The FedEx Cup can't seem to catch a break.

Marred by controversy over big-name players skipping events, criticism over the points system and the $10 million deferred payday, now comes more bad news about East Lake's troubled greens. They're so bad, Golf World has learned, players in the 30-man field will not be allowed to practice on them or hit shots into them prior to Thursday's opening round of the Tour Championship. The PGA Tour is expected to announce the cancellation of the pro-am and a long-term plan by course founder Tom Cousins to close the course for a year to change the greens from bent grass to a new strain of Bermuda that is more tolerable to Atlanta's searing heat.

Henry Hughes, Executive Vice President of the PGA Tour, would not confirm the information, saying it was speculation and that a release would be issued Sunday.

--Tim Rosaforte

Golf Digest's Bob Carney sat in on Tim Finchem's interview at the BMW Championship today, where the PGA Tour Commissioner was grilled about Phil Mickelson's withdrawal from this week's FedEx Cup playoffs event, as well as other gripes about the playoffs format. Check out Carney's take in our Editor's blog.

Tiger Woods also addressed concerns about the FedEx Cup playoffs during his interview today.

Q: When this thing was pitched to you, the idea that the schedule was going to be so bunched, did you express reservations about your ability to play that many in a row?

Tiger Woods: We all did. We all didn't think it was in the best interest for us as players to play that much. We normally don't play that much, especially towards the end of the year. Most of the guys usually shut it down post-PGA, and maybe the only time you start playing a lot is maybe trying to get ready for the Ryder Cup.

Q: Should the tour maybe have listened a little bit more to you guys instead of scheduling the tournaments the way they are, especially going into next year when you have the Ryder Cup right after that?

Tiger: Yeah, it's going to be interesting to see what happens. It's a lot of golf for a lot of guys. These are all big events. It's not like these are small events. You have World Golf Championships, followed by a major, and then you have these four events, and then you have The Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup. It's a bunch of big events. It's not like you have events where most of the guys--like at Kapalua--take it easy out there and go have fun at night, and if they play good golf, great. That's not the case.

Steve Elling, who covers golf for CBSSports.com, didn't miss the most interesting news to come out the Deutsche Bank Championship on Monday. Everyone who was paying attention to golf Monday knows that Phil Mickelson beat Tiger Woods in an exciting final-round showdown at TPC Boston. The bigger story was Phil's shot at Commissioner Tim Finchem after the tournament ended. As Elling points out, we'll probably never know if Mickelson gets fined for the remarks he made during a nationally-televised interview with NBC's Jimmy Roberts, but confirmation should come later today that Lefty won't be playing the BMW Championship in Chicago this week. Don't expect to see Mickelson again until the Tour Championship in Atlanta on Sept. 13-16.

. . . and speaking of W/D's from the BMW Championship in Chicago, British Open champ Padraig Harrington said Sunday he has had enough.

It's becoming more and more fashionable among the rock stars of the game to skip at least one FedEx Cup event. Tiger Woods set the precedent at The Barclays. Ernie Els bowed out of this week's test, the Deutsche Bank Championship. So, who's next?

The logical choice among the game's superstars would be Phil Mickelson, who has until 5 p.m. Friday to commit to the BMW Championship in suburban Chicago. Phil's decision to play or not will hinge on whether he wants to play four straight coming back from a wrist injury when?like Woods and Els?he really doesn't have to. (Not after finishing T-7 at The Barclays, with points worth more at the Tour Championship.) His record at Cog Hill is also less than stellar: one top-25 in 10 appearances, including two missed cuts dating back to 1992.

No word from the Mickelson Camp, but the subject will no doubt be something he and Woods chat about Friday afternoon during the opening round at the TPC-Boston. As for Vijay Singh, don't worry: He'll probably play the remaining five Fall Finish events--after four straight on the FedEx circuit and the Presidents Cup--just to stay loose.

