Mickleson responded to a reporter with a tragic, but hilarious, comment after his victory this past weekend at the Tour Championship. "Ya sure I am happy that I won, but I'm walking out of here with $3 million and Tiger is leavin' with $10 million--how does that make sense?" Though the sarcasm was palpable in his tone, so was the bitterness regarding his payoff from the FedEx Cup system.
The truth is that Tiger did have an incredible year and may just be both the Player of the Year, as well as the Comeback Player of the Year. His scoring average was just under 69, not too shabby. He won six times in 17 events, and only had 14 top-tens; once more, not too shabby. But these are major golf feats that the public recognizes and hails him for. However, those 17 events of brilliance and gripping, almost chilling, play produced earnings of $10,508,163. After the Tour Championship, he continued his reign as the FedEx Cup champ, adding another $10 million to a season that he personally found to be 'below par' because of his bad luck at majors, or as we all saw it--the yips with the putter.
My point: is this FedEx Cup system working? Personally, the only thing I like about the system is the commercial it produced with Paul Casey, Ernie Els, Anthony Kim, Heath Slocum and Vijay Singh in which they attempt to act and praise the 'extraodinarily competitive element' that the system has added to the PGA Tour. But beyond that-- I just find the system extraodinarily confusing. These guys get points for placing well in events over the span of the season: simple enough. Then the last few events of the season become exclusive, including only the top-30 point getters: Alright, still relatively simple. But then within those 30 players, the points reset for the last few events? Or is it that anyone of those 30 can win the $10 million? Or is it by ranking? Confusing much?
The dewy, plush fairways and slippery, undulating greens were enough for Jones, Hagan, Nicklaus, and Palmer, so why isn't it enough for today's star golfers? Why do they need this system?
Well, while the system may be an attempt to equal the playing field, Tiger continues to trounce any hopes of golfers not named after an aggressive, intimidating animal. Not only that, but the money aspect of this system is simply ridiculous. Personally, I am a student in the public University of California school system and as I read, shout and protest about the million and billion dollar deficits of my school system and of the state of California, Tiger just made $20 million in less than eight months. To quote a favorite movie of mine: "How do you like dem' apples?" I'm not asking him to give my school a share of his earnings, but I am asking that this system be reformed to make sense in this dwindling, beaten-down, barely breathing economy.
I love the game, idolize the sweet swing of Els, and the gritty play of Mickleson down the stretch, but I am becoming bitter about the pay-off these guys get for spending four days playing golf. Don't get me wrong, I am aware of the intense physical and mental strain that the game of golf requires. But honestly, Fred Couples played in 15 events this year, that's 60 days of golf--he earned $1,191,060.
Is this a product of the FedEx Cup system, the PGA Tour as a whole, or simply the wealthy nature that is the game of golf?
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oh naive one! Marketing, marketing and more marketing. That is what the Fedex cup is about. Golf wants to be like football, basketball and baseball so they put on this pseudo- play off system. While Stricker and some of the other wannabes may have had an outside chance, tiger had it all the way. Mickelson sure looked good and that bodes well for the future but ol tiges won it fair and square. As for the money you bemoan so passionately, get over it. The money thrown at these things is what the market will bear. Not the players fault if the sponsors want to toss those bucks at those crazy golfers who will watch anything and buy anything to do with golf. It is great target marketing; and no better a market as this rich and leisurely inclined golfer. Nope, as they say, don't blame the playah! Follow the money.
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