News

The FedEx Cup overhaul is official. Here are the details

Published

6 years ago

Sep 18, 2018

The PGA Tour substantiated the rumored changes to the FedEx Cup Playoffs, Tuesday, unveiling a new playoff format in general, an overhaul of the Tour Championship in particular, and a new regular season points race.

As had been previously established, the Tour will move from four playoff events to three. Most dramatically, the rumored staggered Tour Championship scoring, with the No. 1 player on the points list starting at 10 under, is now a reality. The next four players in the standings will being a 8 under through 5 under. No 6-10 will start at 4 under. Every five players after that will start a stroke further back, with No. 26 through 30 beginning at even par.

There will also now be a $10 million regular season bonus pool sponsored by Wyndham Rewards, aptly named the “Wyndham Rewards Top 10.”

The FedEx Cup Playoffs will wrap prior to Labor Day, thus finishing before the NFL season kicks off. The field for The Northern Trust will be 125 players, 70 for the BMW Championship, and 30 for the Tour Championship, with the points remaining the same for the first two events.

“This is a significant and exciting change for the PGA Tour, our players, our partners and – most importantly – our fans,” said PGA Tour commissioner, Jay Monahan. “As soon as the Tour Championship begins, any fan – no matter if they’ve followed the PGA Tour all season or are just tuning in for the final event – can immediately understand what’s going on and what’s at stake for every single player in the field. And, of course, players will know exactly where they stand at all times while in play, which will ratchet up the drama, consequence and volatility of the competition down the stretch.”

Regarding the $10 million Wyndham Rewards Top 10, the Tour says it, “will also put an even greater premium on excelling over the course of the FedExCup Regular Season.”

The leader of the top 10 will earn $2 million, with the runner-up pocketing $1.5 million. The existing FedEx Cup bonus pool will now total $60 million—$25 million more than the existing pool. Accordingly, the FedEx Cup champion will earn $15 million, rather than the $10 million in the current system.

Alternatively, there’s Geoff Shackelford’s summary of the changes: “This will be easier to follow than the current system where algorithms proved consistently boring to follow. This has to be better…the FedExCup as we knew it, did not work.”

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Ben Alberstadt

GolfWRX Editor-in-Chief

30 Comments

SNAKE FARR

Aug 16, 2019 at 5:38 pm

Pga tour has officially been reduced to a net event? Will 2020 usopen give the defending champ a 10 under par start before any one hits a shot? Welcome to the 8th flight club tournament at Bushwood !!!! Changing basic rules of golf scoring so tv watchers that have never played wont get confused. Pga be ashamed!!

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P Cleeve

Sep 20, 2018 at 4:26 am

This will totally alienate ALL viewers and leave the PGA Tour totally alone Internationally, whereas the other Tours will now go forward by being guided, not by greed and demand to be the “ONLY” tour, but by being receptive to informed viewers requests and a genuine interest in ALL players best interests no matter what standing they have. Greed is a killer.

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Mat

Sep 20, 2018 at 2:22 am

Just to add to the reasons this is stupid, not that it should require any more…

The incentive is now that the top seed will be rewarded for playing *conservatively*. Think about that… play it safe is the right way to play. That’s just so backwards.

If you think you should be giving an advantage, fine. I’d be ok with giving major winners a first round match bye, and I’d also be fine with an even match going to the higher seed after 18, no playoff. Seeding becomes a natural advantage. But the idea that the scoring of a single tournament will be modified makes this right about a local over-50’s weekender.

I honestly hope this costs the commissioner his job. Where other parts of the world are getting rave reviews for 6s golf, this is going to be the short, mistake era of the PGA.

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Tom54

Sep 19, 2018 at 6:00 pm

I agree with many of the comments about how asinine this new formula is for the FedEx playoffs. Hopefully before the new wraparound season starts which by the was is pretty dumb too,they will have time to come up with something better. Who in the world thought this through gods sake?

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Ron Owens

Sep 19, 2018 at 4:29 pm

Really? A tournament where players start at various strokes under par? Stupid!

Everyone starts at zero and plays the game. Best man wins. What’s so difficult about that?

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HDTVMAN

Sep 19, 2018 at 1:23 pm

I just looked up the definition of the PGA Tour in the on-line dictionary: “A very rich group of gentlemen, who play for extremely large amounts of money, a 501c3 non-profit, lead by a commissioner and board equivalent to the characters in ‘Dumb & Dumber'”.

