Tour Championship Monday tee times/ scoreboard https://www.pgatour.com/
Eminent golf writer Geoff Shackleford posted on twitter this morning regarding today's finale to the Tour Championship and Fed Ex Cup playoffs " No buzz, nothing, crickets" His article about these moribund playoffs finally coming to a conclusion sums it all up. More on that later.
While we are viewing this snooze fest, it certainly has the players attention, no matter how wealthy.
Leading by 5 shots Dustin Johnson is looking at a $15m payout, Last place (30th) gets $395,000, so our steady Eddie Mac Hughes with rounds of 70 69 66 -5 T20 is looking to earn $505,000 tonight even if he doesn't move up an inch in his final round today.
$15m is an obscene pay day, from my point of view it disgusts more of us than not, nor is it necessary, even for the world's best golfers, no matter how much equipment etc they sell, nor how big the TV contracts, which I still believe are driven by a semi retired Tiger.
Here is a total purse breakdown from sporting news. https://www.sportingnews.com/us/golf/news/pga-tour-championship-purse-payouts-2020-prize-money/z75jzlbfv6kp1pk05r8dyhbog
Stroke play golf can be thrilling, as long as the stage has been set and there is a compelling storyline.
Think of Bob May at the 2000 PGA Championships when the underdog had it won but lost to a surging Tiger in a playoff, and there are many other examples, Mike Weir had Canada tuned in at the 2003 Masters, and that will always be one of the greatest moments in Canadian history.
I was sitting at center court for the epic 1980 gentleman's final at Wimbledon between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe. The "brat" McEnroe was depised, a clear villain, Borg "the iceman" the hero so there is your story line.
The first 3 sets on grass were boring, serve, volley, point, but the Swede was up 2-1. The 4th set is in the history books, 18-16, match points galore for Borg, but McEnroe shut up, dug in and won it, Every point was breath taking, the suspense was crippling, because the stage had been set. Borg held serve in the 5th to win "the greatest match".
Today at East Lake has none of that, and it has nothing to do with no spectators. Who cares apart from friends and family if DJ wins today, even if his 5 shot lead is gone producing a compelling last few holes. Was Bill Haas, or Vijay Singh winning the Fed Ex Cup one of your fondest golf memories?
The staggered start gave Mac Hughes little or no chance of winning, spotting DJ 10 shots killed any pulse this event ever had, certainly from a Canadian point of view.
Geoff was right, "No buzz, nothing, crickets". No matter what they have tried the Fed Ex Cup playoffs don't work, even when they bring together the best in golf for 3 weeks.
The stage may be set, but the storylines are not compelling, like Cinderella Sophia Popov battling the big bad weather in the AIG Women's Open at Troon, to arrive the tearful winner in her Prince's arms at the door to the ball.
Now that is a story..
Bryan Angus
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