The PGA/FedUp Cup Playoffs.... New Venues Needed?

[Steve_ Shaffer]

After reading some of the comments in the other thread about " A Defenseless Medinah" - particularly Mike Cirba's comments about courses this year "If there is no challenge approaching or at or on the greens then there is no longer any fear factor.Thus, this week's Yawnathon.   And last week.  And the week prior.  Rinse...Repeat.It's a long time til next year's Masters.."

I think Geoff Shackelford has a good idea about changing future venues .to the West Coast for prime time viewing and more challenging greens:

www.golfweek.com/2019/08/18/golf-tour-championship-needs-a-rota-pga-tour

[Tim Leahy]

New great courses would raise interest. I watched the US Am rather than the playoff. I have no interest in Eastlake at all. Been there done that. It is not Augusta.

[JWinick]

Sounds great, but there's a reason they are in Atlanta (Coke).

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

Coca-Cola is the sponsor through 2020, I assume they're renewing but...
The Tour Championship used to be in Sept or Oct , right? And it “moved around” to places like Champions, Olympic, Oak Hills (San Antonio), even Pebble and Pinehurst. With a new August date, in addition to West Coast venues like Chambers Bay, Pumpkin Ridge, etc., maybe those courses in the Northern latitudes would be a good fit as May might prove a challenge weather-wise to host the PGA Championship. Hazeltine… Oak Hill… Inverness… Whistling Straits. Maybe even Colorado GC, Phila. Cricket, and/or Baltimore CC.

Just spit-balling as they say…

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Coco-Cola is now a " Proud Partner" with FedEX so as Geoff points out, a return to East Lake every few years in a new rota is possible.


Now instead of the Tour Championship we have the " Fed Ex Cup Finale"


https://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2019/8/19/alliteration-works-the-fedexcup-finale-instead-of-the-tour-championship

[Joe Leenheer]

Sounds great, but there's a reason they are in Atlanta (Coke).

The venue selection definitely follows the sponsor $'s


....just ask us folks from Akron.   

[Jim_Kennedy]

This is a historic tournament - I can't think of any another time in the history of golf in which a professional event was held with the players receiving 'handicaps', in this case, strokes against the field. 


I guess it's OK though, it will be considered an 'official' tour win. 

[Tim_Weiman]

Steve,


Thanks for posting Geoff’s article. Basically, I agree with him.


But, wow, I never thought I’d see Geoff Shackelford recommend Pelican Hill.


We’ll have to send in Tommy for some re-education.

[Edward Glidewell]

I played East Lake for the first time about a month ago. It's a great facility and has a handful of very good holes (I thought most if not all of the par 5s were quite good), but it also has a lot of bland par 4s. I do wonder what it could be if someone was brought in for a renovation to remove some of the Rees Jones, but I don't anticipate that happening any time soon.

[mike_beene]

This is just not life changing for the players or spectators. The fall tournaments are much more interesting because careers are made and broken for bubble type players. Who cares if Patrick Reed or Justin Thomas or Rory,etc. win 15 million. Rather see a good ,LA Open, Hawaian Open, Sanderson Farms or Byron Nelson. This is the new silly season.

[jeffwarne]

This is just not life changing for the players or spectators. The fall tournaments are much more interesting because careers are made and broken for bubble type players. Who cares if Patrick Reed or Justin Thomas or Rory,etc. win 15 million. Rather see a good ,LA Open, Hawaian Open, Sanderson Farms or Byron Nelson. This is the new silly season.

That's a very interesting take, and I think I agree with some/much of it.
JT's been missing in action all year, wins an event at -25 and suddenly he's the points leader-AND gets a 10 shot lead in the next event on par...


Put the majors back where they were, produce a watchable product and stop worrying about competing with football.
Why would anyone spectate live at East Lake in August?


