Phil from the PGA Championship Presser

Phil was asked by the media if there are things he would like to see change about the FedEx Cup. He answered in the affirmative, specifically on one issue:

Specifically, yes, forthe last year I felt it would be really cool if we had this big check or we had cash to pay the winner. I think that would be cool. (Laughter).But instead, I mean guys won't see it for 20-plus years, and so it takes some of the luster out of it or excitement. I mean, you've got this corporation's putting a $35 million check into this thing and the players aren't going to see that money for 20-plus years until well after they retire. And that means that the excitement level for that cash -- like K.J.'s wanted to give it away to charity and other guys wanted to do other things with it; they don't have that ability. I think that would make it even more exciting if we did something like that -- like Vegas used to. Like silver dollars, when they came out with silver dollars. I don't think we'd do that, but to have a big check or like the World Series of Poker with piles of cash. (Laughter) I think it would be cool. But it's just me. I don't know.

It seems like this annuity issue has really struck a chord with the players. Money means a lot on Tour. $10 million should mean a whole hell of a lot to them. If you do the calculations, though, of a $10 million annuity in NPV (net present value - a finance term that discounts the future value of money due to inflation, etc) isn't more than a couple hundred grand per year for 20 years. And, a player could not touch that money until then. So, not only are you not really getting $10 million in 2007 terms, but you cannot touch it for a long time. I can see where it is an issue.

But, as a fan, do you care now knowing that? I don't think many do. The payout isn't all that important. Otherwise, everyone would fawn over the PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP (OMG!!!!1!) and the WGC events because of their inflated purses.

The most revered events are because of tradition, field strength, and the course on which they are contested - probably in that order. Tradition generally leads to a solid field. And solid fields usually compile on great courses. It makese sense that this combination means more to the average golf fan that simply wants to see great players vie for prestigious titles on amazing layouts.

The FedEx Cup, in its first year, cannot stack up to the majors, the Players, or even the WGC events in terms of tradition. That will take time. In the meanwhile, the PGA Tour will have to tweak the system and do a better job of educating fans (and players from reading the transcripts) of what all of this actually means.

In fact, Tiger today did not even know how many players qualify for the first Playoffs event - the Barclays. And it's 144. Yikes! How would a fan be expected then to follow that stuff if the players themselves don't?

In addition to explaining the FedEx Cup better, I think the Tour needs to revamp the schedule of tournaments that comprise the Playoffs to better convey the feel of a major. Aaron Oberholser complained last week that more and more stops are trying to set up their courses like they're majors. Why not concentrate the Playoffs at venues that are of major-caliber but do not host them?

Look, I like Westchester and it's a hard golf course. But, it's not major-caliber. You could look all over the NYC metropolitan area and find courses that would be more deserving. Bethpage? Baltusrol? I don't know.

Then we go to Boston for the Deutsche Bank at the TPC of Boston. It's a good looking course, but not one that resonates with the average golf fan as being extremely important and certainly does not have a historic significance. (Only one TPC course does, and that's questionable sometimes.) Why not sign up Brookline?

The only one of the three events leading to the finale at East Lake to get things right is the BMW Championship Formerly Known as the Western Open. While I hate that the Tour is moving the event around the midwest and not keeping it in Chicago, I do like that courses of major-caliber will be hosting the event for the next several years. They have the right idea on that front.

Let's not even talk about changing the Tour Championship's venue. It's not going to happen and I actually like East Lake. It has history and is a good story.

How great would the FedEx Cup Playoff be if, in four consecutive weeks, the PGA Tour played Baltusrol, The Country Club, a rotating great midwest course, and Eaat Lake? Venue alone would amp up the FedEx Cup as something that would have the players and fans salivating for a finale that would make any fireworks show look like a flare gun.