Tiger to skip Tour Championship

[BigAl5150]

First Phil, now Tiger will be skipping the Tour Championship .

[philipy]

Maybe this means Phil will play now!

[flap]

All right all you guys that killed Phill for skipping last years and thumbing his nose at the tour,lets hear you kill Tiger!!!

[Frank-0-Sport]

Greetings ...

So, now at least three are out of the Tour Championship. Tiger and Phil, along with Stephen Ames who does have a good reason - back injury.

Now, let's consider the flip side of all this.

Tour Championship invitational criteria is specific ---

The Top 30 Leaders on the PGA Tour Official Money List up to the start of the event.

That's it. And there is NO PROVISION for replacements.

Therefore, the 31st, 32nd and 33rd players on the money list after this weekend will not have the opportunity to challenge for these ...

Top 30, Final Official Money List - 2007 US Open invitation
Top 20, Final Official Money List - 2007 British Open invitation
Tour Championship title - 3-year PGA Tour exemption

Because the Tour Championship has only the Top 30 Money Leaders, it means that you've already decided the Top 30 who will play in next year's US Open as well as the Top 40 for next year's Masters. In another words, you've removed the drama of deciding those races at the Tour Championship itself, leaving only the Top 20 race for those who will get into next year's British Open, and the race for the Tour Championship title itself, which awards a 3-year exemption.

It is a closed shop in more ways than one.

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Sport

[muskegman]

First Phil, now

Yeah, I saw that earlier today. This vindication for Phil. I'm sure Tiger will get a pass but this is no different than what Phil has been doing for a while. No different.

I'm not hating on Tiger just saying we should apply the same rules accross the board. Some will say that Tiger gets a pass because his dad is gone and that has a ring of validation to it but it made me raise an eyebrow when I thought of Phil's similar plans.

[DBake]

Yeah, I saw that earlier today. This vindication for Phil. I'm sure Tiger will get a pass but this is no different than what Phil has been doing for a while. No different.

I agree Tiger will most likely get the slip, but hey! I still don't like Phil

[Thrash13]

I think it's crap on Tiger's part just like it's crap on Phil's part. Neither gets a free pass from me. It's what they do for a living for crying out loud, and fans like myself put money in their pockets when all is said and done.

Most golfers bust their butts all year long with hopes of making it inside the top 30 on the PGA Tour money list, and I feel guys like Phil and Tiger take it for granted sometimes. They seem to forget when they were busting their butts to earn a spot (I know Tiger only really had to hustle in 1996). Once the season is over (and it's not over until The Tour Championship has been played), the golfers will have plenty of time to rest.

The Tour Championship will slowly lose its luster like the The Mercedes Championship has in recent years. It's unfortunate, but it's the way it goes I suppose. The golfers ranked 31st, 32nd, and 33rd on the money list should get an invite to play next week because they have been busting their butts trying to get in. They deserve it.

Now I'm already prepared for the Tiger lovers to come to the rescue, but as far as I'm concerned, they really won't have any valid arguments. But let's see what kind of stuff comes out anyway.

[iacas]

I think it's crap on Tiger's part just like it's crap on Phil's part. Neither gets a free pass from me. It's what they do for a living for crying out loud, and fans like myself put money in their pockets when all is said and done.

Agreed. How many events has Tiger even played in this year? I rail against Phil for skipping this event, and I'll rail against Tiger.

I'm on record (in the podcast) as saying I think Tiger will play it, even though he's rarely won it and that would put his six-in-a-row streak in jeopardy. I specifically said that's exactly unlike Tiger - to skip an event because he doesn't think he can win - because part of what makes Tiger Tiger is that he thinks he can win everything (and he can). I think Tiger's excuse that he needs rest is lame. He's been off since the week after the Ryder Cup.

Most golfers bust their butts all year long with hopes of making it inside the top 30 on the PGA Tour money list, and I feel guys like Phil and Tiger take it for granted sometimes.

Well, to be honest, I don't have a problem most of the time with people skipping events. I don't really care if Phil doesn't want to play the Grand Slam or even the Sony or Mercedes.

I do care when it's one of the few times the "top" players get together to compete head-to-head, and the Tour Championship has always been just that, given the restrictions to getting in. It's one of the few times I would expect pros to "give back" to the fans - who want to see the top 30 all play the same week - and skipping is a slap in the face.

The Tour Championship will slowly lose its luster like the The Mercedes Championship has in recent years. It's unfortunate, but it's the way it goes I suppose. The golfers ranked 31st, 32nd, and 33rd on the money list should get an invite to play next week because they have been busting their butts trying to get in. They deserve it.

I agree that they should as well.

Now I'm already prepared for the Tiger lovers to come to the rescue, but as far as I'm concerned, they really won't have any valid arguments. But let's see what kind of stuff comes out anyway.

If you expected me to land in that camp, you don't know me very well.

[EatDrinkSleepGolf]

That ain't right, if Tiger is not sick, he should be there, it's more or less his duty to represent the PGA Tour. I would hate to be a ticket holder at that event.