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Gary Ahlert

Sep 19, 2018 at 1:00 pm

This is beyond stupid. Either these guys are on drugs or ought to be. Absolutely nuts. Ta Ta PGA. Youve lost me as viewr. Stop trying to gimic everything up

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GHN

Sep 19, 2018 at 12:32 pm

I like it! It is simply not a normal tour event it is the FedEx Cup playoff and giving the leader 10 strokes over the last 4 guys in the field makes perfect sense. It will be much better then trying to figure out what is on the white board! The players and the fans will know where everyone stands and every player will know what they need to do to win.

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Yawning

Sep 19, 2018 at 12:23 pm

You’ve made it simpler Mr. Monahan, simply buzz killing. Handicaps are for Ams.
Just neck the field down a couple times to 30, then match play with one seeding bye for the top 10 ranked players, based on season performance. But since the press releases already went out it seems we will have to endure at least one farce, the 2019 FedEx cup.
While you are in a “simplifying” mood, how about dumping the wrap-around season and go back to traditional calendar based scheduling ?

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Dan

Sep 19, 2018 at 10:31 am

Oh and by the way it wasn’t the Playoffs or the Tour Championship format that needed revamping. It was the points accrued throughout the season. How is a player that hasn’t won at all ranked higher than a player who has won 2 majors. There is your problem!!

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Dan

Sep 19, 2018 at 9:43 am

Wow! Now I’ve heard it all. We are giving professional golfers handicaps. What a sham. Pretty surprised the player’s board allowed that to happen. Now the Tour Championship is a meaningless made for TV event. Hot garbage!!

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Roy

Sep 19, 2018 at 9:07 am

Guess there is a reason the NFL dosen’t start the playoffs with one team up 14-0 at the opening kickoff….

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Scheiss

Sep 19, 2018 at 3:09 am

So, so dumb.
It should be simple, like this:

Play the usual season and collect moneys as usual; the top 144 of the Money List qualify for the Final 4 events. No need for points. No need to worry about who won how many times. Just make them all just go out there and get the moneys.
Then play cut-line.
1st Final Event, the 144 players get cut to 108.
QuarterFinal, cut to 72.
SemiFinal, cut to 36.
Final, just 1 Winner. Gets the Cup.

Simples!

They’ll be hungry and will be gunning for it at the end. No need to shuffle anything around, no points needed, just do it by earnings to qualify.

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bogeypro

Sep 18, 2018 at 9:52 pm

wow, just wow…. no words for how dumb this is. just do a 32 man match play. Handicapping a pga event is ridiculous.

Reply Report comment
- Mat
  
  Sep 19, 2018 at 7:52 am
  
  Couldn’t agree more. I’d prefer nothing better than a simple bracket. I’d want 28, so that your four major winners get a bye.
  
  But anything other than match play is revolting.
  
  Reply Report comment
Jacob Bengtson

Sep 18, 2018 at 9:40 pm

Garbage, match play or nothing. Looks like I won’t even be watching anything after the Us open for the 20th year in a row.

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Liberty Apples

Sep 18, 2018 at 8:50 pm

So the Tour Championship is now a handicapped event? Utter nonsense.

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Rebill One

Sep 18, 2018 at 6:39 pm

I thought the real final event was Phil vs Tiger.

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Jill Ouellette

Sep 18, 2018 at 4:36 pm

Really dumb thing to do! We don’t care if one person wins the Tour Championship and another the Cup. If you make it to the final 30, you should have an equal chance in the Tour Championship. Your overall performance should be the determining factor, not just one tournament. What you’ve done does not increase interest–in fact, just the opposite.

Reply Report comment
- Jack
  
  Sep 19, 2018 at 9:41 am
  
  You are so right Jill! The entire PGA Tour staff should be tested for substance abuse. That has to be the only explanation for this mind-numbing decision.
  
  Reply Report comment
emb

Sep 18, 2018 at 3:35 pm

so you’re 6th in points for the entire year and you start the Tour Championship 6 shots back? that seems a little extreme, I feel like the leader is given too much of an advantage but I’m sure they’ll tweak it after next year as well depending on results. Wonder how long it’ll be before they go 2 full seasons without changing anything

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Knarls Barkley

Sep 18, 2018 at 3:16 pm

I still think Greg Norman got jobbed for having come up with this idea of an elite level playoff system, presenting it to the Tour, and they poo poo’d it, ONLY TO PRESENT THEIR OWN VERSION OF IT!! AND THE SYSTEM IS STILL COCAMAMIE NONSENSE!!

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Ryan Michael

Sep 18, 2018 at 3:15 pm

128 man match play event make it short and sweet for all the marbles and most importantly it simplifies things!

Reply Report comment
dat

Sep 18, 2018 at 2:53 pm

This scoring system sounds like something a network exec. came up with who has never played golf in his life.

