FedEx Cup Great Credit
To the tour’s great credit, it listened to criticism and made adjustments in the FedEx Cup format after each of the first two competitions. After the first year changes were made to make it easier to move up in points during the playoffs by tightening the reset, which was designed to discourage players from skipping events.
Then, in 2008, when Singh had such a wide lead going to the Tour Championship that all he had to do was sign a correct scorecard after 72 holes to win, changes were made to eliminate that possibility. Now, anyone in the top five of FedEx Cup points going into the Tour Championship wins the Cup if he wins the tournament at East Lake.
“There were some fits and starts,” Votaw says, “but over the last three years you’ve had in essence the same format with the same level of volatility, the same level of top-five control their own destiny in terms of getting into the Tour Championship and have a chance to win if they win the Tour Championship.”
Another tweak involved the bonus money. Originally, in 2007, the $10 million was paid out as a deferred annuity, but after players complained it was changed so that the winner would get $9 million up front. The top 10 FedEx Cup finishers get almost all of their bonus money up front. Those outside the top 10 have their payout deposited into their deferred-income retirement plan. The FedEx Cup winner also gets a five-year tour exemption.
“I don’t think it’s perfect, but the job it was supposed to accomplish was to get the top players for the year out there playing after the PGA Championship, and it’s done that,” said Cink. “That’s a definite check in the box.”
In the future the 125 players who keep their PGA Tour cards will do so based on FedEx Cup points and not the money list, as had been the case throughout the tour’s history. Also, beginning in 2013, the new seasonthe 2014 FedEx Cup playoff competitionwill begin in October.
The basic deal is that points are earned each week with the goal to finish the regular season within the top 125 in order to qualify for the Barclays, the first playoff event. The top 100 finishers after the Barclays advance to the Deutsche Bank Championship and the top 70 from there move onto the BMW Championship with the top 30 gaining entry to the Tour Championship.
Starting next year, the next 75 players outside the top 125 on the FedEx Cup points list after the regular season move into the three-tournament Web.com Tour Finals along with the top 75 Web.com Tour players. A total of 50 playersthe top 25 from the regular Web.com Tour season and the top 25 after the Finalswill get PGA Tour cards.
“We are happy with it, we are always going to look at ways we can improve it,” Votaw says about the FedEx Cup. “There may be something down the road relative to volatilitywhat the multiplier is for points in the four weeks. Every year that’s discussed.” But for now, five years in, the FedEx Cup playoffs can be considered to be an idea that worked.
FEDEX CUP BY THE NUMBERS
ALL-TIME BONUS MONEY LEADERS
*****PLAYER*****FEDEX EARNINGS
1.*****TIGER WOODS*****$20,275,000
2.*****JIM FURYK*****12,940,000
3.*****VIJAY SINGH*****10,870,000
4.*****BILL HAAS*****10,411,000
5.*****PHIL MICKELSON*****6,230,000
6.*****STEVE STRICKER*****6,205,000
7.*****LUKE DONALD*****4,410,000
8.*****MATT KUCHAR*****4,080,000
9.*****CAMILO VILLEGAS*****3,713,000
10.*****WEBB SIMPSON*****3,185,000
PLAYOFF TOURNAMENT WINNERS
TIGER WOODS*****3 WINS
STEVE STRICKER*****2 WINS
VIJAY SINGH*****
DUSTIN JOHNSON*****
PHIL MICKELSON*****
CAMILO VILLEGAS*****
HEATH SLOCUM*****1 WIN
MATT KUCHAR*****
CHARLEY HOFFMAN*****
WEBB SIMPSON*****
JUSTIN ROSE*****
JIM FURYK*****
BILL HAAS*****
TOP FINAL-ROUND TV RATINGS FOR EACH EVENT
TOURNAMENT*****RATING*****YEAR*****WINNER
BARCLAYS*****3.2*****2009*****HEATH SLOCUM
DEUTSCHE*****3.4*****2007*****PHIL MICKELSON
BMW*****3.1*****2007*****TIGER WOODS
TOUR CHAMP.*****3.0*****2007*****TIGER WOODS
TOUR CHAMP.*****3.0*****2009*****PHIL MICKELSON
AVERAGE FINAL-ROUND TV RATING FOR EACH EVENT
TOURNAMENT*****RATING
BARCLAYS*****2.3
DEUTSCHE BANK*****2.2
BMW CHAMPIONSHIP*****1.8
TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP*****2.0
FEDEX CUP BY THE NUMBERS
BARCLAYS
(125 PLAYERS*)
YEAR*****WINNER*****COURSE
2007*****STEVE STRICKER*****WESTCHESTER CC
2008*****VIJAY SINGH*****RIDGEWOOD CC
2009*****HEATH SLOCUM*****LIBERTY NATIONAL GC
2010*****MATT KUCHAR*****RIDGEWOOD CC
2011*****DUSTIN JOHNSON*****PLAINFIELD CC
DEUTSCHE BANK CHAMPIONSHIP
(100 PLAYERS**)
YEAR*****WINNER*****COURSE
2007*****PHIL MICKELSON*****TPC BOSTON
2008*****VIJAY SINGH*****TPC BOSTON
2009*****STEVE STRICKER*****TPC BOSTON
2010*****CHARLEY HOFFMAN*****TPC BOSTON
2011*****WEBB SIMPSON*****TPC BOSTON
BMW CHAMPIONSHIP
(70 PLAYERS)
YEAR*****WINNER*****COURSE
2007*****TIGER WOODS*****COG HILL G&CC
2008*****CAMILO VILLEGAS*****BELLERIVE CC
2009*****TIGER WOODS*****COG HILL G&CC
2010*****DUSTIN JOHNSON*****COG HILL G&CC
2011*****JUSTIN ROSE*****COG HILL G&CC
TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP
(30 PLAYERS)
YEAR*****WINNER*****COURSE
2007*****TIGER WOODS*****EAST LAKE GC
2008*****CAMILO VILLEGAS*****EAST LAKE GC
2009*****PHIL MICKELSON*****EAST LAKE GC
2010*****JIM FURYK*****EAST LAKE GC
2011*****BILL HAAS*****EAST LAKE GC
* 144 players, 20078; **120 players, 20078