The 19^th Hole

September 16, 2007

Calling a Spade

Tiger Woods’ sensational performance on a very susceptible East Lake course this week in Atlanta took a lot of attention away from the off course (and course-specific) issues facing the PGA Tour and its FedEx Cup.  Woods set a personal 72 hole scoring record, obliterated the field, and picked up his 61^st career PGA Tour victory – placing him one win shy of the King, Arnold Palmer.

Had there been no such thing as the PGA Tour Playoffs for the FedEx Cup, it is very well possible that Tiger would have not appeared in Atlanta this week.  With reports of fried greens with bare spots and a course that was suffering from sporadic weather, Woods may very well have chosen to take his six win season and call it a year for individual PGA Tour events.  After all, he chose to skip out on the Tour Championship last season despite having a fantastic record at the course. 

The question, then, is: what made Tiger Woods play this week at East Lake in an event that he skipped last season, this time staged on a beat up course which makes talent separation difficult?

Like it or not, the answer is the FedEx Cup.  The FedEx Cup has been billed as a better alternative to what used to be the finale to the season.  In reality, the Tour Championship being moved up to September just creates a nice separation between the events played by the best players and those played largely by rank and file members.  Throw in four $7 million purses and a $35 million deferred compensation bonus plan from a couple of sources, and all of a sudden, the PGA Tour has created a finale for its year.  Simply put, some schedule changes, a little money concentration, and four straight limited field events made a series marketed as the next evolution in professional golf.

Really, though, Tiger Woods did not need any of the $3 million that he picked up in the last three weeks.  He certainly would not have felt the pinch of not winning the $10 million retirement bonus had he simply skipped out on the whole Playoffs concept.  If money was not what did it, then I’m sure you’re wondering how I could attribute Woods’ participation in these last three events to the FedEx Cup.

The answer is a two-parter.  First, the simple scheduling change that I described above was done very strategically by PGA Tour Commissioner and business visionary Tim Finchem.  Finchem makes for an easy target for any golf fan to pick on, but do not think for a second that he is completely incompetent.  The Commish and his cronies decided on four events that were not only based in major media markets, but tournaments where Woods was successful on and off of the course.

Yes, Woods skipped the Barclays at Westchester to probably send a message and because he has not fared well at that event.  Had Buick still sponsored that event, Woods probably would have been in town.  Still, the Tour skirted to Boston for the Deutsche Bank Championship – an event Woods has won and which benefits his charitable foundation.  In Chicago, the BMW Championship drew Woods in because his love of Cog Hill and the old Western Open.  Last, Woods has done well historically at East Lake and the Tour Championship.  Though he had never won there until Sunday, he was always in the mix.

With a tournament composition like that, Woods was almost forced to play.  Still, what cinched his full effort down the stretch and is the second explanation for Woods’ participation, is Phil Mickelson.  Mickelson’s clutch back nine on Sunday in Boston got under Woods’ skin.  It was noticeable from the handshake on the 18^th hole.  How dare Lefty finally come through against Woods on a course that Woods loves and owns – in September even, when it is well known that Mickelson is usually helping his kids do homework!  Mickelson had gotten into Woods’ head and spurred on the vengeful Tiger that fans love to see and the competition fears.

Even through Mickelson’s trashing of the Commissioner and subsequent withdraw, Woods had activated the revenge juices.  He was going to take out his frustrations on the field in Chicago, then Atlanta, and not let Mickelson’s aberration from his “pathetic” record against the world number one overshadow the kind of season he had put together.

Woods did just that.  He put on a clinic on the weekend in Chicago by hitting an unprecedented 26 of 28 fairways and picking apart Cog Hill.  The Sunday 63 he shot for the comeback win was a putting display that was vintage Woods.  He took that momentum to East Lake and made a slow, receptive course pay.  By Friday afternoon, every spectator and player knew the championship was Woods’.  The only question left to answer was by how many shots.

That probably would never have happened were it not for Mickelson.  While Mickelson will be rewarded with seven figures in his retirement account courtesy of FedEx, the Tour should slip in some extra money the next time Phil plays a Tour event.  By complete accident, the Tour’s FedEx Cup was salvaged. 

Were it not for Mickelson, Woods may very well have never shown up in Chicago.  After all, had Woods bested Mickelson in standard fashion, Tiger would have had a stranglehold over first in the point’s standings.  Who is to say he would not have decided that he could have afforded to take another week off in preparation for Atlanta?  Even had Woods still shown up to Chicago, he may not have been as motivated as he was.  The public would have missed this chance to see Tiger on a two-week rampage.

In the end, then, I feel that the co-MVP of the FedEx Cup is Phil Mickelson.  He awoke the beast that was in a cat nap after pounding Rory Sabbatini in Akron, the field at Southern Hills, and resting for a week.  Phil turned out to be a non-factor in the standings this week in Atlanta after no showing in Chicago.  Despite that, Phil was the biggest factor in pushing Woods to some of the most impressive golf anyone has ever seen.  For that reason, the FedEx Cup turned out to be a success. 

Next year, when the system is tweaked, just remember that money and marketing do nothing for buy-in like good competition.

Ryan Ballengee is host of The 19th Hole Golf Show, found at The Golf Newsnet.com.  Having graduated from the University of Maryland in 2004 and 2006, Ballengee brings the perspective of the younger golf fan to the microphone and his columns.  Over the nearly five years he has been broadcasting and writing, Ballengee has developed a reputation for a unique interviewing style that asks both the difficult and fun questions. You can also get The 19th Hole on the go through podcasting by clicking here The Golf Newsnet Contact Ryan via e-mail at the19thholeshow@hotmail.com.