GREENSBORO, N.C. — Justin Thomas fell to the ground Sunday at Sedgefield Country Club when his pitch shot at 18 hit the flagstick but wouldn’t drop, leaving him on the outside looking in at No. 71 in the final regular season FedEx Cup point standings.
The FedEx Cup Playoffs begin at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, with the top 70 players in the standings through the Wyndham Championship qualifying (down from 125 in 2009-2022). The top 50 players after the first event will advance to the BMW Championship and also qualify for all eight Signature Events (formerly known as the Designated Events) on the PGA Tour schedule in 2024.
The level of disappointment that Thomas experienced on being left out of the playoffs is only expected to be ratcheted up this week. Those moving on to the BMW in Chicago next week will gain admission to a world of $20 million purses, jacked up FedEx Cup points and limited field, no-cut events with guaranteed paydays in many cases. (The Players Championship will still have a full field and cut to 65 and ties while the Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Memorial will have fields of no more than 80 players and a cut to 50 and ties.)
Two tours?
“I don’t like the idea of creating two tours, which is what it’s doing,” said veteran pro Brandt Snedeker. “I don’t think it’s good for golf, for our tour, for our sponsors.”
Fellow veteran pro Kevin Streelman, who previously served as a player director on the board and remains involved as a member of the Player Advisory Council, argued that the player who ends up at No. 50 receives too much of a jumpstart on keeping his card and remaining in the top 50 compared to the player who finishes No. 51.
Kevin Streelman hits his tee shot on the 11th hole during the second round of the 3M Open. (Photo: Matt Krohn/USA TODAY Sports)
“It seems like a pretty extreme reward,” he said.
Ryan Armour, a fellow member of the PAC, who dubbed rank-and-file players of his ilk “the mules” of the organization, agreed.
“The fifth ranked player on the PGA Tour and the No. 55 player on the PGA Tour, why should their schedule be so vastly different than what they are going to become next year?” said Armour when he joined the 5 Clubs podcast. “There is a big discrepancy between No. 5 and 55, but there isn’t between No. 49 and 55. That to me is what irked everybody.”
Fewer events, more points at the majors
In 2024, the season returns to a calendar year,…
..
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Golfweek…