The FedEx Cup

August 18, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 7 Comments

The FedEx Cup – a race for 10 million dollars!

The race for 10 million dollars is on! The final tournament, Wyndham Championship, concluded today and set the stage for the four-tournament playoff that will crown the FedEx Cup champion. This elimination style competition starts with The Barclay’s on Thursday.

For the first time in 2013-14, the PGA TOUR embarks on a wraparound schedule that bridges two years with a total of 45 events played over 43 weeks. The PGA TOUR season is divided into two segments – the FedExCup Season (41 events) and the FedExCup Playoffs (4 events) – played over 43 weeks.

The FedExCup Playoffs once again features four events, starting with The Barclays (Aug. 21-24) at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J., onto the Deutsche Bank Championship (August 29-Sept. 1) at TPC Boston and BMW Championship (Sept. 4-7) at Cherry Hills Country Club outside Denver, before concluding at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. (FedEx Cup)

The FedEx Cup is an interesting golf competition because of the “play well – move on” format. At the Barclays, all 125 players will start, but only 100 players will move on to the next event at the Deutsche Bank Championship. The third week at the BMW championship will only have 70 players competing; then at the TOUR Championship, 30 players will be left to vie for the 10 million dollar grand prize.

I have talked about the FedEx Cup before and my view still stands. The FedEx Cup needs to create more excitement! I thought I would share my thoughts from before when I compared the FedEx Cup with the World Cup of Soccer:

Limiting the FedEx Cup field through the final four tournaments is definitely a must! It does provide a level of excitement that peaks the interest of most sports enthusiasts. However, this is where real excitement for sports fans fades. The current FedEx Cup format does produce a strong field, but unfortunately the format only ensures the big names in golf make it to the finals. There is no real “David and Goliath” excitement; the underdog remains under; and there is no last-minute heroic sand shot remembered for 60 years! The FedEx Cup playoffs is like watching the same group of players week- in and week-out win large purses without any real excitement. 6 of the top 10 ranked players in the FedEx Cup are also in the top 10 in the world! It is somewhat exciting for true golfing fans, but the current format does not generate the enthusiasm of a World Cup event.

The FedExCup should take a page from the World Cup. Have all the qualifying tournaments to set up the 125-man field for the playoffs. Then, have all the players start with zero points and let the chips fall where they may. Lose and go home!

Adopt the World Cup way. Once the playoffs start, everything should be performance based. If a pro plays well, they make it to the next stage. If not, better luck next year. Regardless of their world ranking, it allows the 125th ranked player the opportunity to reach out and rip the title out of the hands of the giant.

This format will make for great golf! It will elevate the FedEx Cup to the ranks of a must see sporting event! All sport nuts remember the huge upset, but rarely remember the team that should have won. Creating excitement on any playing field is really what fans want!

This sums up my thoughts on the FedEx Cup. It is great to watch some fantastic golf, however I would like to see more excitement in the event.

What do you think? Could the format change to create more excitement for sports fans?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

The World Cup Rules

September 16, 2013 / The Grateful Golfer / 3 Comments

The World Cup 2014 is a long anticipated event. It is the world’s largest sporting event followed by millions of fanatic soccer (football) fans! Qualifying starts years prior to the event with hopeful nations vying for sports supremacy. On 12 June 14, Brazil will host this exciting event that will surely capture the world’s attention!

Golf does not have anything nearly exciting as the World Cup, however for golfing enthusiasts, the FedExCup would be considered that event. “The PGA TOUR season is divided into two segments – the FedExCup Season and the FedExCup Playoffs. The FedExCup Season generally includes events between the beginning of each calendar year and the middle of August, while the FedExCup Playoffs include four events from the middle of August until the middle of September.” This format matches the qualifying process for the World Cup, but this is where the similarities stop.

The FedExCup Playoffs opened on Aug. 22-25 with The Barclays at Liberty National Golf Course in New Jersey City, NJ, then shift to the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston and BMW Championship at Conway Farms Golf Club outside of Chicago, before concluding on 23 September 2013 at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. These playoff events whittled the field from 125 players to 30. But, where is the excitement; hype; the must watch matches?

The hype around the World Cup eclipses almost every event. Despite that soccer is the worlds most played sport, it brings a level of excitement to each match that is unmatched anywhere. The format of ‘one and done’ is the only way to conduct playoffs. After all the training, commitment, and dedication, the playoffs add extra spice to the mix. If a team loses in the playoffs they go home! Past performances do not matter; world rankings do not matter; all that matters is playing for the moment. Consider the greatest upset of all time, Uruguay over Brazil, 1950, demonstrated that at any given time, anyone can win! Talk about Sport is Everything!

