PGA Tour FedExCup Playoffs: Does HISTORY favour the 10-under par leader?
Ever since its introduction in 2018, players, fans and commentators have had their say over the format
The format for the Tour Championship ensures we now have a single champion.
But ever since its introduction, it has not been without controversy.
Only the top 30 are eligible to peg it up this week, where players are given a strokes-based advantage based on their position.
All players in the field start no more than 10 shots off the lead.
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Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm have gone on the record saying they are not fans - despite admitting the system is easier to follow.
"I'm not going to say too much because I know my words are going to be possibly, let's say, muddled to the extreme and almost make it sound about something different than what I feel, but I'm not the biggest supporter of the full format itself," Rahm previously said.
"What I do like is the fact that you understand what's going on and what's going to happen, who is on the lead and what you have to do to win, but I don't agree with every part of the format this week."
JT, who won the title in 2017, has echoed the sentiments expressed by Rahm.
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"I like it more now than I feel like I did when I first heard it," Thomas told Sky Sports.
"I mean, it's easier for people to understand at home, which I think was the main reason that it's happened or that it kind of came about.
"I'm not really a big fan of whoever finishes lowest winning the golf tournament, because that's not necessarily the fact and winning golf tournaments out here is a big deal.
"I personally wish that that wasn't a thing because, obviously, if you're 10-under then you have a lot better chance to win the actual tournament versus everyone starting at the same score.
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"Then you obviously get into the fact of, I could have the greatest season of all time on the PGA Tour. I could win 15 times in a season and I could come here and I could just have something just detrimental happen to where I either can't play or I have an injury and I don't play, then I finish 30th in the FedExCup because of that.'
He added: "I don't think that's fair and I think that's something that could somehow be tweaked or fixed. But I do like the fact that everybody that's here this week knows exactly where they stand, they know what they have to do and they just have to go out and get it."
The #FedExCup Playoffs bring out the best.
Shots of the Week from @BMWChamps. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/8Up2ujrvLJ— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 30, 2021
But does history really favour the leader in the FedEx Cup standings?
In 2019, when Rory McIlroy won the title for the second time in four years, he stormed through the field.
He came back from five shots to finish on 18-under par, shooting in the 60s every round.
Mcllroy carded rounds of 66, 67, 68 and 66 to beat Olympic champion Xander Schauffele by four shots.
So it can be done.
Clearly, there will be an advantage for Patrick Cantlay when he pegs it up.
Perhaps a less volatile format could be found.
The truth is there is no perfect answer.
Bosses at FedEx have reportedly said they did not want to plough millions of dollars into an event only for the winner to be crowned from a separate tournament.
Sadly, don't expect a change anytime soon.
Money makes the world go round.
NEXT PAGE: THE CAREER OF PGA TOUR STAR PATRICK CANTLAY
Ben joined the GolfMagic team in September 2021, initially as a content executive.
These days, he assumes the position of content manager.