The subject never came up during Mickelson's "Five Good Minutes" segment on ESPN's PTI with Tony Kornheiser and Dan Le Batard. The hot topics were Phil's pick for the Super Bowl, his take on the FedEx Cup, his relationship with Woods, and Commissioner Tim Finchem's (sort of) announcement that the tour will begin drug testing in 2008.

In a playful mood, Mickelson said while discussing drug testing: "Well, I think I'm going to cut back now. . . . I think it's been obvious it was directed toward me."

When Mickelson was asked, "Stop the steroid use?" Lefty kept the one-liners coming.

"Well, I thought it was flaxseed oil, but that's my misunderstanding."

--Tim Rosaforte

(Photo: Travis Lindquist/Getty Images)

Tim Finchem, in typical Tim Finchem fashion, played his cards close to the vest when he spoke with reporters at the Deutsche Bank Championship on Thursday. The two revelations:
1) He's not upset that players are taking weeks off during the FedEx Cup Playoffs
2) The PGA Tour could have drug testing in place by the start of next season.

Of course, if you really read through the transcript, you're not sure he said anything of the kind. In fact, you're not even sure it's the English language.

For instance, on potential FedEx Cup Playoffs revisions, Finchem says: "But the actual process of dealing with, well, does this suggestion make sense or that suggestion make sense, is something that would be later."

And on a potential drug testing program: "It'll be a combination of things that are banned, and then the extent to which we execute on the policy will cover all the substances that are banned. So I'll have more definitive information for you later."

Eeeek!

But then maybe this clears it up . . . or doesn't: "But you know, I don't know the extent to which any commissioner can take responsibility for eradicating the problem, but you have to take responsibility for taking your best efforts to either deal with the problem or try to eradicate it."

Of course, keeping us in the dark tends to be just the way the Commissioner likes it.

--Mike Stachura

(Photo: Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Rory Sabbatini has become a media favorite in the past few months, mostly because he's not afraid to tell it like it is. During his sit-down in the interview room yesterday at the Deutsche Bank Championship, outside Boston, Sabbatini addressed:

1) His latest confrontation with a fan. ("Say it to my face, buddy.")
2) How the media has paraphrased his statements to their liking and put a very bitter taste in his mouth
3) Why, unlike some players, he speaks his mind.
4) What he really thinks about Tiger.
5) Who he'd choose to take on Tiger in the Presidents Cup singles match if he were captain Gary Player.
Check out his transcript here.

And while you're it, don't miss what Jack Nicklaus had to say about Sabbatini, and who Jack identified as the one guy who riled him up by running his mouth back in the '60s.

(Photos: Stuart Franklin, Hunter Martin/Getty Images)

Ernie Els is 10th in the FedEx Cup points standings, but he won't be playing this week at the Deutsche Bank Championship near Boston. Els withdrew from the tournament today.

"I have been on the road now for almost eight weeks and it is important that I return home where my children will be preparing for their return to school," Els said. "I regret having to miss such a prestigious and important tournament and I wish everybody there an enjoyable and successful week."

Earlier, Scott Verplank, Jose Maria Olazabal and Bernhard Langer announced they wouldn't be playing the Deutsche Bank event despite the fact they're eligible by being inside the top 120 in FedEx Cup points.

It's doubtful the absence of Els, Verplank, Ollie or Langer will affect attendance or TV ratings this weekend, but as Tod Leonard reports in the San Diego Union-Tribune, TV ratings for The Barclays couldn't have made PGA Tour executives happy. Of course, golf telecasts have no chance when Tiger Woods isn't in the field.

On both Saturday and Sunday, The Barclays on CBS was beaten by the Little League World Series on ABC. The World Series final Sunday between Georgia and Japan drew a 3.5 overnight rating, while the golf got a 2.1. On Saturday, both Little League championship games--International (1.8) and U.S. (2.2)--generated higher ratings than The Barclays (1.7).

--Craig Bestrom

There was a time when some tour players earned more in practice-round money games than they did in the actual tournament. That's not the case anymore. Jim McCabe writes about the demise of the Tuesday money game in Sunday's Boston Globe. In it he recounts practice rounds at the 1999 Masters, where John Daly allegedly lost $60,000 to Phil Mickelson and John Huston.

