2019/20 PGA Tour thread

[GirlySports]

If it were straight up 32 man match play then there would be no advantage to being #1. Youd still have to handicap holes or rounds.

Or first two days is the format like now with handicap. After round 2, the top ??? go to match play.

[jayswin]

Yeah, you can't get away with no handicaps unless you go back to the old style with a tournament winner and fed ex cup winner (which was so stupid).

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

If it were straight up 32 man match play then there would be no advantage to being #1. Youd still have to handicap holes or rounds.

Or first two days is the format like now with handicap. After round 2, the top ??? go to match play.

I think that 1 vs 32 is enough of an advantage that you don't need to provide strokes.

What I would want to see would be a 16 grouping match play for round 1, reseed for an 8 grouping match play for round 2, reseed for a 4 grouping match play round 3 and finish with a 4-some final round for the Championship.

[Enoch Root]

I like it this way.

But 10 strokes is A LOT. I wouldn't mind it being a little less.

Bottom 10: 0
Next 10:... 1
Next 5:..... 2
#5:.......... 3
#4:.......... 4
#3:.......... 5
#2:.......... 6
#1:.......... 7

Still an advantage, and a big advantage to the top 5, but not so much that it ruins the tournament.

The way it is right now, the bottom 10, if not the bottom 20, have no chance

[Enoch Root]

I don't like match play because your season can end simply by one guy having a big day or you having a quiet day.

It's the Tour championship, and the tour plays tournaments all year, not match play.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I don't like match play because your season can end simply by one guy having a big day or you having a quiet day.

It's the Tour championship, and the tour plays tournaments all year, not match play.

Interestingly the PGA Commissioner previously is on the record for saying that the PGA Championship "is not a tournament" but a continuation of the playoffs. As such, a match play format would be the most suitable format for the PGA Championship. Sure it means your players at the top could get knocked out in an early round by a lower ranked seed but that is the nature of a playoff. The better player or team wins.

I just don't like the concept of giving strokes as now the Tour Championship isn't really being awarded to the best player in the final tournament. DJ has played -9 through three rounds. Schaufelle has played -11 through three rounds and he can go -15 and still lose the tournament because DJ was given a handicap. I'm not sure of any other sporting event that gives such an extreme advantage in a tournament or championship. Every other sport the champion still has to beat the field.

In my opinion, at least a match play format still provides some advantage to the top players as they are going against lower ranked players but they still have to perform at an elite level if they want to win.

[DoubleK]

That bunker shot Morikawa holed on the first hole was incredible. I'd be happy just to get there on the green.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I like it this way.

But 10 strokes is A LOT. I wouldn't mind it being a little less.

Bottom 10: 0
Next 10:... 1
Next 5:..... 2
#5:.......... 3
#4:.......... 4
#3:.......... 5
#2:.......... 6
#1:.......... 7

Still an advantage, and a big advantage to the top 5, but not so much that it ruins the tournament.

The way it is right now, the bottom 10, if not the bottom 20, have no chance

This idea is good but would require less than 30 players. Maybe 20. The PGA doesnt want their season and the other playoff events to not mean anything

[Enoch Root]

Mackenzie Hughes birdied the 2nd and 3rd to get to 7 under. Then he eagled the 6th to get to -9 and actually on page one of the leaderboard. Unfortunately, he then double bogeyed the 7th.

He finished the front nine at -7 but has just birdied the 10th.

[calgarygeologist]

I really hope that Schauffelle wins today. He deserves it as he easily has outplayed DJ so far.

[DoubleK]

Well played DJ. Goes from not being able to break 80 in July to never trailing in the playoffs.

[DoubleK]

And good on McKenzie Hughes enjoy your $300k bonus.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

Well played DJ. Goes from not being able to break 80 in July to never trailing in the playoffs.

In theory he finished tied for third this weekend in terms of strokes. Schauffele was 265, Scheffler was 268 and DJ and Justin Thomas were 269.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

In theory he finished tied for third this weekend in terms of strokes. Schauffele was 265, Scheffler was 268 and DJ and Justin Thomas were 269.

That's not how the playoffs work.

He kicked ass in the first two weeks and earned it.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

That's not how the playoffs work.

He kicked ass in the first two weeks and earned it.

I know, it is a stupid format.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I know, it is a stupid format.

It's not a stupid format.

Think of the Tour Championship like a Sunday. The tournament lasts all year and the championship is Sunday. Johnson earned the lead, and if anyone else wanted to catch him they had to outscore him. If you are the best player Thursday through Saturday, you have a lead going into Sunday. And you don't have to have the lowest score on Sunday in order to be the victor.

Also, just saying that Schauffele had a lower score is also misleading from the perspective that Johnson had a lead and was trying to make pars and not make mistakes, while Schauffele was trying to make birdies.

Taking stats out of context is pretty pointless.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I know, it is a stupid format.

I just re read the banter/your position on the way they do the playoffs.

My $0.02. It's miles better than the previous two winner format. Not having to deal with points on Sunday of the Tour championship is so much better than it was previously.

The playoffs aren't stand alone events especially the Tour Championship, but rather a culmination of a season long points race.

The PGA Tour (and their sponsors) had to do something to attract eyeballs more than 4 tournaments a year. The WGCs helped a little bit, but I would suggest it helped more globally than it did in North America. This market loves their playoffs more than any other.

The tour also had to do something for the "lesser" events, too. Making them worth the same amount of points has lead to stronger fields consistently throughout the season. Go look up the ratings for the Wyndham Championship

The FedEx Cup has ticked all of those boxes and more.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

I just re read the banter/your position on the way they do the playoffs.

My $0.02. It's miles better than the previous two winner format. Not having to deal with points on Sunday of the Tour championship is so much better than it was previously.

The playoffs aren't stand alone events especially the Tour Championship, but rather a culmination of a season long points race.

The PGA Tour (and their sponsors) had to do something to attract eyeballs more than 4 tournaments a year. The WGCs helped a little bit, but I would suggest it helped more globally than it did in North America. This market loves their playoffs more than any other.

The tour also had to do something for the "lesser" events, too. Making them worth the same amount of points has lead to stronger fields consistently throughout the season. Go look up the ratings for the Wyndham Championship

The FedEx Cup has ticked all of those boxes and more.

I don't disagree with saying that sports fans are playoff obsessed and get excited about crowning a champion every year. What ruins it for me and probably other fans is that the playing field should be equal for all the competitors. Certainly an advantage should be granted for better performance during a season going into the playoffs but spotting a player or team points or games is a little ridiculous. This is why I personally believe that the Championship would be better served as a match play event.

I think a match play format provides a lot more excitement for the fans as they have more individual matches to cheer for, there is the possibility for underdogs to go deep (who doesn't love a Cinderella story) and all the players are competing at a level playing field. Match play is also great in that players have to play to win as opposed to playing safe and protecting a lead.

I think the PGA still has some work to do in terms of nailing down a suitable playoff/championship format. For me it doesn't work and it doesn't legitimize the crowning of a champion.

[Strange Brew]

Well I like the format. There are the majors and the Players that stand alone as prestigious tournaments which are obviously scored the traditional way. This doesn’t replace those so you’re not necessarily crowning a single champion with the Fed Ex cup. This format has produced some extremely worthy champions which to me is the point. Individual tournaments can be random, this gives meaningful weight to the previous tournaments while also settling things on the final Sunday in a traditional way.

And a big no to Match Play for me which often produces dubious winners. I’m fine for an occasional match play tournament but not for the culmination of this series.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

In theory he finished tied for third this weekend in terms of strokes. Schauffele was 265, Scheffler was 268 and DJ and Justin Thomas were 269.

Its silly to think that DJ didn't play more conservative with his lead. He is shooting way lower if it was a regular tourney.

I like the format.