When the PGA Tour introduced the controversial starting strokes format in 2019, critics, including 2024 Tour Champions winner Scottie Scheffler, voiced their disapproval. During the 2024 FedEx St. Jude Championship, Scheffler expressed his frustration, stating, “I think it’s silly. You can’t call it a season-long race and have it come down to one tournament.” The format aimed to protect top golfers, which resulted in Scheffler starting the tournament at 10 under. In response to the controversy, the U.S. circuit implemented changes this season, but these adjustments have raised questions about their effectiveness and lack of “reward.”
Here are the recent changes: The PGA Tour has changed the Tour Championship format for 2025 by removing the starting strokes system, allowing all players to start at even par. The Tour will decide the winner based on their performance over 72 holes. The PGA Tour will also adjust course setups to create more risk/reward situations, reflecting fan preferences for scores closer to par. The field will remain at 30 players, and the PAC will review the qualification system for future changes. However, a few golf insiders have a few issues with the changes.
During a discussion on Fore Play Podcast Plus, Trent shared his point of view on the situation. Talking about the previous format, which rewarded top players based on the kind of season they had, Trent said that the Tour is reverting back to “the old system.” Frankie joined the conversation and replied, “Yeah, I don’t know what the points really do then during the season. I guess it just gets you into the playoffs, and then from there, you got to just keep making the cut to get to the next event, ’cause it cuts it down from the first playoff event of the FedEx. There’s a certain amount of golfers. The next one has a lesser amount, and it keeps going down till they’ll get to that 32 or whatever the number is for the final.
“Now, so I guess the points get you there, but they’re really not rewarding a player at all for their play during the season. So, to call it like a playoffs and a Championship, you’re really not doing anything for the player that finished first compared to the player that finished 75th.”
2WPHG35 ORLANDO, FL – MARCH 07: Scottie Scheffler of the United States reacts after a missed putt at the 12th hole during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard at Arnold Palmer Bay Hill Golf Course on March 07, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)
Despite the conversation, Scottie Scheffler, a PAC member, said, “We want the Tour Championship to be the hardest tournament to qualify for and the FedEx Cup trophy the most difficult to win.” In a release on Tuesday, the PGA Tour announced that it will continue to evaluate the Tour Championship format, particularly the qualification system, which currently allows 30 players to reach East Lake after cuts at the end of the regular season and following the first two FedEx Cup playoff events.
Beginning in 2025, all players at East Lake will compete on an equal footing, increasing the chances for any participant to claim a significant portion of the champion’s eight-figure bonus. While the PGA Tour did not provide specific details about changes to the course setup at East Lake, many expect that the tournament will strive to create a challenge similar to that of a major championship. While we need to wait a little longer to see more benefits, a few Tour players have already voiced their support.
The PGA Tour stars are in favor of the recent Tour Champions format change
As stated earlier, prior to 2019, the PGA Tour occasionally recognized two winners at the conclusion of the tournament: the Tour Championship winner and the FedEx Cup champion, with the same player typically taking both titles. This dual trophy presentation often felt underwhelming and perplexing, exemplified in 2018 when Justin Rose won the FedEx Cup, while Tiger Woods received the spotlight for winning the Tour Championship. This situation prompted the implementation of the Tour’s Starting Strokes format, which, however, introduced its own challenges.
Collin Morikawa would have won the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup title last year without the Starting Strokes format, but he finished second instead. He isn’t upset about it and views the change as positive. Morikawa said at The Memorial, “I think when I’ve started at roughly even par or one under you’re like, man, I just got to ball out. Like, I got to go crazy. Hopefully I have four insane days and we’ll see. But now, like every other sport, you have a chance to win essentially your championship. And that’s what you get here.”
Max Homa shared a similar feeling and said, “I really like everyone starting at even. It’s still incredibly hard to make it to that final 30. It is the sign of an amazing year. So if you’re there you know you should have a chance at the title, in my opinion. So I like what they have done.” He mentioned that while there are various approaches, starting at zero is easier to grasp. In past years, reaching the Tour Championship at even par or one under felt less competitive. He recalled one season when he played well but started six strokes behind Scottie, which diminished the competitive feel. Typically, only two or three players had a chance over the weekend, which was unexciting.
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