Fed Ex Cup playoffs are hardly playoffs, are they !

The Northern Trust final scoreboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2020/the-northern-trust/leaderboard.html 

Lets begin with the premise that I don't think most of you understand how the Fed Ex Cup playoffs work, right down until the last few holes of the Tour Championship in a couple of weeks time.

Lets also agree that throwing a $15 million bonus into the winners jeans pocket does nothing to enhance any excitement the playoffs may provide except amongst his wife and family.

Let's also agree that a myriad of reasons, including golf and equipment technology, training methods, the US college feeder system, improved fitness and lifestyle of today's pros, more golfers from around the world, climate change, improved agronomy, soft lush outdated courses, have all factored into lowering tournament scores and taking the drama out of the old risk and reward.

I dare say I think we all agree the playoffs in golf create absolutely no excitement especially in this COVID era when they are playing in absolute silence. 

Playoffs in other professional leagues provide pulsating excitement and winning the ultimate prize is an exhausting journey which gets tougher at every level.

The last venue before the top 125 playoff contenders was finalized was at the soft, accessible Sedgefield CC at the Wyndham which surrendered -21 to journeyman Jim Herman, and looking at some of the scores since they came back from COVID, RBC Heritage with Webb Simpson winning 65 65 68 64 -22,  the Travelers which DJ won with 69 64 61 67 events like the Rocket Mortgage, John Deere, the Workday Charity Open have hardly been stern tests of golf.

Now the playoffs should step up the test, right? DJ battled his way to victory on TPC Boston this weekend with 67 60 64 63 -30 a nail biter right to the finish, edging his closest "competitor" by 11 shots.

Next week its off to Chicago for the 70 man BMW at Olympia Fields where Justin Thomas won last year with 65 69 61 68 -22.

Do you understand how the 70 players got there? Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor missed the cut last week and they are still playing this week.

There is no excitement, no buzz, no tension, nothing at stake for anyone but the players, and the only way there will be is if Tiger is in the mix, and that's unlikely in his semi retirement.

Golf can be thrilling if there is something to get you on the edge of your seat, something at stake like the Ryder Cup. or the back nine at Augusta, or most recently when Royal Troon provided the dramatic setting in the wildest weather and a million to one underdog called Sophia Popov emerged from obscurity to steal our  hearts and become the Champion Golfer of the Year. She had grown men in tears all around the world.

The Fed Ex Cup playoffs have exactly none of that, no matter how much money they throw at them.

 Bryan Angus