorites to win the FedExCup this season. I’m officially taking that prediction back heading into the playoffs. Cink has still had a good year, and he can still get hot at the right time. Since his win at the Travelers Championship a couple months ago, however, he has been pretty mediocre.
In his three starts since winning, Cink has two missed cuts (British Open and PGA Championship) and a tie for 43rd (Bridgestone). He has seven top-10 finishes in 2008, but he has only had one since the Wachovia Championship in early May. It would be nice to see Cink get things together heading into the playoffs, but it’s probably going to be a struggle over the next month.
Surprises
Last year, a few golfers made a late run in the FedExCup playoffs. Aaron Baddeley was 18th going into the 2007 playoffs, and he ended up sixth. Moves can be made, and without Tiger in the fields, things will be even more wide open. The first guy on the list of possible surprises is Camilo Villegas. Like Baddeley, Villegas made a late run in last year’s playoffs. He started out 52nd and ended up 24th. He finished in the top 10 the last three playoff events, so he likes the golf courses as well.
Heading into this year’s playoffs, Villegas is 42nd in the standings. He is coming off a tie for fourth at the PGA Championship, his second top 10 in a major this season. The Colombian is starting to put himself in contention in big tournaments, and he could make a run at this year’s FedExCup. It will be tough for him to pass all the golfers in front of him, but a win this week or next will get him right back in the thick of things.
The other guy on my radar is Andres Romero. He has become one of the brightest young stars in the game over the past year or so, and he picked up his first PGA Tour win earlier this season. Like Villegas, Romero is starting to put himself in contention in big tournaments more often.
Romero also has two top-10 finishes in majors this season, including a tie for seventh at the PGA Championship two weeks ago. The young Argentine is playing pretty well (currently 26th in standings), and a solid run in the FedExCup playoffs would be great for his confidence. If he gets off to a decent start this week, watch out! He can get as hot as anyone and make a ton of birdies in the process.
The Final Say
I may be in the minority, but I’m very excited about this year’s FedExCup playoffs. It’s obvious the ratings won’t be as strong without Tiger being involved, but the race for the title might be more exciting this time around. This year’s British Open and PGA Championship proved golf can still be great without the world’s best golfer. Just give it a chance, and see how things go. You might even find a new favorite or two along the way.
It’s your turn to tell me what you think about this year’s FedExCup playoffs. Who is your pick to win the Cup? Also, list a surprise pick or two that might shake things up a little. Finally, list a golfer or two who will disappoint over the next month or so. If you have anything to add, please comment below or discuss them in the forum. Thanks for reading this week’s Thrash Talk, and enjoy the Barclays this week!
Photo Credits: © The Sand Trap .com.
I’m also excited about the playoffs. Great fields, great courses and, hopefully, a battle among guys that are playing for Ryder Cup spots or need the $10 mill more than last year’s winner. As you can see on http://www.footjoyblog.com, my pick is Stricker. He has the game, as he’s showing today, and has actually had a pretty solid year. Just hasn’t won one yet.