FedEx Cup News Conference

[FAHooGolfs]

Going on now (1:15 pm) at pgatour.com. Tim Finchem is talking about the FedEx Cup structure. Among the early conference highlights are that, starting next year, all weekend coverage will be in High-Def!!!

[Baynative]

Can anyone figure out the points system?



In addition to the title of FedExCup champion, the winner will receive $10 million, the largest single bonus awarded in professional sports.

The FedExCup will offer $35 million in total bonus money, one of the highest totals in sports. Following the winner's share of $10 million, second through fifth place will receive $3 million, $2 million, $1.5 million and $1 million, respectively.

The Regular Season will begin with the Mercedes Championships in Hawaii (week of Jan. 1-7 in 2007) and continue through the Carolina Classic at Greensboro (Aug. 13-19, 2007). Most PGA TOUR events will offer 25,000 FedExCup points.

The points allocation in each tournament will put a premium on victories and high finishes. The top 70 players plus ties receive points. The Top-10 finishers in each category will receive the following FedExCup points:

Events
Total Points 25,000
1 4,500.0
22,700.0
31,700.0
41,200.0
51,000.0
6900.0
7837.5
8775.0
9725.0
10675.0


When I add up the total points I get 15,012

[FAHooGolfs]

I think you answered your own question... the remaining 9,988 points go to the guys who finish outside the top 10 but still make the cut.

Those point totals are for regular tour stops as well. The majors and the WGC events distribute a higher point total, with (I think) the major winners receivng 4,900 points and the WGC winners receiving 4,750 points.

[iacas]

Can anyone figure out the points system?

http://thesandtrap.com/archives/the_...cup_points.php

[sioutdoors]

do you think this is a marketing ploy to get more people watching or more top name player playing more events

[iacas]

do you think this is a marketing ploy to get more people watching or more top name player playing more events

I think it's a stupid move all around, actually. I'll have more to say when I have more time to say it...

[FAHooGolfs]

I'm torn on the issue really.... I like the idea of having a little playoff at the end of the season and I definitely like the idea of having all of the top 10 players fighting it out in 4 straight tournaments, but I have 3 major problems with the whole process...

1. Perhaps the most important is that I feel like they're trying to trump the majors and other big golf events like the Ryder Cup, etc. That's not cool IMO.

2. 144 players are eligible? That's ridiculous. I'd much rather see the Top 70 on the money list make it and just have 4 no-cut events back-to-back with only the top 30 making it to East Lake.

3. This kind of builds off point #2... but where is the drama? It seems like there's almost no drama built into the system and so, to me, it wreaks more of a marketing ploy to get the players more money than it does or trying to improve the golf season.

[iacas]

2. 144 players are eligible? That's ridiculous. I'd much rather see the Top 70 on the money list make it and just have 4 no-cut events back-to-back with only the top 30 making it to East Lake.

You forgot the part where they practically re-level all 144 players going into the "playoffs," too, putting someone with six wins and even four majors at nearly the same level as someone who may not even keep their full status on the PGA Tour.

[jeffgladchun]

With my limited knowledge of the cup system, I think it may be a cool thing to watch. We all know the PGA Tour hates the fact that they have no tournaments on the "major" level. They try to hype up the players championship like its a major, but we all know its not. Like FAHooGolfs said above, I hope it doesn't affect the Ryder Cup.

[iacas]

If this is the case it will be interesting to see if Tiger, Phil, etc will play more events to collect points.

No. Because points don't matter for squat. At the beginning of the "everybody gets in, even people who will lose their card"

"playoffs" , players are re-seeded and there's only going to be a teeny, tiny gap between first and last. Tiger could win 20 tournaments and all four majors going in and finish middle of the pack in the "FedEx Cup" points standings if he only manages a couple of T20s in the "Championship Series" events. See this quote from http://pgatour.com/fedexcup :

First place in the standings will receive 100,000 points, while the player in 144th position will receive 84,700 points. The first three events in the playoffs are worth 50,000 points each with 9,000 points being awarded to the winner.

Doesn't matter how many points they have coming in, someone in dead last could overtake a guy with 20 wins on Tour in TWO tournaments. It's unlikely to happen, but the fact that it COULD reveals one of two major flaws in this system:

1) re-seeding and re-assignment of points values 2) "playoffs" in which everyone gets in and in which nobody really gets eliminated until the final event.

[iacas]

1) re-seeding and re-assignment of points values

One additional thought:

3) there is no actual "cup" (not yet, anyway).

[allin]

I like Fahoos idea. Why not a 3 tournament stretch. 144 would be okay if you have to make the cut + your points to move on. The second tournament would have 72 top 36 cut + points move on. The final would be no cut just the 36. It would not take so many playing opprotunities away from the champions qualifying tournament guys. I believe the top 125 thing is keeping young guys from developing. They move up from the champions tour but dont' get to play a reasonable schedule.

[iacas]

I like Fahoos idea. Why not a 3 tournament stretch. 144 would be okay if you have to make the cut + your points to move on. The second tournament would have 72 top 36 cut + points move on. The final would be no cut just the 36. It would not take so many playing opprotunities away from the champions qualifying tournament guys. I believe the top 125 thing is keeping young guys from developing. They move up from the champions tour but dont' get to play a reasonable schedule.

Here are

my thoughts in full .

[FAHooGolfs]

Here are

Excellent article Erik... I think you should send those on to the PGA Tour... maybe copy several people on it and see what kind of response you get... if for no other reason than to just get their brains churning. You may never hear anything from them, but I think you make a lot of great points.

I've read your article twice now and am firmly convinced this FedEx Cup thing is a big sham.

[iacas]

I like

this list of "extra" points you can earn in the FedExCup:

25 points: Wearing a Cleveland Browns jersey during next year's U.S. Open at Oakmont in Pittsburgh.

Thing is, Steelers are really not concerned with the Browns. We beat 'em 41-0 the last time we saw 'em...