Golf and playoffs just don't work..

The PGA playoffs began last weekend under the Statue of Liberty in New Jersey, Patrick Reed won the Northern Trust for the second time, and will march on with 70 survivors (which include Adam Hadwin and Corey Connors) to this week's BMW Championship in Chicago. After that the top 30 will play the Tour Championship in Atlanta with a $15m bonus to the eventual winner of the Fed Ex Cup.

Are you pumped?.. can't wait for the pulsating drama to unfold?.. on the edge of your seat..nervous stomach ??

Didn't think so..

We all know about the absolute heart pounding drama of playoffs, especially here after the Toronto Raptors took this city, heck this country on the wildest ride imaginable to the NBA Championship. Men and women who never watch a game were swept up in a national pride which rarely happens in this country. The Jays in '92 and '93, Leafs away back when, Argos on a smaller scale, Mike Weir in 2003 at Augusta, 2010 winter Olympics, Ben Johnson briefly in Soeul, just some other examples.

Golf also provides the most exciting 3 days in sport at the Ryder Cup for the men, and at the Solheim Cup ( which is at Gleneagles in Scotland next month) for the women.

Every shot matters, especially as the week progresses, national pride is at stake, the pressure is just unbearable, 5 foot putts become monsters, rivalry boils over, history is on the line.

In 1980 I sat 3 rows from the centre court at Wimbledon, to witness the greatest match I've ever seen, Bjorg winning his 5th straight, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (16-18), 8-6 over "the Brat" John McEnroe.

It had everything including hero vs villain, heck we booed every shot McEnroe hit in the warm up. When Bjorn won the 3rd set 6-3, the table was set, McEnroe had to win the 4th to survive. Every, I mean every shot was crucial. The drama was unbearable, McEnroe finally shut up, and grew up in front of our eyes, winning that epic set, 18-16, and on we rocked to the 5th, where Borg stepped up his service to run out the winner.

They made history, left the court arm in arm, they even made a movie about it.. That's what playoffs are all about.

None of those qualities are in place at the Fed Ex Cup playoffs, or the Race to Dubai for that matter. Stroke play golf doesn't lend itself to it.

Sure I'll watch and relay the progress of Adam Hadwin and Corey Connors, because they are Canadian, I'll admire this generations astonishing shot making, hopefully enjoy a close finish.

I'll watch closely to see who will make the Presidents Cup teams, but sadly that event is a foregone conclusion every two years.

All pro athletes get paid extraordinarily well, especially when they win the playoffs, but we don't all get told exactly how much. For many, the staggering $15m bonus the winner of the Fed Ex Cup gets just seems superfluous to everybody watching, except for the players and their wives.

It's not the golfers fault that their sport's playoffs just don't have the same breath taking drama of what we expect from playoffs. Too slow, no national pride, no team, no agro, no good guy vs. bad guy, too complicated..

The fact is that golf and playoffs just don't work.

Bryan Angus