No system is ideal. And in golf, protecting followers and gamers pleased with the Tour Championship format has confirmed tougher than getting strangers to agree on American politics.
Beginning in 2019, the format grew to become a staggered begin—the place all 30 gamers within the discipline start with scores corresponding with their place within the FedEx Cup. Now, for the third straight yr, Scottie Scheffler begins the week at East Lake main the sector at 10-under. The sphere can be chasing him and most of them have an extended method to go as 25 of the 30 gamers will begin at 4-under or worse.
Scheffler could also be main however he’s not a fan of the format.
“I talked about it the previous couple of years; I feel it’s foolish,” Scheffler stated throughout his presser on the St. Jude FedEx Championship earlier this month. “You may’t name it a season-long race and have it come down to 1 match.
“Hypothetically, we get to East Lake and my neck flares up and it doesn’t heal the way in which it did on the Gamers. I end thirtieth within the FedEx Cup as a result of I needed to withdraw from the final match? Is that actually the season-long race? No, it’s what it’s.”
Scheffler is the Tour’s largest present star by advantage of his play. He has each proper to that opinion.
However what number of occasions have you ever heard LeBron James or Tom Brady or the late Kobe Bryant complain that an ill-timed harm throughout the NBA Finals or Tremendous Bowl might make the end result unfair?
You don’t, as a result of that’s a part of the sport. These are the playoffs.
Sure, it’s a season-long race beginning in January however the race at all times heats up throughout the playoffs. Simply have a look at Keegan Bradley reaching 50th in FedEx Cup after the St. Jude FedEx Championship—incomes the final spot obtainable—after which occurring to win the BMW Championship on Sunday. The staggered begin will get him to inside 4 pictures of Scheffler to start out this week.
Each good playoff system permits the recent palms to thrive.
For Scheffler to conveniently overlook the urgency of the playoff mentality is sort of laughable. Within the playoffs of any sport, you’re going to have favorites and lengthy pictures. Bear in mind a few of the nice upsets of the NBA previously? Like when the eighth-seeded New York Knicks made all of it the way in which to the 1999 NBA Finals? Or when the 2007 eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors knocked out the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks?
Upsets occur in sports activities. Volatility is an efficient factor.
Within the case of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, Scheffler—who didn’t win the final two season titles regardless of his numerical benefit—is the clear favourite, because of his play within the common season greater than the rest. With six wins this season, Scheffler started the playoffs with 5,993 factors, 2,000 factors forward of second-place Xander Schauffele.
However what concerning the relative have-nots? They labored onerous to get into the highest 30 for the Tour Championship. Gamers ranked 26-30 at East Lake begin 10 pictures again of Scheffler however there’s a combating likelihood for them to win your complete factor by Sunday. And amongst most gamers I’ve spoken to about targets over the previous decade, making the Tour Championships at all times ranked excessive amongst them.
Billy Horschel chimed in earlier than final week’s BMW Championship in response to Scheffler’s take. “I disagree with Scottie. Scottie stated it’s foolish. I don’t agree with that. (The system) has by no means rewarded one of the best participant all through the common season.
“I received the ’14 FedEx Cup. Rory McIlroy was clearly one of the best participant that yr. He had received two majors. He got here in on a excessive word. I used to be 69th within the begin of the FedEx. I missed the primary minimize. I am going second, win, win, and I win the FedEx Cup.”
Horschel dealt with stress very effectively throughout that stretch. He performed within the ultimate Sunday group in his two wins and closed each of them with the intense lights shining every time.
“It’s no completely different than the New York Giants beginning the playoffs 9-7 (and beating) the undefeated Patriots after which profitable the Tremendous Bowl,” Horschel stated.
“In case you requested two different guys, there’s two completely different opinions you’re going to get on the FedEx Cup and what they suppose is the easiest way, however I imagine that our system and the way in which we do it … might we reward the common season just a little bit extra? Positive, we are able to. However it is a playoffs. Something can occur.”
Has the staggered scoring system within the Tour Championship labored to date?
I feel so. In fact, it’s just a little odd on Thursday and Friday to see the staggered scores however this format permits anybody to win. And for us followers at residence, isn’t that what we need to see? The favorites with a well-earned head begin however the potential Cinderella story that makes Tour golf thrilling is at all times a chance.
As soon as we get to the weekend and the scores begin wanting like a standard match once more, everybody seems on the identical web page by means of to the end.
“Like, it doesn’t even matter any extra the way it began, it’s all about the way you end it,” Schauffele stated at his pre-Tour Championship presser in 2023. “And everybody is aware of what’s occurring when guys are coming down this good ultimate stretch right here at East Lake and everybody is aware of what’s at stake.”
And for the followers at residence, it’s simpler to see what’s at stake with out all of the stay projections and Steve Kornacki–like stay updates from NBC’s Steve Sands.
Sands’ colleague Dan Hicks, who calls the play-by-play for the Tour Championship once more this yr, likes the fan-friendly facet of the present format.
“That is one of the best iteration of the playoff codecs as a result of, merely put, it’s the simplest for the fan to trace at residence. No loopy math. Simply lowest rating on Sunday wins all of it,” Hicks instructed MyGolfSpy. “Is it good? Most likely not, however I’m not sensible sufficient to enhance on it—apart from (considering) is there a method to incorporate match play on the weekend ultimately? That manner guys towards again half of the highest 30 could make their manner again into rivalry to win all of it.”
A weekend format with match play might certainly get the gamers within the decrease 15 again within the combine they usually must win or go residence with every match. That could possibly be good. However for TV, coming all the way down to Sunday, that might not be ideally suited as a result of you possibly can’t assure that followers can watch Scheffler and different stars. The highest gamers may get eradicated on Saturday or earlier. Additionally, there could possibly be fewer gamers on the course, which hurts the TV product.
Within the larger image, the place do we expect the Tour Championship matches on the golf calendar now that we’re three years deep into the PGA Tour/LIV Golf divide?
To veteran golf journalist Jaime Diaz of Golf Channel and Golf Digest, the divide has solely helped the Tour Championship.
“I feel due to the divide, it issues extra. It accentuates the Tour’s aggressive benefit over LIV,” Diaz instructed MyGolfSpy.
So what precisely does the Tour have that LIV doesn’t on this case?
“Higher gamers—much more of them—and extra historic significance, extra stress, tougher setup, higher programs,” Diaz stated.
LIV Golf’s Particular person Championship that remotely compares to the Tour Championship is at Bolingbrook Golf Membership in Chicago on Sept. 13-15. That course isn’t even in Chicagoland’s prime 20 programs. When in comparison with the renovated East Lake, Diaz definitely makes a good level.
No matter venue, it’s the staggered begin once more this week as Scheffler seems to assert that elusive FedEx Cup.
There is perhaps a greater method to resolve the Tour’s finale however what now we have serves its goal and gives an intriguing end to the season.
In the long run, that’s all golf followers can ask for.
The submit Why The Tour Championship’s Staggered Begin Serves Its Goal Properly appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
