A lot. Sunday’s viewership of the tournament held at Firestone Country Club was a 2.0 share compared to 4.3 last year. What was the difference this year? Tiger wasn’t on TV except for the highlights of his dismal performance. And last year? Well, Tiger what it all. Click here for the complete article by Darren Ravell of CNBC.
Archive for the ‘FedEx Cup’ Category
Can Ernie Els Win the Masters?
Sunday, April 4th, 20102010 has proven to be Ernie Els come back year. He broke his 2 year winless streak by capturing the WGC Championship in Doral in March. Ernie then followed that victory when he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill two weeks later giving him his 18th PGA Tour victory (two 2010 starts and two wins).
Back in 2006, Els put together a 3-year plan…. his goal: To challenge the his American rival…the number one player in the world….Tiger Woods. According to Els’ website, in 2007, he is quoted as saying… “I see 2007 as the start of a three-year plan where I totally re-dedicate myself to the game. I want to win more majors and start giving Tiger a run for his money. If you look at where he is at the top of the rankings, it’s a big lead so no one is going to get near him any time soon. I’ve got to give myself a three-year stretch to try to approach him and I really believe I can do it.” Needless to say, his may have become a little to aggressive in his planning process. Three years have since passed and Tiger remains number one.
However, with Tiger not in the equation the first 3 months of the 2010 golf season, Ernie reminded us of his golfing finesse. The Big Easy (nicknamed for his physical stature and effortless swing) showed his true talent that we all admired when he was on his game in the late 90’s and the early 2000 years. Despite his efforts and his knee injury of 2005, his last major win was at the 2002 Masters. That was eight years ago. Fast forward to 2010…..a year full of endless stories about Tiger’s fall from fame due to his “transgressions” resulting in his decision to take an indefinite (4 month) leave from the game of golf. With his “indefinite” leave coming to an end, Tiger has elected to return to golf at the 2010 Masters in Augusta.
This week, Tiger and Els will go head to head at the Masters. This is the first time Tiger is playing professional golf since November 2009. How will he fare? Will emotions get in the way of his true talent? Can Els give him a run for it? Els has finished as runner-up in six majors over the years. And, most notably runner-up finishes to Tiger (more than any other professional golfer). However, Els has always been described as the golfer with the right game to beat Tiger in a major.
Els is playing every shot and every hole for what it is – like he did before. Els currently leads the FedEx Cup point system and has won two of the four PGA Tour pre-Masters tournaments. The last person to win two of the four tournaments and go on to win the Masters was Tiger Woods in 2002. Can Els recreate Tiger’s 2002 tournament play record and come home with the Green Jacket this year?
Let the golf games begin…..this year’s Masters will certainly prove to be one of the most exciting tournaments of the year!
Posted by Marilyn Harris
Mickelson Wins the TOUR Championship and Woods Wins the FedEx Cup
Sunday, September 27th, 2009Round 4 of the TOUR Championship proved to be all about Phil Mickelson with his bogey-free round of 65 for a -9 finish. This tournament was all about putting! From round one with Sean O’Hair’s putting expertise thanks to a tip from Tiger and Tiger’s missed putts in round two and Kenny Perry’s and Phil’s impressive putting in round three. Round 4 brought out the best of Phil with a hot putter and solid tee shots he moved from tied for 3rd to winning status for the tournament. His victory today moved him from the 14th top seed in the FedEx Cup standings to No. 2 in points and No. 2 in world rankings. He birdie holes 3 (15 feet), 4 (30 foot), 8 (tap in), 8, 9 (12 foot), and 16 (chip-in). Financially, it was a great day for Phil, too. He won $1.35 million for the TOUR Championship and another $3 million for his second place finish in the FedEx Cup. Despite his 6 week furlough to care for his wife and mother, both diagnosed with cancer, Phil proved today why he is the No. 2 player in the world. Congratulations Phil!
Tiger Woods finished in second place for the TOUR Championship with a round of 70 for a -6 for the tournament. His second place finish won him the FedEx Cup title with a total of 4,000 points and a little extra cash…$10 million. Tiger played in 17 PGA events this season to lead the way to his victory. He moved from the 142nd seeded position in FedEx Cup points to No. 1 throughout the 2009 season. Here’s how he accumulated points:
- The TOUR Championship – Earned 1,500 – Total To Date 4,000 (after points were reset)
- BMW Championship – Earned 2,500 – Total To Date 7,196
- Deutsche Bank Championship – Earned 315 – Total To Date 4,696
- The Barclays – Earned 950 – Total To Date 4,381
- PGA Championship – Earned 330 – Total To Date 3,431
- WGC-Bridgestone Invitational – Earned 550 – Total To Date 3,101
- Buick Open – Earned 500 – Total To Date 2,551
- British Open Championship – Earned (Cut) 0 – Total To Date 2,051
- AT&T National – Earned 500 – Total To Date 2,051
- U.S. Open Championship – Earned 101.333 – Total To Date 1,551
- The Memorial Tournament – Earned 500 – Total To Date 1,449
- The PLAYERS Championship – Earned 94 – Total To Date 949
- Quail Hollow Championship – Earned 135 – Total To Date 855
- Masters Tournament – Earned 98 – Total To Date 720
- Arnold Palmer Invitational – Earned 500 – Total To Date 622
- WGC-CA Championship – Earned 75.75 – Total To Date 122
- WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship – Earned 46.563 – Total To Date 47
This is Tiger Wood’s second FedEx Cup win since its initiation in 2007. In 2008, Tiger did not play due to surgery on his left knee. What a comeback! Congratulations, Tiger, on your FedEx Cup win!