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Graham Fee

Sep 18, 2018 at 2:18 pm

I really dislike this, seems very foolish to change a system that was working to something convoluted. If this is a reaction to the possibility of someone winning the FedEx Cup without a win, it sure is an extreme reaction. I have no issue with Finau winning the Cup – shows he has been playing well all year. I like the regular season race – good addition. The starting a tournament with under-par scores already on the board – no thanks! I think this cheapens the perception of the Tour Championship overall.

Reply Report comment
- kevin
  
  Sep 18, 2018 at 2:56 pm
  
  if the winner of the final event didn’t take home the fedex trophy….it wasn’t a playoff.
  
  no one likes watching an event where math is needed to calulate whether or not the guy finishing the last tournament in 2nd or 3rd would actually be the overall winner.
  
  the new system, although not perfect, is a step in right direction. however i’d rather see a final 8 match play event.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Rebill One
    
    Sep 18, 2018 at 6:40 pm
    
    Final 8 match play is a great idea!
    
    Reply Report comment
Tom

Sep 18, 2018 at 1:46 pm

The timing of this is strange, two days before the 2018 finals you reveal the next version?
Basically inferring the current program isn’t very good, puts a cloud over this week’s event?

Reply Report comment
- kevin
  
  Sep 18, 2018 at 2:56 pm
  
  agreed. but it wasn’t a secret the current system is garbage
  
  Reply Report comment
Midwest Blade

Sep 18, 2018 at 1:14 pm

Seems like they are really forcing the effort to create something exciting. These season ending events look more and more like every other event during the season and are probably not gaining much in audience or interest. There are always certain events throughout the year that I do really enjoy watching, The Masters has always been the start to the season, followed by the US Open, The Open and finally the PGA. Throw in The Players and a couple of other events like the old Western Open, anything played at Firestone and that was a wrap for the majority of my golf viewing. Week after week of golf tournaments looking like the week before are not gaining fans. Weekly money is so large that fields in the off weeks seem to be getting weaker and weaker. All the top players schedule for the major’s, WGC’s (non cut events, guarantees $’s) and a few other events. Why can’t the season end with a simple two event run, top 80 make the series which is then cut to 40 for a final tour championship, simple, clean and easy to understand. No strokes, no points, simply top 80 on the money list make the finals.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 PGA Championship

Published

14 hours ago

May 14, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site this week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, for the PGA Championship.

While we see fewer equipment changes and new gear seeding at major championships, we get a look at custom gear and looks into the bags of players we rarely see, which is just as exciting. In the case of the PGA Championship, this means a look at the gear some of the PGA Professionals who qualified for the tournament will be gaming, and LIV players, such as Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed.

Check out links to all our albums from Valhalla below and check back throughout the week as we continue to update.

General Albums

2024 PGA Championship – Monday #1

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

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Morning 9: Is it Rory’s time? | Stricker WDs | Why Valhalla is a great major venue

Published

16 hours ago

May 14, 2024

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as we gear up for the PGA Championship from iconic Valhalla.

1. Is now the time Rory finally ends major drought?

BBC’s Iain Carter…”But given the imperious form he showed in Charlotte last week, perhaps this is the PGA Championship to rekindle the ruthless streak of old. And not just because he is back at Valhalla (the Nordic word for the hall of the fallen).”

“It also became clear last week that McIlroy is somewhat persona non grata to the PGA Tour’s Policy Board. His views on a global future for this damagingly split sport do not seem to chime with the American dominated body.”

“His offer to return to the board from which he resigned earlier this year was rejected and he has been left as a mere non-voting member of the “transaction committee” dealing with a potential deal with Saudi Arabia.”

“McIlroy insists there are “no hard feelings” but there should be.”

“No player has worked harder for their sport during this period of unprecedented tumult and the board has rejected someone many people regard as the game’s most articulate and enlightened international voice.”

“Now is, surely, the time for McIlroy to feel slighted and respond with his clubs. Play as though he has a chip on his shoulder, but in the knowledge that he is generationally the most consistent golfing force out there.”

Full piece.

2. Scheffler in for PGA Champ after birth of child

Jaclyn Hendricks for PGATour.com…”Scottie Scheffler and wife Meredith’s bundle of joy has arrived.”

“The couple welcomed their first child, just weeks after Scheffler claimed his second Masters victory in three years.”

“Sports Illustrated’s Bob Harig tweeted Saturday that the baby was born and Scheffler will play in this week’s PGA Championship — the second major of the season.”