As McCabe writes, very few of today's tour players are interested in playing for big bucks before the tournament starts.

"I can't be bothered. I put an awful lot into my game. I really have to focus hard on [practice days]," says Jerry Kelly. "I'm playing for titles. I don't have many of them, but that's what keeps my adrenaline up all the time. I'd much rather make my money on the all-time money list than the unreported income."

"I'd rather just go around and hit extra balls and stuff like that, rather than worrying about things on Tuesday," says David Toms.

And this from Jeff Sluman: "I'd rather buy a nice bottle of wine than blow it when some guy makes a 40-footer on the 18th with six presses."

Do not adjust your TV set -- the brown splotches on Westchester CC's greens are just as obvious to those in attendance at the Barclays as they are to viewers at home. The putting surfaces on the first, second, sixth and 10th holes are particularly unsightly, marred by patches of discolored grass where there is any turf at all.

Overall, the speed of the greens doesn't approach the PGA Tour standard of about 11 on the Stimpmeter. Add the inch of rain that fell here Tuesday, and one of the tour's classier venues has become a dartboard. In this league, Slow + Soft = Very Easy, which is why close to half of the 144-man Barclays field will finish the first round under par.

That's a far cry from the numbers that helped this venue earn a reputation as one of the tour's toughest tests. "They're awful," one veteran caddie said of the greens. "When you consider what we're playing for, they're certainly not up to snuff."

Maybe so, but with scores so low, there hasn't been a lot of complaining. These greens may look bad, but for the most part, they're rolling better than you'd think -- even a card-carrying pessimist finds little wrong with course conditions after an opening 67. Tour official Mark Russell did admit that some pin positions wouldn't be used because it's bad business to park a flag in dirt. You won't hear a lot of whining about that, either.

Before it became the leadoff batter in the FedEx Cup playoff series, this tournament was played in June, prior to when the most stressful summer weather has left its mark. "What we've had [recently] are thundershowers, and that's certainly going to damage the grass," said John Kennedy, Westchester's director of golf. "What usually follows are warm temperatures, and by the middle of August, [course maintenance] can get very difficult."

So there. At least somebody will be laboring this week.

--John Hawkins

Where can you get a conversation about the FedEx Cup, golf tips at Westchester Country Club, a denial of presidential interest and a quick analysis about the fortunes of the stock market? Try CNBC, which on Wednesday aired an interview with Phil Mickelson, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg and Barclays president Bob Diamond.

Lefty, by the way, says his wrist is completely healed and he wants that $10 million annuity.

You might notice while watching The Barclays today (3-6 p.m. EDT on the Golf Channel) that at least 40 players are wearing belts with the initials IFF on the buckle. The initials stand for Ian's Friends Foundation, and players are wearing the belts to raise awareness and support for 3-year-old Ian Yagoda and pediatric brain tumor research.

Ian was diagnosed with a brain tumor about a year ago, and according to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, every nine days a child in the U.S. is diagnosed with a brain tumor. Brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer death from childhood cancer.

Phil and Cheryl Yagoda, Ian's parents, have teamed up with custom belt manufacturer House of Fleming to raise money and awareness for this deadly childhood disease. To order, call House of Fleming at: (888) 233-5657 House of Fleming makes belts for many of the PGA Tour's top players, and this week players such as Jim Furyk, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Angel Cabrera, Zach Johnson, Rory Sabbatini and many more will wear the Alligator belt with IFF buckle (made by Bettinardi Golf).

In addition, Swiss watch company Audemars Piguet, has announced that for players who wear the belts for four days at The Barclays, the low and high 72-hole score will receive an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watch in steel.

--Marty Hackel

(Photo: Kerry Brady)

HARRISON, N.Y. -- Steve Sands flew in from Orlando on Monday to cover the
start of the FedEx Cup playoffs for the Golf Channel. Right off the plane,
Sands was given a quick taste of how New York feels about Tiger Woods
skipping The Barclays.