The FedExCup….not so much. The limiting of the field through the final four tournaments is definitely a must! It does provide a level of excitement that peaks the interest of most sports enthusiasts. However, this is where real excitement for sports fans fades. The current FedExCup format does produce a strong field, but unfortunately format only ensures the big names in golf make it to the finals. There is no real “David and Goliath” excitement; the underdog remains under; and there is no last-minute heroic sand shot remembered for 60 years! The FedExCup playoffs is like watching the same group of players week in and week out win large purses without any real excitement. 8 of the top 10 ranked players in the FedExCup are also in the top 10 in the world! It is somewhat exciting for true golfing fans, but the current format does not generate the enthusiasm of a World Cup event.

The FedExCup should take a page from the World Cup. Have all the qualifying tournaments to set up the 125-man field to start the playoffs. Then, let the chips fall where they may. Lose and go home!

Adopt the World Cup way. Once the playoffs start, everything should be performance based. If a pro plays well, they make it to the next stage. If not, better luck next year. Regardless of their world ranking, it allows that 125th ranked player the opportunity to reach out and rip the title out of the hands of the giant.

This format will make for great golf! It will elevate the FedExCup to the ranks of a must see sporting events! All sport nuts remember the huge upset, but rarely remember the team that should have won. Creating excitement on any playing field is really what fans want!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Canadian Open – More Than Just a Game!

July 29, 2013 / The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

Brandt Snedeker of the United States poses with the championship trophy after winning the Canadian Open in Oakville, Ont., on Sunday, July 28, 2013. (Nathan Denette /The Canadian Press)

The RBC Canadian Open did not disappoint this year. The Glen Abbey Golf Club is one of the great venues in Canada for golf enthusiasts. This 7200+ yard course was challenging and yet playable for the pros. Finishing with 16 under and a 3 stroke lead, Brandt Snedeker was smooth down the stretch and did not crumble when the pressure increased during the 16th and 17th hole. Famous for his putting, Snedeker demonstrated that playing fast and staying focused can a benefit for any player.

Adam Sarson, White Dragon Golf, and TSN provide great synopsis of the tournament including some of the highs and lows. Regardless of who you were rooting for, the RBC Canadian Open provide all the excitement of any PGA tournament.

As per The Open, the pros demonstrated many aspects of golf that can show amateurs how to lower their scores and be successful on the course. The pros were very accommodating by their play and the following is how I would recommend lowering your score.

Breaking 100

To break 100, putting was the key. Watching Brant Snedeker use his putter like a surgeon wields a scalpel! “I hung in there really well and made the key putts I needed to and I was able to survive,” said Snedeker, the reigning FedExCup champion who, with the win, moves up one spot to No. 3 in the 2013 FedExCup standings. “That’s what today was all about.” (PGATOUR.com) Snedeker demonstrated that the flat stick saves strokes and lowers scores. In his case, putting propelled him to victory!

Breaking 90

Eliminating costly mistakes is key to keeping your scores low. How many times have we been playing fantastic and decided to take a chance that we know had a low percentage of success. Then, oh noooo, a triple brings our hopes of your best round ever crashing to the ground. Unfortunately, Dustin Johnson experienced the same feelings of despair. Following Johnson’s career, it is easy to see a repeat of costly mistakes. An article from the Bleacher Report outlines his many disappointments, but does provide a lesson for amateurs. Play within yourself, and manage the course to eliminate costly mistakes. There are many ways to achieve this difficult task and staying focused down the stretch is the best way.

Breaking 80

Practice difficult shots around the green. Then know how and when to press a difficult position. Place your ball in deep grass, plugged in the sand trap or chipping over a hazard. Watching the pros navigate the difficult shots makes it clear why they save strokes during difficult times. Take the 12th hole, Snedeker shot bogey and David Lingmerth tripled from the woods just off the green. Snedeker’s ball was partly open and Lingmerth’s was buried deep in the cabbage. The result speaks for itself. Knowing when to press a difficult position and when to take your punishment is extremely important to breaking 80. On a side note, Jim Furyk provides a great article on how to play 20 difficult shots at Golf.com.

The RBC Canadian Open was very entertaining. Brant Snedeker is a great champion and deserved to win. Of all the events that occurred during the Canadian Championship, Hunter Mahan provided the best headline. He left the tournament as the leader after the second round to jet home to Dallas for the birth of his first child. I am grateful that he provided an awesome example what is really important in life.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!