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Q&A: The FedEx Cup
Here are some questions and answers pertaining to the new FedEx Cup.
By Times Staff Writer
Published November 3, 2005
How will the points system work?
Details are still to be worked out, but the basic plan is for players to earn points from January through August to qualify for the four-tournament "championship series." Players will then be seeded in the first three tournaments, with the hope of qualifying for the 30-player Tour Championship, which will be played in mid September.
"The players will need to play to position themselves in a seeding position for the championship series," Finchem said. "And the championship series will then be structured on points, which will be the most impactful series of events in the history of the sport."
What tournaments will be part of the championship series?
Finchem did not disclose the tournaments, but speculation has centered around three events in big markets: the Western Open near Chicago, the Deutsche Bank Championship near Boston and the Barclays Classic near New York. These tournaments would have full fields and would lead into the last event, the Tour Championship.
How many players will qualify for the championship series?
Finchem said this is still to be decided. "It could be 144, could be 110, could be 90," he said. "It will be a healthy number of players, though, and there will be great volatility going through those three weeks in jockeying back and forth because it's our assumption everybody is going to play. It's going to be difficult for a player not to play and have a chance (for the Tour Championship). The rewards at the end of that stream are significant, not just at the No. 1 position."
What are those rewards?
Finchem would not say, but speculation has those qualifying for the Tour Championship earning a hefty bonus, with the winner of the overall points race getting as much as $10-million. That's on top of all the prize money for the various tournaments.
What about the tournaments that follow the Tour Championship on the current schedule?
This has been a big subject of concern to players, who do not want to be denied playing opportunities, and tournament directors, who wonder if their events will no longer exist.
Finchem said there would be "six or seven" tournaments that would fall into this category, and they would count on the money list, although the points chase would conclude with the Tour Championship. These tournaments would allow players to compete for their tour card for the following year, perhaps finish among the top 70 money winners for invitationals. World Ranking points will be accumulated, and tournament winners will still earn a two-year exemption and a spot in the Mercedes Championship. As it stands, the Chrysler Championship would fall into this category, along with the Funai Classic at Walt Disney World and events in Las Vegas and Greensboro.
What Finchem could not say is if any of the big-name players who qualify for the championship series would still be interested in competing in these tournaments.
What about the Players Championship?
The PGA Tour's marquee event in Ponte Vedra Beach has been rumored to be on the move from its late March date to May, but nothing is official.
"We are focused on the possibility of moving to May," Finchem said. "But as we did about four years ago, we will enter into our television discussions with March as a possibility (and) May as a possibility. ... I'd say the odds are a little more weighted toward the May date, but there are a couple of issues that need to be worked out."
How does this affect the Chrysler Championship, which concluded Sunday at Innisbrook?
"What it means to us right now is nothing," Chrysler Championship tournament director Gerald Goodman said. "We're excited about the possibility of golf in Tampa Bay and our tournament improving for our fans. If we get the opportunity to be in March and part of the FedEx Cup point race, so be it."
The Players Championship moving to May is key for the Chrysler Championship. That would open a March date for another Florida event, and the Chrysler Championship has been discussed as a logical fit.
[Last modified November 3, 2005, 11:35:29]
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