[SubPar]

I can't figure this one out on Tiger's part. He's had some time off, he's been on a streak of good play and it is clearly a slap in the face to the PGA Tour.

I still think Norman is on to something when he says the current conditions place the LGA tour in a bit of trouble. What can it mean when top players skip events like this and fans get the short end of the stick? What is a "tour chanmpionship" when top tour players just blow it off?

[J.P.]

This is a problem that is rather unique to golf. It could be that tennis has this to deal with too, but is seems to have a much larger impact on the quality of golf tournaments and ratings for that matter.

I could never imagine any of the team sports (football, baseball, basketball etc) missing important "games" for any reason. NASCAR drivers either. Players, teams, drivers, etc are always ready for the next game/race/whatever - because it MEANS something! - (late season, clinched teams, NFL games aside)

The present structure of the PGA is such that there is little incentive for TOP players to play. They don't need the money. They already have the "glory", They don't need to fight for their card. There is no negative consequence for skipping events.

I suppose I can see their side a bit though. Their's is a season that begins in January and continues until November. No other sport goes this long.

The one thing the multi-millionaire top players don't have is FREE TIME.

Boy, I really value my free time and am not happy when an agenda is set for it. I suppose TIGER & PHIL are somewhat busier than me, so this could be magnified for them.


They are both wrong not to support the hand that feeds, but perhaps the PGA Tour has realized that they have been asking too much for too long and so have restructured the Tour for 2007.

Next year, they will have more incentive to play - but still no real need to.

[golfchief]

Just shows these guys are paid way too much for playing golf. Top players only play about twenty five events a year and some they get a fee just for playing in it. the final event of the year your going to make over 200 thousand for last place and some can't make it because their tired or want to spend time with the family is a slap in the face to all of us that pay to see the
the best play this game we love.

[mybloodinvt]

it looks like the tour championship has become a must miss now. i do believe the players who are skipping still get last place money. i know it won't hurt one bit, but how about like the rest of us grinders out here, no tickee no laundry, if you know what i mean. the spots that open up as a result of anyone not playing should be extended to next in line, they've played hard and they deserve the opportunity to play.

[EatDrinkSleepGolf]

it looks like the tour championship has become a must miss now. i do believe the players who are skipping still get last place money. i know it won't hurt one bit, but how about like the rest of us grinders out here, no tickee no laundry, if you know what i mean. the spots that open up as a result of anyone not playing should be extended to next in line, they've played hard and they deserve the opportunity to play.

So that means if 4 guys don't show up, they will play with 26 golfers with no back-ups?

[iacas]

So that means if 4 guys don't show up, they will play with 26 golfers with no back-ups?

That's exactly what happens. Happened last year when Phil skipped.

[EatDrinkSleepGolf]

That's exactly what happens. Happened last year when Phil skipped.

That sucks! Another reason for ticketholders and TV networks to be upset!

[Thrash13]

I do not blame them for backing out and taking some much needed time off.

Tiger hasn't played a competitive round since October 1st, and Phil hasn't played since The Ryder Cup the week before that. Is one month of rest not enough?

And besides, isn't that what the offseason is for? Woods will play some events worldwide between now and late January, but not that many. The more I think about it, the less I understand it.

[Frank-0-Sport]

Greetings ...

Here and elsewhere, I've been tossing around the subject of the Tour Championship's current invitational format, which is limited to those among among the Top 30 on the Money List. Here's an interesting bit of feedback that I have received --

"That format with its 'no replacement' policy is ratified by the oversight board which includes player members elected by their peers to represent their interests. So they all know that this reward, playing in the lucrative tour Championship, further separates the top 30 from the rest, eligibility for next year's special criteria events included. This event has been as it is since the late 1980's. If the players felt strongly enough about your points, they would have changed things by now. IMHO, it's a non-issue for the rank and file."

I agree with that, and it makes me realize something ....

The PGA Tour tends to promote its own interests by several means at the expense of the events it can not control - the four Grand Slam Majors. The Tour Championship's current invitational format, as well as whatever will be the format for the upcoming Fed Ex Cup, is a case in point.

Any Grand Slam champion not among the Top 30 Money Leaders does not get an invitation. And, as stated before, only the race for Top 20 Money Leader, worth a British Open invitation, as well as that for Leading Money Winner, is decided at the event. Meanwhile, the races for Top 30 (US Open) and Top 40 (Masters) are decided elsewhere. The less references to the Majors, the better it would seem.

To me, it is ironic that, among the four grand slam majors, only the British Open invitations are up for grabs at the Tour Championship. For many years prior to 1995, the PGA Tour did not even recognize the British Open as official in any way, shape or form!

Now comes an interesting twist. You can win events that the PGA Tour DOES control - the three official money World Golf Championships as well as the Players Championship - and NOT be guaranteed to be invited to the Tour Championship. How about THAT !!?

In my view, any tie-in to golf's biggest championships should serve as an enhancement to an event like the Tour Championship. Unfortunately, by downplaying references to those other events, the PGA Tour has made the Tour Championship a very mundane occurance on its schedule.

Thanx-A-Lot, FrankoSport