Posted by Marilyn Harris
The TOUR Championship – Round 3
Saturday, September 26th, 2009Is the TOUR Championship being over shadowed by the significance of player position for the FedEx Cup? Being the fourth playoff tournament of the FedEx Cup, there seems to be far more emphasize and speculation on who’s going to win the FedEx Cup versus who’s going to win the TOUR Championship, the final PGA tournament of the regular season and final tournment that determines the money list for the season. So after Round 3, let’s see how the players fair for the TOUR Championship and the FedEx Cup.
Kenny Perry shot a 64 (-8) and leads the tournment by 2 strokes over Tiger Woods who shot a 69 (-6). If Perry should win the TOUR Championship in order for him to win the FedEx Cup, too, there would need to be a 3-way tie for 2nd and this tie could not include Tiger or Stricker. Another scenario might be that Tiger finishes in a 3-way tie for 3rd or worse and neither Stricker or Furyk finish solo for 2nd place. What’s the probability of Perry taking it all?
Tied at 4 under are Phil Mickelson with a 66 (-4) and Sean O’Hair with a 70 (-4) followed by Steve Marino (67) and Padraig Harrington (71) both at 3 under. With Mickelson tied for 3rd and being the No. 14 seeded player within the FedEx Cup standings, what scenario would have to play out for him to win both the TOUR and the FedEx Cup? Tiger would need to finish in 8th position or worse in order for Phil to win both the TOUR Championship and the FedEx Cup.
Now, on the otherhand, if O’Hair were to win the TOUR Championship, what would it take for him to win the FedEx Cup too? Tiger Woods would need to finish in a 3-way tie for 2nd or worse and Steve Stricker ties for 2nd or worse. So many possibilities. What’s your prediction for the winner of the FedEx Cup?
Posted by Marilyn Harris
The TOUR Championship – Round 2
Friday, September 25th, 2009Round 2 of the TOUR Championship concludes with Tiger Woods in the lead by one stroke with a 68. He’s 5 under for the tournament. He had a chance to make a run for it but struggled with his putting for what should have been routine for the number one player. During the last 4 holes, Tiger missed a 4 foot putt for an eagle and another 4 footer for a birdie. To top off the missed putts he shot a bogey on the 18th hole. Is Tiger’s putting plagued as a result of his forthcoming putting tip to Sean O’Hair earlier in the week?
Padraig Harrington and Sean O’Hair trail Tiger by one stroke; respectively Harrington with a 69 and 4 under and O’Hair a 70 and 4 under. Other contenders who played well are Ernie Els just 2 behind with a 66; Kenny Perry just 3 behind with a 66; and Jerry Kelly just 3 behind with a 67.
With the emphasize being on who will win the FedEx Cup, based on today’s round, there are a number of scenarios that could play out. Tiger is in great position to win the Fed Ex Cup. Appears that the top five seeded players (Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, Heath Slocum, Padrig Harrington) in FedEx Cup points after Tiger are not in the top ten positions for the TOUR Championship so the probabiliy of a win by any of them is unlikely. But there’s still a lot of golf to be played! Let’s see who makes the move in Round 3.
Posted by Marilyn Harris
The TOUR Championship – Round 1
Thursday, September 24th, 2009Despite the 15 inches of drenching rain that saturated the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta just two days earlier, the first day of round one of the TOUR Championship and final playoff of the FedEx Cup brought sunshine and overall good course conditions. The savior of the course’s condition was the SubAir system, an underground moisture removal system, that was installed at the course in 2005 as a measure to “drain” any excess water off of the fairways and greens. According to the players, the greens were definitely dried out, playing “like a brick”.
Sean O’Hair leads round one of the tournament by one stroke. As the story goes, during a practice round Tiger gave Sean a putting tip to help his friend out. Now the question is…will that tip lead O’Hair to win the tournament? Maybe. But let’s speculate a bit…if O’Hair wins the Tour Championship, how does he fair for taking the FedEx Cup title? Here’s how it could play out…if O’Hair takes the title at the TOUR Championship and Tiger places 2nd either solo or tied with another player, Tiger wins the FedEx Cup due to the points system. Tiger would remain the leader with 4,500 points while O’Hair finishes with 3,700 points. For Tiger a win worth $10 million! Now, if Tiger should make the charge during the next few rounds and win the TOUR Championship, what does he accomplish? A tournament win worth $1.35 million and another $10 million for the lead points in the FedEx Cup and best of all his 72nd PGA title. What’s your prediction for the Championship? And bigger question, who will win the FedEx Cup?
