The PGA Tour’s three-week-long playoffs, which kicks off Thursday in Memphis on the FedEx St. Jude Championship, continues to impress discussions concerning the format amongst high gamers.
Some, comparable to Scottie Scheffler, don’t just like the construction of it. Scheffler even known as it “foolish,” including that he dislikes the notion that all of it comes all the way down to the season-ending Tour Championship, which makes use of a ‘Beginning Strokes Format.’ Beneath this format, the top-ranked participant—Scheffler in each 2022 and 2023—begins the match at 10-under-par, whereas the second-ranked participant within the FedEx Cup standings begins at 8-under. A participant’s beginning rating then continues to dwindle all the best way to even par primarily based on their rating. Gamers between twenty sixth and thirtieth start the championship at even. Everybody in between begins at numerous ranges primarily based on their standing.
In fact, solely the highest 30 gamers after the BMW Championship qualify for the Tour Championship, held at East Lake in Atlanta yearly. The highest 50 make it to the BMW—the penultimate occasion—whereas the highest 70 gamers earn a spot on this week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind. Making the highest 50 carries vital weight, although, as a result of every participant who qualifies for the BMW Championship will get to e-book a ticket to all eight Signature Occasions in 2025—the 72-man tournaments with elevated purses.
However, because it pertains to the format, each Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa help it, thus disagreeing with the top-ranked participant on the earth.
“I like this format as a result of if it wasn’t this format, then none of us would have an opportunity in opposition to Scottie as a result of he’s thus far forward,” McIlroy mentioned.
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“So I actually like this format.”
Scheffler leads Xander Schauffele, the second-ranked participant, by practically 2,000 factors. McIlroy, who’s third, is 1,500 behind Schauffele, which reveals how properly Scheffler and Schauffele have performed all through 2024. Even then, Scheffler is in a tier of his personal.
In the meantime, Morikawa initially questioned this format, however he has since concluded that that is the easiest way to finish a season.
“I feel the easy reply is sure. I feel with any sport, playoffs are playoffs, and typically the very best groups—a number of the instances, the very best groups don’t win. What’s loopy about our sport is there’s a lot fluctuation and there’s a lot variables that you simply don’t understand how somebody goes to play. The very best participant on the earth may have a foul week, and it’s like, ‘Man, that week mattered greater than others.’ We have now 4 majors, you could have the playoffs, you could have The Gamers. These weeks matter extra, however typically individuals have unhealthy weeks. That’s form of what our playoffs are,” Morikawa defined.
“I don’t assume it’s an ideal system. I feel we’ve bought to all the way down to, guys can complain, this, that. Should you’re the very best and also you wish to present up, it’s a must to present up, particularly on the Tour Championship. That’s simply how issues work. There’s so much on the road, however that’s what’s so robust about our sport. It’s not such as you’re simply higher than each single particular person each single week. Any of those 70 guys this week may come out and win, and that’s what’s nice about our sport, however that’s what makes it robust to crown a title.”
Certainly, the gamers have so much on the road. Like Signature Occasions, the FedEx St. Jude and BMW Championships have $20 million purses, however the winner of the Tour Championship, and thus the FedEx Cup, will get a further $25 million.
“I feel [the format] makes the Tour Championship extra thrilling from a client standpoint. Is it the fairest reflection of who’s been the very best participant of the 12 months? Most likely not. However I feel at this level we’re not in for completely honest, we’re in for leisure and making an attempt to placed on the very best product we probably can,” McIlroy added.
“The primary 12 months that it was the beginning strokes at Tour Championship in 2019, I used to be capable of win that one, after which in ‘22 once more. I like this format. It form of feels prefer it’s a little bit of a reset after the common season. Everybody just isn’t fairly on a degree taking part in area, but it surely feels slightly extra like that.”
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By means of. You’ll want to try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.
