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“If you don’t know what to say, it’s easy to say something derogatory.” That’s a line from Stewart Cink regarding criticism of the FedExCup.<\/p>\n“If you don’t know what to say, it’s easy to say something derogatory.” That’s a line from Stewart Cink regarding criticism of the FedExCup.<\/p>\n
Although the final major of the year is taking place this week, there’s this other reportedly big golf story right around the corner. So I thought I’d take a few minutes to start sorting out this FedExCup deal we’ve been hearing so much about.<\/p>\n
By the way, if the PGA Championship is “Glory’s Last Shot,” what does that make the FedExCup? “Glory’s Mulligans?”<\/p>\n
When you mention the FedExCup, it seems like people have more questions than answers. How is it going to work? Why do 144 players make the Playoffs? How come Tiger is going to start the playoffs with more points than he’s earned?
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We’re just two weeks away from the start of the Barclays Classic (and the start of the “playoffs”), yet most people have little more than a vague idea of what to expect. I have to admit, I am not much different. But I’ve been doing some research, and here’s some of what I’ve learned.<\/p>\n
The FedExCup is a season-long points competition that culminates in a four-tournament playoff. The winner earns a $10 million retirement annuity from a total purse of $35 million. That much you probably knew. Now, on to the things you probably didn’t know.<\/p>\n
Number Five: The Reset<\/strong> Rather than begin with a level playing field, players will be seeded based on their finishing position from the regular season. It goes something like this: Tiger… errrr… the leader after the regular season will receive 100,000 points to start the playoffs. That, you may have noticed, is almost four times what he has actually earned to date. The second-place finisher gets 99,000. Third gets 98,500. Fourth gets 98,000. Fifth gets 97,500. Sixth gets 97,250. 144th gets 84,700.<\/p>\n In the first three playoff events, first will earn 9,000 points, second 5,000, and third 3,400. The 70th place finisher gets 100 points. In the Tour Championship, the points go up to 10,300, 6,200 and 3,900 respectively. The 30th place finisher will get 395 points. So it’s all starting to make sense now, right? If not you can check out the full list here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Wait there’s more! Although 144 players make the first playoff event – the Barclays Classic – only 120 will move on to the Deutsche Bank Championship the next week, and a mere 70 will make the BMW Championship the week after that. Finally, the Tour Championship will feature only 30 survivors. At first, The Tour wasn’t going to cut the fields down, but people started making fun of a playoff system in which all the players moved on. So they changed their minds and created the Frankenplayoffs.<\/p>\n Number Four: The “Little” Tournaments Can Mean Big Things<\/strong> I’m happy to report that the FedExCup race might just bring an added bit of stature to the smaller tournaments of the season. While these tournaments have always served as career stepping stones (who couldn’t use a $720,000 payday?), now they can also launch a player into the postseason. They only have half the points of the “big” tournaments, but those points can make a difference.<\/p>\n Case in point: Steve Flesch moved up 61 spots from 140th to 79th by winning the Reno-Tahoe Open. Instead of being on the bubble, Flesch is now safely in the field for the first round of The Playoffs. Even the guys that finished T2 at Reno – Charles Warren and Kevin Stadler – are likely going to make the Playoffs on the strength of one solid tournament.<\/p>\n Number Three: Wildcards Are Not Going to Win… Probably<\/strong> Tiger will probably be the top seed (big surprise), though Singh and Furyk have a shot at catching him with a first-second and first-first finish, respectively. However, neither Singh nor Furyk are scheduled to play in the season-ending Wyndham Championship.<\/p>\n Finally, there’s no hope for the player who finishes 145th or for Michelle Wie. The FedExCup has no provision for alternates or sponsors’ exemptions. If someone in the field is sick or injured, then the field will simply be smaller.<\/p>\n Number Two: Who’s Money?<\/strong> Yup, Jim Furyk has finished in the top 30 in each of his last eight starts (100%). Tiger is T2 (with K.J. Choi, Hunter Mahan, Justin Rose, and Vijay Singh) at 87.5%. I was surprised to see Hunter Mahan and Justin Rose in that mix.<\/p>\n OK, I know what you’re saying, so that’s just top 30 (which is on average a mere $25,000). What about the real money?<\/p>\n When it comes to making the top 10 in their last eight starts, four players are tied at 62.5 percent: Tiger, Furyk, Rose, and (surprise!) Scott Verplank. All would be good picks to advance through the playoffs (or to win the PGA). Mahan is at 50%, along with Rory “Foot-in-Mouth” Sabbatini and Brandt Snedeker (another surpise).<\/p>\n Maybe Rory should try calling out Furyk for a change.<\/p>\n Number One: Getting Stiffed for the Loop<\/strong>
\nIn the NBA, the playoffs have often been called a second season. And why not, when over half of the league gets into the postseason? Now golf has the FedExCup where 144 players make the playoffs. That’s more than earn Tour cards each year off the money list!<\/p>\n
\nAt the beginning of this whole FedExCup thing, I wondered if it would make the smaller tournaments (like those running concurrent with the WGC events) even more irrelevant. These tourneys offer only half the FedExCup points available in the “big” tournaments.<\/p>\n
\nAnyone outside the Top 30 entering the Playoffs can most likely forget winning the FedExCup. It is at best an uphill (or mountain) climb. According to Steve Dennis of the PGA Tour staff<\/a>, it will most likely take two wins in four weeks (and no one outside the Top 10 has two wins this year, let alone in four weeks).<\/p>\n
\nOne of the most interesting pages that I found in researching the FedExCup is the “Heat Index”<\/a> on the PGA Tour site. It shows, among other things, who has been placing high in their most recent starts. While everyone knows Tiger is money, you might be surprised (I was!) to learn that another player is more consistently earning good money this year than Tiger. Can you guess who? Here’s a hint: he stands “too close to the ball” and he’s the poster boy for homegrown swings.<\/p>\n
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“And I say, “Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know.” And he says, “Oh, uh, there won’t be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness.” So I got that goin’ for me, which is nice.” – Carl Spackler, Caddyshack<\/em>.<\/p>\n