Instead, we got perhaps the most boring Sunday of the year.
That is, of course, not taking anything away from Viktor Hovland’s performance at East Lake.
And still, the money$18 million of it for Viktorcounts the same.
“Obviously it’s a lot of cash you’re playing for,” Hovland said.
“I mean, it’s in the back of your mind.
But I live in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Money goes a long ways there.
It’s not like I’m spending money out the wazoo every week.
“I don’t need a lot to be happy.
I don’t need a lot to live within my means.
I find meaning in other places.
But obviously with how society works, money is something you need.”
Money aside, this was an anti-climax in the truest sense of the word.
This foregone conclusion was a product of the current format.
Scottie Scheffler will likely finish second after one of the greatest ball striking seasons of all time.
Still, a frigid putter assured his 2023 season will forever be one of the greatwhat ifs.
What if he putted just tour average for the season?
Scheffler did not finish in the top 5 of the season-long competition.
Rahm didnt, either.
That would be fine if the Tour Championship didnt claim to fairly settle the FedEx Cup.
Itd be even finer if the tournament was awesome to watch.
But it does, and it wasnt.
And therein lies the issue.
The Tour Championship is trying to serve two distinct (and somewhat contradictory) purposes.
Thats never an easy ordeal.
It wants to leave a strong lasting impression before football dominates American sports for the rest of the year.
The 2023 edition accomplished neither goal.
Its 2000 points for winning the FedEx St. Jude and 600 for winning the Masters.
All this to say: the Tour Championship shouldn’t continue unsuccessfully serving both masters.
The FedEx Cup is its own self-contained entity.
This isn’t fun.
Turn the back half of the Tour Championship into a single-elimination, match-play bracket.
Then, after two rounds, chop the 30-man field to eight players.
In the case of ties, play sudden death on Friday afternoon to get it down to eight.
The vast majority of weekend golfers play match play at home.
It’s an easy format for casuals to understand.
But anyone who watched Sunday’s broadcast can attest to just how flat it was.
With match play, you’d have the championship match and the consolation match to show off.
They’d be playing for serious money.
You’d see way more emotion from players than you did this weekend.
Sunday would, at least for the first holes, guarantee some drama.
The Tour should allocate more money to the regular-season competition, the Comcast Business Top 10.
Thats a much-better indicator of the year in golf.
Rory McIlroy catches my drift.
You know, it’s almost like two different competitions, two different events.
You’ve got the regular season and then you’ve got the playoffs.
That’s exactly right.
The playoffs are their own thing.
They should feel no duty to settle and season-long scores.
Namely, making it as good as possible for the fans.
The Tour is free to create.
They should make something cool.
Zach Johnson is on the clock
U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson is on the clock.
His six captain’s picks will be announced Tuesday morning in a live press conference.
By my estimation, there’s only one roster spot that could theoretically go to multiple people.
Jordan Spieth
I see no world in which he’s not a pick.
He finished seventh in the points despite having only four events to accumulate points.
When asked if he thought Koepka deserved a pick, Scottie Scheffler made it very clear that he does.
The other guys want him there.
If he’s not picked, it would do damage to the competition as a whole.
You want a guy like him playing alternate shot, and he went 3-1 in his Ryder Cup debut.
He did this year, and his clutch putting will be a welcomed addition to the team room.
He’s easy going and can pair with virtually anyone.
It’s an extremely close race for the third and final spot on the European Points list.
Robert MacIntyre currently holds the spot after finishing T4 at the D+D Real Czech Masters.
That kept him ahead of Yannik Paul, who finished a shot further back in T10.
All three will tee it up at the European Masters in Switzerland.
I’ll have a full breakdown of Zach Johnson’s picks after he makes them on Tuesday.
A few pieces of news on the personnel front.
Max Homa switched management agencies, leaving Matt Broome as Professional Advisory Group for Excel Sports Management.
Tom Kim is no longer working with swing coach Cameron McCormick.
That’s the longest streak he’s had in his career on the PGA Tour.
McIlroy grinded it out at East Lake after tweaking his back early in the week.
JoAnne Carner stays a legend.
She headed to the range after her opening-round 80 to hit some more balls in 90 degree heat.
As Ron Sirak put it: a game for life, a love for life.
“Hes been written up multiple times this season,” one KFT source said.
“I guess they finally just decided to punish him instead of slaps on the wrist.”
Says a KFT player: “I know hes been called a cheater multiple times before.
Ugly incidents can stay quiet on the KFT.
Not so much on the PGA Tour.
Until next week,
Dan