“There’s been nothing official from Scottie Scheffler, his team or the Tour… But word is he will be at Valhalla for the PGA next week after winning four of his last five tournaments, including the Masters. He is currently on the Tuesday interview schedule for 3:30 p.m. #babyborn,” Harig wrote over the weekend.”

Full piece.

3. “Erik van Rooyen, friends and family live in honor of ‘Trazzy’”

That’s the headline of Ryan Lavner’s superb piece on Erik van Rooyen and his departed best friend Jon Trasmar. An excerpt would be an injustice. Go read it!

Full piece.

4. Stricker out of PGA citing fatigue

AP report…”Steve Stricker decided Sunday to withdraw from the PGA Championship at Valhalla, citing the difficulty of playing four times in a span of five weeks.”

“Stricker, 57, was eligible by winning the Senior PGA Championship last year. He, John Daly and Phil Mickelson are the only players to have competed at Valhalla each of the previous three times the PGA Championship was held there.”

Full piece.

5. Why Valhalla is a great venue for major championships

Garrett Morrison for The Fried Egg…”But before we start slinging mud (of which there will be plenty in Kentucky this week), let’s pause to think about why Valhalla tends to generate close final-round battles featuring elite players. It’s not magic: the course has long par 3s and 4s, narrow fairways, and smallish greens surrounded by rough and bunkers. This style of design and setup, which practically defines the PGA Championship’s modern brand, gives an outsize advantage to a skill that many star players share: power. Length off the tee and the ability to muscle the ball out of rough to a well-protected green will be near-prerequisites for contending at this week’s PGA Championship. If Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, and Bryson DeChambeau show up with any kind of short-game and putting form, they will be in the mix on Sunday. And the presence of such A-listers on the leaderboard will further burnish Valhalla’s reputation as a serious venue.“

“It does not follow, however, that Valhalla is a great golf course. In fact, I find it a fairly mediocre and bland one. Very few holes offer multiple options of the tee (the exceptions being the short par-4 fourth and the double-fairway par-5 seventh), most of the greens lack memorable contouring, and the recovery shots from around the fairways and greens are one-dimensional and repetitive. So even if Sunday turns out to be a barn-burner, the first three rounds, when the focus will be on the course and the shots demanded, will probably be sleepier, aside from the inevitable Blockie walk-and-talk.”

Full piece.

6. Dunne resigns from policy board

Mark Schlabach for ESPN…”Jimmy Dunne, who last year helped negotiate the PGA Tour’s controversial framework agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, resigned from the tour’s policy board on Monday.”

“In Dunne’s resignation letter, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN, Dunne wrote that “no meaningful progress has been made towards a transaction with PIF” and that “my vote and my role is utterly superfluous” now that player directors outnumber independent directors on the policy board. Dunne’s resignation was effective immediately.”

“It is crucial for the Board to avoid letting yesterday’s differences interfere with today’s decisions, especially when they influence future opportunities for the tour,” Dunne wrote. “Unifying professional golf is paramount to restoring fan interest and repairing wounds left from a fractured game. I have tried my best to move all minds in that direction.”

“Along with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, Dunne and policy board chairman Ed Herlihy secretly negotiated the framework agreement with the PIF, which is financing the rival LIV Golf League. Monahan and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan announced the deal on June 6. Most PGA Tour players — including some player directors — were unaware of the deal until it was announced on TV.”

Full piece.

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Tour Rundown: Rose blooms, Rory rolls

Published

2 days ago

May 13, 2024

Ronald Montesano

This week last year, I found myself praying to the weather goddesses and gods that Rochester would be spared their wrath over the next seven days. The 2023 Oak Hill PGA Championship (that was slated for August when the contract was signed) was on the horizon, and I wanted my region to show well. Things turned out fine, with all four seasons making an appearance, a PGA Professional (Blockie!) stealing hearts, and a proven champion in Koepka (although I was pulling for Viktor.)

This year, no concerns. Louisville will shine this week at Valhalla, but we’ve matters to consider before we look to four days of coverage this week. Nelly did not win on the LPGA this week, so who did? The PGA Tour held two events in the Carolinas, and Tour Champions celebrated a major event in Alabama. Four noteworthy events to run down, so let’s head to RunDownTown and take care of business.

LPGA @ Founders Cup: Rose blooms

There was a sense that Rose Zhang might have a role in the 2020s version of the LPGA. After winning everything there was in amateur golf, she came out and won her first tournament as a professional. That was last May and, let’s be honest, who among us thought it would take 12 months for Zhang to win again? Rhymes with hero, I know.