One of Sands' first calls was to New York's famous sports-talk radio
station, WFAN. The show's host Richard Neer put Sands on the air and asked
him how was he doing.

"Doin' great," Sands said. "Absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on some
corned beef and pastrami in the city."

There was a pregnant pause. No small talk. Just fastballs.

"He didn't even laugh or tell me, 'The Carnegie Deli,' " Sands said. "He
said, 'Why is Tiger snubbing New York?' Almost like he didn't hear me. It
was hilarious, like he totally ignored me. It was funny. I laughed. Then he
asked, 'Why is Tiger snubbing NY? Why is he letting down the tour? And why
is he slapping the other players in the face?' Three in a row.
Bang-bang-bang."

Welcome to New York, Steve.

"Everything's direct here," said Sands. "I love that. Love it."

--Tim Rosaforte

Daniel Chopra can sure roll the rock at Westchester.

(Photos by Jeff Patterson)

On a rainy Tuesday before the PGA Tour's inaugural FedEx Cup playoff series, you could do a lot worse than to run into Tom Pernice, one of the tour's deepest thinkers and most outspoken veterans. Questions about the playoff format have taken on new meaning with the absence of Tiger Woods, who will skip this week's gathering at Westchester CC after saying for months that he planned on playing in all four events.

Unlike last November, when he was extremely critical of Woods for missing the season-ending Tour Championship, Pernice had a more pragmatic viewpoint on Tiger's latest no-show. "We need to have regulations that will make everybody play," he said. "We're all independent contractors, per se, but we tend to hide behind that too much. It ultimately comes down to Tim [commissioner Finchem] needing to be stronger."

When Woods announced last Friday that he wouldn't tee it up at the Barclays, he had, however intentionally, dealt several blows to the credibility of the postseason structure. The whole idea of this four-week finale was to get a full commitment from all of the game's best players. You weren't supposed to be able to win this thing unless you played in every tournament. If the concept doesn't resonate with the world's top golfer, why should even hardcore fans feel obligated to care?

The big loser here is Barclays, a financial institution that has spent millions of its advertising dollars with the tour. Television ratings obviously will suffer without Woods in the field -- this happens to be the only playoff event covered by CBS, which has become the tour's largest and most important network carrier. "How can you get Tiger to be passionate about our tour and act in everybody's best interests?" Pernice wondered aloud. "I don't think there's an easy answer to that."

There is also the embarrassment factor. Woods actually made a commercial promoting the playoff series, whistling "Eye of the Tiger" as he laces up his spikes in the locker room before heading out to battle. The tour has promoted its new end-of-summer shindig excessively, operating under the premise that sponsors, networks and golf fans would get the best it has to offer for an entire month.

That isn't going to happen. Woods will play next week in Boston and the week after that in Chicago, but with five victories in 2007, a victory list that includes his 13th major title and two more WGCs, he has basically locked up Player of the Year honors before the playoffs have started. He doesn't need the $10 million in retirement credit that will go to the playoff-series champion, but if he wins two of the three remaining playoff tilts, he's likely to claim the top prize, anyway.

Bottom line? A guy who can find motivation in a kernel of popcorn seems to be suffering from a lack of incentive when it comes to the postseason. "We can't promise that everybody's going to play unless we have regulations," Pernice added, referring to everyone who might have been counting on Woods' unconditional commitment. "At some point, Tim has to sit down with Tiger and Phil [Mickelson] and find out what they want to do, because this thing won't work without them."

--John Hawkins

HARRISON, N.Y. -- Big-hitting Bubba Watson was a big hit at the Westchester Country Club driving range Monday afternoon. While Watson was waiting for Ping tour rep Matt Rollins to bring him five new pink-shafted drivers, he borrowed a few right-handed clubs from Ryan Moore and tried his hand at making solid contact. After a few topped shots, Watson (green shirt in photo) started looking less like Bubba and more like Tom.

