Fedex Cup.....is it killing tournaments?

Question

Is the fedex cup killing some of the tournaments in the past couple of years. You used to see Tiger, Mickleson, Els, Ogilvy etc. every week. Now you are lucky to see those guys once a month, judged by the Cup points. Look at last year, Tiger didn't even play in the first playoff Fedex Cup round, and still won it all......I think the system needs some work!

Answer 1

The system doesn't need some work, the Fedex Cup needs to go away. It does nothing for the game of golf. It does nothing for the competitive level of golf. You never hear the top pros talk about the Fedex Cup unless they're being paid in a commercial. It simply shoves more money in the pockets of the top pros. Tournament prize funds are nearing decadent levels as it is and this just makes it more obscene.

I'd like to see a prize fund where the pros each put in $500,000 and they play for that money at the end of the year. It would have a very limited entry list.

Answer 2

Well, first off, you have made an incorrect statement when you stated "You used to see Tiger, Mickleson, Els, Ogilvy, etc. every week."

Tiger and Phil have generally played the same amount of tournaments every year;  Tiger usually around 17-20 and Phil around 20-23.

The introduction of the Wachovia Championship, which got out of the gates as a "big" tournament being played over a very fine course, set up for championships, adversely impacted tournaments like the Byron Nelson and Colonial.

Moving The PLAYERS Championship to May, along with adding a March WGC event (Doral) has had a very big impact on the Heritage Classic at Harbour Town, as well as the Atlanta tournament, not to mention the Nelson and Colonial.

Tim Finchem's grand plan of having a "significant" championship played in every month has hurt the natural ebb and flow of a proper tour season.

The TOUR kind of "expects" the big guns to get themselves primed and ready at the drop of a hat.  Guys like Ernie, Phil, Tiger and Vijay are hoped to be playing in all these supposed big tournaments, whether they want to or not.

And, by the time these big guns have fulfilled their "obligations" to Finchem's dream, there really isn't any room for tournaments like New Orleans, Atlanta, Memphis, Hartford, Dallas and Fort Worth.

Some of these past coveted tournies are dying a slow death, while newer "important" championships struggle to find sponsors who will stick around for any more than three or four years.

Finchem is messing up.  He is waving the almighty dollar in everyone's face, and the exceedingly lame FedEx Cup is a wonderful example of this horrible mentality.

Do you think the average tour fan gives a rat's &%$ whether a multi-millionaire like Tiger or Phil will win an extra 10 million "unofficial"  dollars?  Not likely.

And this says nothing of the truly weak events such as the Texas Open or Viking Classic.  That Fall Series concept is a laughable joke.

Tim Finchem is running the PGA TOUR into the ground.  We need a commish who has integrity and respect for the traditions of the game.

Answer 3

They should get rid of the system. It's really stupid.

Answer 4

Sure killed the Western Open...One of my favorite tourneys to watch..