This week in New Jersey, eyes were on Nelly Korda, as she made a run at a sixth consecutive win on the LPGA circuit. Korda ran out of gas on Saturday, and that was just fine. Madelene Sagstrom and Zhang had turned the soiree at Upper Montclair into a battle of birdies. Gabriela Ruffels came third at nine-under par. No one else reached double digits under par but Sagstrom and Zhang. They didn’t just reach -10…they more than doubled it.

Sagstrom had the look of a winner with five holes left to play. She was three shots clear of Zhang, at 23-under par. The Swede played her closing quintet in plus-one, finishing at 22-deep, 13 shots ahead of Ruffels. That performance we’d anticipated from Zhang? It happened on Sunday. She closed with four birdies in five holes to snatch victory number two, by two shots. Spring is a lovely time for a Rose in bloom.

Take a look back at hole No. 1… @rosezhang is living life on the edge ? pic.twitter.com/o6z6SK7TRA

— LPGA (@LPGA) May 12, 2024

PGA Tour @ Wells Fargo: Rory the Fourth is crowned in Charlotte

Xander Schauffele is a likable lad. He has an Olympic gold medal on his shelf, and a few PGA Tour titles to his credit. Even X knows that even par won’t get much done in a final round unless conditions are brutal. They weren’t brutal at Quail Hollow on Sunday. X posted even par on day four. It kept him ahead of third-place finisher Byeong Hun An but gave him zero chance of challenging for the title.

Paired with Xander in round four was the King of Quail, Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman had previously won thrice at the North Carolina track, and he was champing at the bit to gain some momentum on the road to Louisville. While Xander scored increasingly worse along the week (64-67-70-71) McIlroy saved his best round for the final round. Thanks to five birdies and two eagles, McIlroy ran away with the event, winning his fourth Wells Fargo by five over Schauffele.

HOLE-OUT EAGLE FOR RORY!!!

He now leads by SIX! pic.twitter.com/UE49lwfwNC

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 12, 2024

PGA Tour @ Myrtle Beach Classic: a little CG won the inaugural week

It always seemed odd that the PGA Tour had zero stops along the Grand Strand each season. This week’s event seemed odd in that the golfers played the same course each day, and there were zero handicaps involved. Most events at Myrtle Beach involve hundreds of amateurs at dozens of courses, with all sorts of handicaps.

The Dunes Club is a Robert Trent Jones Sr. course, down toward Pawley’s Island. It claims what used to be considered an unreachable, par-five hole, the watery 13th. Nothing is unreachable any longer, including a 22-under par total for a six-shot win. Chris Gotterup, a former Rutgers and Oklahoma golfer, played sizzling golf all week and won by a sextet of shots. Gotterup opened with 66, then improved to 64 on Friday. His Saturday 65 sounded a beacon of “come get me,” and his closing 67 ensured that second place was the only thing up for grabs.

Chasing the podium’s second level were a bunch of young Americans. In the end, Alastair Docherty and Davis Thompson reached 16-deep, thanks to rounds of 64 and 68 on Sunday. They held off six golfers at 15-under par. The victory was Gotterup’s first on tour and should be enough to get him a Wikipedia page, among other plaudits.

Leader by SIX!
@ChrisGotterup | @MyrtleBeachC pic.twitter.com/TVdA6ZPYc4

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 12, 2024

PGA Tour Champions @ Regions Traditions: Vindication for Dougie

Doug Barron, if I recall correctly, was suspended by the Powers That Be, way back in 2009, for testosterone. He was naturally low in the hormone, so he took supplements. This did not sit well with certain admins, so he was put on the shelf for 18 months. Not cool.

In 2019, Barron came out on the Tour Champions. He won in August. The next year, despite the craziness of Covid, he won again. Barron hit a dry spell for a few years. He kept his card, but accrued no additional victories. In late April, Barron showed serious signs of life, with a t2 at Mitsubishi. This week in Birmingham, he jumped out to a lead, lost it, then gained it back on Saturday. With major championship glory on the line, Barron brought the train into the station with 68 on Sunday.

Stephen Alker, the man who could not lose just two years ago, gave serious chase with a closing 63. He moved up 11 slots, into solo 2nd on Sunday. He finished two shots back of the champion. Two shots ain’t much. Cough once and you drop a pair. Third place saw a three-way tie, including last year’s winner (Steve Stricker) and runner-up (Ernie Els.) Despite the intimidating presence of the game’s greats, however, Doug Barron had more than enough of everything this week, and he has a third Tour Champions title to show off.

At the @RegionsTrad, all champions receive a green bike.

Doug Barron decided to take a victory lap ? pic.twitter.com/bEzENMjZwv

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) May 13, 2024

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