Tour Policy Board Votes On FedEx Changes and Drug Testing

The nine-member PGA Tour Policy Board will vote Monday in St. Augustine,

Fla., on several proposals concerning the Fed Ex Cup playoff system and

implementation of a drug policy. Among the changes is revision of the 2008

schedule to provide an off-week between the third of four playoff events

and the Ryder Cup, thus resulting in a move of the Tour Championship to a

slot after the biennial matches between the United States and Europe that will

be staged in Louisville, Sept. 15-21.

If ratified, the playoffs will be held as follows: The Barclays in New

York Aug. 18-24, Deutsche Bank in Boston Aug. 25-Sept. 1, and the BMW

Championship in St. Louis Sept. 2-7. As first reported in the Sept. 21 issue

of Golf World, the Tour Championship, originally scheduled for the following

week, would then be contested later in Atlanta.

The board also will address the Fed Ex Cup payoff, which was $10 million

deferred to the champion, Tiger Woods, in its initial year. One possibility

is that a substantial amount--perhaps as much as $9 million--will be issued

up front. In addition, the board will study a proposal to decrease the size

of playoff fields to 120 at Barlcays, 90 at Deutsche Bank, and 60 at the

BMW. The field for the Tour Championship is expected to remain at 30.

The new drug policy, providing for a variety of suspensions from several

months to one year to life, likely will include random testing to be

instituted as early as January 1 but no later than the middle of the 2008

season.

--Bob Verdi