It’s a bit contrived and fully understood by a relative few, but the PGA Tour’s version of a playoff has a certain intriguing quality.
Perhaps it is the arcane nature of the format that keeps golf fans stroking their collective chins. Maybe it’s the fact that four post-major and otherwise meaningless tournaments are elevated to relevance.
And yet again, it could be the simple fact that some players get to move on and the majority are shown the door.
Most likely the latter; the greatest theater is reserved for those eliminated.
Throw in the fact, too, that Tiger Woods has been teetering near the cut line for inclusion into the following week and the race to the FedEx Cup while not thrilling to some, is giving those inclined a reason to check in from week to week.
For the players, it is the lure of $10 million. For golf fans, it’s the opportunity to sneer at their college football brethren and gloat: “At least we have a playoff.”
The top 125 FedEx points earners have been whittled to 70 for this weekend’s tournament at Cog Hill, the BMW Championship. From that group will be taken the top 30, who will advance to the Tour Championship in Atlanta at month’s end.
It is uncharted territory for Woods (and what isn’t these days) who in the previous three years of the FedEx Playoffs, had his spot in the final assured.
This year, Woods has been forced to play his way into the first two events of the playoffs and he’ll need a solid four rounds to get a tee time at East Lake in two weeks. He’s currently 21 rungs below the 30th slot on the FedEx ladder.
But he was expressing little sense of urgency when addressing reporters in Lemont, Ill. on Wednesday.
“I’m heading in the right direction.”
Woods also left little doubt as to his intentions.
“Winning is always the priority,” Woods said. “Why else enter an event?”
The Dubsdread course at Cog Hill is also a track that Woods has found conducive to winning with five titles there, including last year.
To advance, projections have Woods needing at least a fifth-place finish and a victory to get into the top five. Only the top five players at the Tour Championship are guaranteed the FedEx Cup title with a victory in Atlanta. Everyone outside the top five will need some help.
Woods has a T-12 and a T-11 in his last two respective tournaments.
“I’m pleased in the progress I’ve made in my game with Sean (Foley),” Woods said of the swing coach with whom he’s been working. “I’m showing some good signs and I just have to keep building.”
Inside the leather: Woods has won two of the three FedEx Cups previously awarded with Vijay Singh capturing the other. Singh, slotted No. 63 this week, must finish at least fourth at Cog Hill to get into the top 30 and also win to get into the top five.
But the situation is less dicey for those further up the points list with Matt Kuchar heading a group of 13 players. All have a lock on one of the 30 berths at the Tour Championship with Charley Hoffman, Steve Stricker, Jason Day and Luke Donald currently rounding out the top five.
Kuchar believes this week will be a tough test on a golf course that has been retooled by architect Rees Jones.
“It’s meaner. It seems more punishing and more penalizing,” said Kuchar, who won the U.S. Amateur there in 1997. “It was certainly no pushover. It was a hard golf course. I think it’s harder now, I think much harder.”
Last year’s winner of the Tour Championship, Phil Mickelson, is 14th and considered likely to move on to defend his title but will need at least a second-place finish to move into one of the top slots for East Lake.
The defense team: Kuchar earned his way on to the United States Ryder Cup team that will compete against a European squad in the biennial event, Oct. 1-3, at Celtic Manor in Wales. Mickelson is also an automatic selection, but Woods needed to get one of Corey Pavin’s four captain’s picks to advance to his sixth Ryder Cup.
Rickie Fowler was another captain’s pick as were Stewart Cink and Zach Johnson. Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk, Stricker, Dustin Johnson and Jeff Overton complete the defending champion American team.
It’s a group that will include five rookies in Kuchar, Fowler, Overton, Dustin Johnson and Watson and only two players, Woods and Furyk, who have winning records in singles. Still, Pavin is confident his team can win abroad in the competition for the first time since 1993 at The Belfry.
“I wanted to find guys that round off the team and make it a team of 12, not 12 individuals that are great players,” Pavin said at Tuesday’s press conference to announce the team. “I wanted 12 players that made up a great team.That was my objective, and I’ve succeeded, I hope, and we’ll find out in a few weeks.”
Mike Scarr is the editor of Golflink.com. He can be reached at golflinkeditor@demandmedia.com.
Related posts:
