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MEDINAH, Ill. – The field for the championship of the round is defined and the reason for which it is called remains a mystery. These are the FedEx Cup, the PGA Tour's end-of-season tournament and the culmination of a three-tournament playoff series.
So, really, everything is a question of money.
Of course, the winner in Atlanta will be awarded a win on the circuit, even if he does not shoot the lowest score of the 72 holes, and will win a cool cup, although it's not clear if it would be big enough to hold the $ 15. million.
When the PGA Tour unveiled its FedEx Cup format in 2007, the essence of the buzz was about money. It was a sure-fire way to attract attention as well as the players, who drifted aimlessly after the PGA Championship as the golf season ended well before the FedEx Cup.
At the time, the bonus to the winner was $ 10 million. This year it's $ 15 million, with a total reserve of $ 60 million divided.
Koepka's answer:
"Brink's truck?"
Yes, that sort of thing sums up this week in Atlanta, where even the last place will bring in $ 385,000.
Justin Thomas, who won his 10th PGA Tour victory with a win on Sunday at the BMW championship, fell asleep on a two-stroke lead for the next few days before taking off at East Lake.
In the new format, there will be a staggered start off as opposed to a FedEx Cup reset, which means Thomas will start at 10 under par with Patrick Cantlay 2-under 8, followed by Koepka at 7 until the last qualifying match, Jason Kokrak, tied.
As crazy as it may seem, it will be much easier to follow than in the past, as there are now blows on the dashboard, with points eliminated. There is no doubt that the biggest potential problem was eliminated when Tiger Woods failed to qualify for the Tour Championship.
He will not be able to defend his title, but really, there is no title to defend. The one he won last year – his 80th PGA Tour title after five years without a win – is no longer in play. Only the FedEx Cup winner wins a trophy. If the same rules had been put in place a year ago, Woods would not have celebrated anything.
"It's disappointing," Woods said. "I would have liked to be able [qualified]. Last year, I had a special moment and it would have been nice to come back there, but I'll watch the guys on TV. "
Woods will not be alone in watching from afar. Other big names will also participate in the circuit championship.
Phil Mickelson, who won the AT & T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, never made one of the top 10 finishes this season and only had one among the top 20 . He finished 48th in the points.
"I had four or five difficult months," he said. "Probably the worst of the last four or five months of my career, I can not wait to take a few months off, get together and come back fresh."
Jason Day also hopes to take a break. The Australian has been fighting for most of this year. Since his fifth place at the Masters, he has managed only one ranking among the top 10. He was 22nd in the world and 54th in the FedEx rankings.
"Below average," said Day, who did not qualify for Atlanta for the first time since 2012. "Very disappointing, I did not do the Tour Championship but it happens. waiting for some free time. "
Like Jordan Spieth, who for the second consecutive year did not qualify for the end of season event, this time per thousand. Spieth, who was ranked 31st in the world, showed signs of progress this summer, but he has not won on the PGA Tour for more than two years. He was 44th in the points.
"I just got too inconsistent, too far in the long game," said Spieth. "That's reduced to the short game, but a considerable improvement in my putting.I know exactly why I left, what happened and how to get it back."
And while some prestigious names will be missing at East Lake, names like Thomas, Koepka, Patrick Reed, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Matt Kuchar, Gary Woodland, Tony Finau, Adam Scott, reigning FedEx Champion, Justin Rose, and Rickie Fowler will compete for the big prize.
Like Sungjae Im, Kokrak and Abahram Ancer, who all qualified for their first Tour Championship and therefore the Masters.
The money is good, but receiving this invitation from Masters could be worth a lot more.
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