The FedEx Cup is finally maturing

The FedEx Cup turns 15 this year. Thankfully, it’s finally matured into a compelling event after years of tinkering.

I wasn’t a fan of the FedEx Cup when it originally launched in 2007. It felt contrived, confusing, and a little bit like a Sponsor inventing an event that no one really wanted.

The argument was sound at the time. The golf season too often sputtered into the winter after the last Major.

Until 2007, the PGA had traditionally gone into early hibernation after the last Major. Sure, there was a Tour Championship, but the back end of the PGA schedule usually was a smattering of Frys.com Opens and 84 Lumber Classics.

Let’s just say, without a Major on the horizon, play and interest fell off a bit.

The FedEx Cup was, at least in part, conceived to inject interest for both players and fans into the last quarter of the Tour schedule.

It didn’t hurt that the FedEx Cup also promised the biggest payday on Tour.

Tiger won two of the first three. Vijay won one. Furyk managed to grab one. It seemed like the concept, as indecipherable as the format seemed to be to the average fan, was at least producing quality champions.

It made sense that the best golfers in the world were winning it. Then this happened.

In successive years, the FedEx Cup – the most lucrative prize in golf – was captured by Bill Haas (2011), Brandt Snedeker (2012), Henrik Stenson (2013), Billy Horschel (2014).

How on earth did that happen? No one could explain it to fans without a Texas Instruments scientific calculator and a protractor.

When the biggest purse on Tour produced those champions all in a row, you began to wonder if perhaps the set up of the whole thing was a little off.

I won’t go into details on the changes that were implemented in 2019, but let’s just say things are greatly improved.

At one time, the Tour Championship had two leaderboards – one for the actual tournament and one for the Cup. Basically, you could win the Tour Championship – the crown jewel of the FED Cup, but not actually win the cup. That was a little weird.

Luckily, saner heads prevailed a few years ago and now the FedEx Cup is actually easier to understand and follow. And guess what? Fans seem to like that.

If you are still trying to get on board with the FedEx Cup, here is a quick primer on what to know.

• With a couple of exceptions, each PGA event is worth between 500-600 FedEx Cup points.
• Points are “won” based on how you finish in the events you play
• The Top 125 players from the season make the first leg of the FedEx Cup at the Northern Trust
• The Top 70 players from the Northern Trust event get through to the next leg – The BMW Championship
• The Top 30 from the BMW make it to the Tour Championship at East lake.

Note that the first two events also reward players with points, so playing well those weeks can be a huge boost.

The scoring at the Tour Championship is still a little different, but at least you can grasp it now.

Here’s how the PGA explains it:

The FedExCup points leader after the first two Playoffs events will begin the TOUR Championship at 10-under par. The No. 2 player will start at 8 under. The No. 3 player starts at 7 under; the No. 4 player starts at 6 under; the No. 5 player starts at 5 under. Players 6-10 start at 4 under; players 11-15 start at 3 under; players 16-20 start at 2 under; players 21-25 start at 1 under; and players 26-30 start at even par.

Basically, the leaders get a head start.

The good news is that there is only one scoreboard to follow. There’s also only one winner. And that guy gets a $15 million check.

That gets the attention of the best players in the world.

Now that the FedEx Cup has finally nailed down the format and scoring, fans can follow along without an abacus and watch the best in the world duke it out for a treasure.

In the end, the FedEx Cup – after a wildly confusing first 10 years – saved itself. That’s a good thing for players and fans, alike.

So buckle up, grab the popcorn, and enjoy. Each week the stakes go up and the field gets smaller. And, mercifully, there will be just one Champion at the end of the gauntlet.