[PHOTO: Tracy Wilcox]
The PGA Tour is considering a serious overhaul of its Tour Championship, according to multiple reports.
The news, first broken by the Athletic and followed by the Associated Press, states the tour is weighing several options regarding new formats for the season-finale at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. Among the possibilities is a move to a bracket-style configuration to crown the winner of the campaign-long FedEx Cup.
That does not necessarily translate to straight matchplay. Instead, according to the Athletic and AP, it could be strokeplay to narrow the 30-man field followed by an iteration of medal matches, where head-to-head strokeplay is the competition. Multiple sources familiar with the PGA Tour have told Golf Digest that, in the past, television networks have been hesitant to embrace a straight matchplay format, as a lack of matches near the end and possibility of a blowout creates a TV product that is less than desirable. Similarly, the tour is worried about possible ramifications to the on-grounds presentation of matchplay, including how it could impact the tour’s hospitality suite locations. Though the Athletic reports the changes could happen as soon as this year, the AP stated said changes, while not improbable for this season, would probably not be implemented until the next year.
The FedEx Cup Playoffs have undergone multiple format changes and tweaks since their inception in 2007, with the tour moving to a staggered scoring start beginning in 2019. However, the finale has failed to resonate with golf fans, and the tour has struggled with the identity of the cup itself, trying to make it a reflection of season-long performance while instilling the anything-goes drama that is inherent to postseason sports. In the past there had also been instances of separate winners of the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup, although the new format ensures the winner now captures both.
Any changes would ultimately need approval by the PGA Tour board; to date, no concepts have been presented to the board.
The news comes as the sport awaits the potential announcement of a peace treaty between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf’s financial backer, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Several outlets have reported a deal is already in place and is waiting for the new Trump administration to take office before finalising, as US president-elect Trump’s Department of Justice may be more willing to pass a deal through antitrust regulations.
