PGA Tour's Fedex Cup

Posted by Alan L. Hammond Mar 9, 2007

Here's a brief overview of the format:

• The regular season consists of 36 tournaments over 33 weeks of competition. Players accumulate points each week based upon their finishing position in each Cup tournament.
• Tournaments are generally allotted 25,000 points. The four Majors and the Player's Championship receive 27,000 and World Golf Championship tournaments receive 26,250. Points for each are distributed based on a player's finish.
• The Fedex playoffs consists of a four-tournament series following the regular season. The top 144 players advance to the playoff series, with points being reset based upon regular season ranking.
• After the final event, the Tour Championship, $10,000,000 goes to the Fedex Cup Champion.
• A fall series will determine the finishing order and following season's eligiblity for positions 31-125.

Althouh critics of the new championship fear it will, among other things, devalue the Major Championships, that isn't likely to happen. The Majors are so deeply ingrained into the psyche of players and fans that an upstart series couldn't quickly erode that popularity. Over the long haul, if the Fedex Cup gains such a level of support, what will be the harm? If it goes in that direction, then, as they say in finance, market forces have dictated it. Should the series become that popular, then it is good for golf, just like the Majors are today.

It won't happen, though.