Talking FedEx Cup
Count one down-to-earth Michigander as leaning "no" on the FedEx Cup competition: From Rick Singer of St. Clair Shores:
I?m exhausted from hearing about the ?excitement? of the FedEx Cup. I?m your average golfer. I make what I consider a good living. I find it a bit insulting that the PGA Tour asks me to get excited over watching a group of guys who this week are playing in a no-cut tournament (Bridgestone Invitational) where the winner will take home $1.3 million. The purses are getting out of the world, not to mention pro golfers do not need to win tournaments in this day and age; sponsorships alone guarantee them a very comfortable living. That said, I ask the PGA what am I suppose to be getting excited about when it come to the FedEx Cup? Is it the fact that I get to watch a bunch of millionaires play for even more millions some sponsor is willing to throw at them?If I had it my way, I?d have them playing to get in a position to buy into the FedEx Cup tournament. For example, the top money winners in the world get the option to buy into the playoff by spending $100,000 of their own money. If some players opt out you just continue down the money list. I?d be much more eager to watch guys playing for their own money than watch another wealthy sponsor throw an even more ridiculous amount at these guys...
I don?t think you understand that the average golfer really doesn?t care to see money thrown at guys that already live such a comfortable life that more money is very low on their ?need to get list?.
Rick, that new format is intriguing, though I'm not sure you'd get many takers on the "own money" aspect. As for your main point, maybe this will help. When 47-year-old Mark Calcavecchia was asked last week at Firestone why he endures his growing number of ailments to compete on Tour, here was his response:
"Buying a $2 million lot [in Tequesta, Fla.] and building a $2 million house motivated me. I've got about $200,000 in the bank and $5 million in debt, that motivates me, so I've got to keep going."Come to think of it, that probably doesn't help. But Calc was as close to an average golfer as we could get.
On the competition itself, I'm of the wait and see persuasion. If it makes the end of the season more exciting, no matter how they do it, count me in.
--Bob Carney
Question: Given the $10 million (deferred annuity) offered to the winner of the FedEx Cup, will that figure impact the PGA Tour Money List? I mean, if Tiger doesn't win the FedEx Cup, and, say, someone further down the money list DOES win the FedEx Cup, that $10 million payout will almost surely make them #1 on the money list. So, does the FedEx Cup annuity payment count as a $10 million addition to the yearly money list totals? If it does, I think it ruins the whole money list idea. -Craig from Florida