Ot tell Koepka it's a major

[jeffwarne]

After reading some of the comments in the other thread about " A Defenseless Medinah" - particularly Mike Cirba's comments about courses this year "If there is no challenge approaching or at or on the greens then there is no longer any fear factor.Thus, this week's Yawnathon.   And last week.  And the week prior.  Rinse...Repeat.It's a long time til next year's Masters.."

I think Geoff Shackelford has a good idea about changing future venues .to the West Coast for prime time viewing and more challenging greens:

www.golfweek.com/2019/08/18/golf-tour-championship-needs-a-rota-pga-tour

For those who advoacte for a reasonable scaled ball/equipment/tour bifurcation.
Imagaine the possibilities.
Bandon in prime time.
Pebble or Spyglass where they actually hit drivers any of the four courses is better than the drivel we get now.


What better event to introduce the new ball/driver head?
10's of millions being paid out so they're coming.


Is that really any more improbable or "silly" than playoffs featuring formerly iconic venues reduced to daily coutrse record inducing pitch and putts. where 61 is the new 65..
or quadrupling playoff points for the "playoffs"
or starting a guy 10 shots under par?


seems far less silly to me, and it's not like the Fedex playoffs are some sacred iconic tradition bound (they change formats every year) event


But absent my fantasy,(thanks for the indulgance)
Geoff presents a compelling alternative to what's out there now.
and Chambers Bay deserves a second chance without the USGA's ball and chain

[Ben Hollerbach]

The biggest issue I see with the playoff is it doesn't feel like a playoff. This is clear by the gross frequency of times they are forced to remind the viewer that it's the playoffs during the telecast. What I would like to see is a complete change in format that makes the whole event actually act as a playoff tournament. Something that would mimic march madness.

Start with a 5 course rotation, with 4 courses acting as regional sites and the 5th course as the finals. Spread these courses across the country to allow a greater mix of variety and better tv scheduling.

 Take the top 128 in the points standings and divide them into 4 regions. Give the top 16 players the chance to pick which region they would like to travel too and a top 4 seed in the region.
Within each region, play 18 hole matches to knock the field down to the final 8 players.
The next week, the final 8 will play the last 3 rounds of matches to determine the champion, with the last match being 36 holes.

Sign up these 5 venues to a 5 year contract, with one of those 5 years as them as the championship venue and space them across the time zones: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco.

[Kalen Braley]

Jeff,

Imagine having Cypress Point back on the AT&T rota with a rolled back ball. Spyglass would certainly get its teeth back if the pros could no longer overpower it ...

And so many other classic venues to be put in the spotlight again, even if only once every 5 years in the playoffs.  I'll bet most of the players would be on board for this too...

[jeffwarne]

Jeff,

Imagine having Cypress Point back on the AT&T rota with a rolled back ball. Spyglass would certainly get its teeth back if the pros could no longer overpower it ...

  I'll bet most of the players would be on board for this too...

Just the good ones, who tire of 1 skill dominating success

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Jason Sobel:  It's better, but....




https://www.actionnetwork.com/golf/fedex-cup-tour-championship-format-problems-solutions-jason-sobel

[jeffwarne]

Jason Sobel:  It's better, but....




https://www.actionnetwork.com/golf/fedex-cup-tour-championship-format-problems-solutions-jason-sobel

No real problems with the format-it certainly cements it as an UN major though
and for the most part, the guys on the bottom shot the worst scores, and vice versa (except JT)
My quibble is how JT 's win after a lackluster year got him to #1 going in with 2000 points for 1 win no one will ever remember vs. 600 for the Masters etc.

[Philip Caccamise]

Steve,


Thanks for posting Geoff’s article. Basically, I agree with him.


But, wow, I never thought I’d see Geoff Shackelford recommend Pelican Hill.


We’ll have to send in Tommy for some re-education.

Yeah I like Geoff but man he whiffed on that one. It's literally the worst possible place for a Tour event. I like the place, but it's short, somewhat tricked up, impossible to walk, no place for the gallery. WTF?