When Rollins arrived with the 7.5 degree left-handed drivers, Watson still had adjustments to make. After three powerful whacks, it was evident that the range wasn't long enough to hold his shots. Several people suggested he move to the extreme back of the range.

As Moore told a ball attendant, "He's back there because he just hits it too far."

-- Jeff Patterson

Jeff Maggert told Ed Hardin of the Greensboro (N.C.) News & Record that he's tired of hearing criticism of Tiger Woods for skipping this week's Barclays, the first tournament in the FedEx Cup. Maggert, in fact, says none of the touring pros are enthusiastic about the tour's playoff.

"Probably half the players out here couldn't care less about [the FedEx Cup],"   he told Hardin. "The other half are indifferent."

Maggert said tour commissioner Tim Finchem should take the blame for the indifference in the clubhouse.

"I hear a lot being written, but I don't see anybody writing anything about Finchem," Maggert said. "I mean, this was his idea. He really didn't consult any of the players. He kind of shoved it down our throats and said, 'This is what we're going to do.' "

The FedEx Cup starts this week, and the media is wasting no time in telling us that the tour playoff is, well, a waste of time. The absence of Tiger Woods in this week's Barclays field provided plenty of ammunition to take shots at the event.

Writes David Whitley in the Orlando Sentinel: "The FedEx Cup was a contrived money-grab to begin with. When the sport's pre-eminent star blows off the opening act, all credibility is lost. It's like baseball starting the playoffs without the Red Sox, Angels, Mets and the national anthem. Tour officials are trying to put a happy face on things, but they must feel as if they've had a graphite shaft plunged into their backs."

Added Damon Hack in the New York Times: "In a sport that lives on tradition and so often returns to familiar themes, the FedEx Cup chase, in which golfers have spent the season accumulating points, has had trouble gaining the players' affections. It was designed with the golfers and their fans in mind: a shorter season that finishes before the heart of the N.F.L. season and the World Series, and a big-money prize at the end. But the players have not uniformly endorsed the FedEx Cup despite the Tour's zealous promotion of it."

And this from Ian Hutchinson in the Toronto Sun: "After moving tournaments such as the Canadian Open into awkward positions to accommodate this season-ending showdown that was supposed to get fans jacked in the weeks and months beforehand, the FedEx Cup has yet to live up to the promise made by the Tour's slick marketing campaign."

SUNRIVER, Ore. -- Many of the players at the Jeld-Wen Tradition were headed for Seattle Sunday night for the next Champions Tour event, the Boeing Championship. Not Fred Funk. After his 11th-place finish at the Tradition, the 51-year-old was bound for New York and The Barclays, the first leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs on the PGA Tour.

"It's great that I'm in it, but it's been a frustrating year with my [bad] back and all," said Funk. "I had a great start [with a win on the senior and regular tours], but haven't done much since."

Funk enters the FedEx playoffs in 73rd position. "I'm in the first two events for sure. My goal is to make it to all four, but at least to the third one in Chicago." Funk expressed little surprise that Tiger Woods is skipping the first playoff event. "Any tournament, you want him in the field," Funk said, "but we also understand the problem with the concept is asking these guys to play an awful lot of weeks in a row. Tiger gears up stronger mentally and physically than anybody else. He just doesn't like playing that many weeks in a row. He's sticking to his guns and sticking to his schedule."

Funk is cautiously optimistic about what the playoffs will bring, in terms of fan interest. "We're trying to create something that creates excitement," he said. "If it works, great. If not, then we'll probably have to re-tweak. We're still going up against football."

Regardless of how Funk fares in the coming month, he still is in decent shape to qualify for the Champions Tour's season-ending event for the top-30 money winners, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in late October. He left central Oregon 28th in earnings even though he has played only five times this year while playing a full PGA Tour schedule in hopes of making the U.S. Presidents Cup team, a goal that didn't pan out.

--Bill Fields

(Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)