Round One Top Five: Sean O’Hair (-4); Tiger Woods – (-3); Stewart Cink – (-3); Padrig Harrington – (-3); Lucas Glover – (-2)
Posted by Marilyn Harris
The Tour Championship Sept 24 – 27
Monday, September 21st, 2009Time to start looking at Tour Championship this coming weekend.
Who is going win?
Conventional wisdom tells me Tiger Woods. But I have been fooled before.
The others are Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson and Heath Slocum.
For anyone else to have a shot, they will need a lot of help from the top five.
Does anyone have a chance to beat Tiger at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta this weekend? I think that is a pretty tall order.
The BMW Championship at Cog Hill, Lemont IL
Tuesday, September 8th, 2009The third FedEx Cup playoff tournament, The BMW Championship, is hosted by Cog Hill Golf and Country Club at the famous Dubsdread course. After a year off of the PGA tour, the Dubsdread course is back on track with a new face lift.
Dubsdread was originally built by Cog Hill founder Joe Jemsek in 1964 for $600,000. It’s the number four course on the pristine property of rolling hills, mature trees, and meandering creeks and ravines. It’s one of Tiger Woods favorite tour courses. Over the years, seventeen PGA Tour events have been held there and four USGA Championships. It’s rated one of the best public courses in the United States.
Frank Jemsek, owner of Cog Hill, decided in 2007 that Dubsdread needed to become more challenging to address the advancements in equipment and skill developed over the years. In 2007 Tiger Woods won the BMW Championship with 22 under. This triggered Jemsek to rethink how he could revive the course to challenge the golf professionals of today while making it a great golfing experience for the average golfer as well. One of the key changes made to the course was the redesign of the greens to make them faster and create more slope within the greens. In doing so that essentially meant rebuilding the greens for improved drainage. While revamping the greens, the surrounding sand traps to the greens were also deepened to add another dimension to the challenge of the course. Jemsek brought in Rees Jones to rehab the course for its $6 million dollar renovation.
The course also has had 6 teeing areas added to test golfers at all skill levels. Since it is a public course and one of the best in the Midwest, not only will the PGA Tour players find it challenging but the average golfer will enjoy its beauty and sculpture as well.
The BMW Championship begins this week at Cog Hill. Practice rounds are scheduled for September 8 and 9 with round one of the tournament beginning on September 10. The top 70 FedEx Cup points leaders will play in the BMW this weekend. There will not be the typical “cut” after the first two rounds. Of those top 70, thirty players will move on to the Tour Championship two weeks later at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia.
Posted by Marilyn Harris
How the FedEx Cup Works
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009We’ve heard a lot about the FedEx Cup over the past few years. And, we are about to begin the playoff phase of the event. So, let’s look at how the FedEx Cup point system works.
Each week during the regular PGA season, players earn points based on their finishing position in a PGA Tour event. Points are accumulative from event to event.
At the end of the regular PGA golf season, the top 125 players, based on points earned, move to the playoff phase. The playoffs consist of a series of four tournaments:
- The Barclays – Liberty National Golf Club, New Jersey City, New Jersey ($7,500,000 Purse)
- Deutsche Bank Championship – TPC Boston, Norton, Massachusetts ($7,500,000 Purse)
- BMW Championship – Cog Hill Golf and Country Club, Lemont, Illinois ($7,500,000 Purse)
- The TOUR Championship – East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Georgia ($7,500,000 Purse)
By the way, the regular season began in January 2009 with the Mercedes Championship and ended with the Wyndham Championship the third week of August. During the regular season, players earned points based on their finishing position within each event played. For example, if a player won a tournament, they earned 500 points. At the conclusion of the regular season the top 125 players with the highest earned FedEx Points over the course of the regular season move on to the playoffs. The Barclays kicks off the first round of playoffs.
Earned points are accumulative and carry over to the playoffs. During the playoff tournaments, players earn five times the points originally earned during the regular season. For example, if a player wins in The Barclays, the player earns 2,500 points versus 500 in regular season play. After The Barclays, the top 100 players (based on earned points) move to the next playoff tournament, Deutsche Bank Championship. After the Deutsche, the top 70 players move to the next playoff tournament which is the BMW Championship at Cog Hill in Lemont, Illinois. The final playoff tournament is the Tour Championship for the top 30 players based on earned FedEx points.
Prior to the Tour Championship, the points to be earned are reset using a weighted formula allowing each player eligible to play in the final tournament the opportunity to win the overall FedEx Cup.
Based on the points earned structure, if one of the top 5 players going into the Tour Championship wins that tournament, they will have also won the FedEx Cup. On the other hand, if we look at the top 10 players that move to the Tour Championship, their chances of winning the FedEx Cup are excellent too based on the mathematical aspects of the event. But, keep in mind, it is not all about math, it’s the real talent of the players and their ability to play flawlessly with birdies, eagles, and whatever shots they can dazzle us with. So good luck to the top 125 in The Barclays!
Posted by Marilyn Harris
