Golf fans love a good playoff. The drama, the pressure, the “every shot matters” intensity — it’s what makes postseason sports must-watch TV. The PGA Tour’s FedExCup Playoffs were designed to bring that same energy to professional golf, rewarding season-long consistency while adding a high-stakes finish.
But here’s the problem: the current system doesn’t actually deliver the week-to-week pressure it promises — unless you’re one of about 10 fringe players. Everyone else? The points don’t move you much and the advancement system make it too easy for stars to coast.
Case in point: Rory McIlroy skipped an entire playoff event and still sat comfortably in second place in the standings. That’s like an NFL team skipping a playoff game and still advancing to the Super Bowl. Are there bye weeks? Sure. But is that what the PGA Tour is looking to do? Why didn’t Scottie and others take the week off?
It’s time to break down why this happens — and how the PGA Tour could fix it.
How the FedExCup Playoffs Work
For anyone new to the PGA Tour postseason, here’s the structure:
- Regular Season Points – Players earn FedExCup points throughout the season based on finishes.
- First Playoff Event – Top 70 players qualify. Cuts to 50.
- Second Playoff Event – Top 50 qualify. Cuts to 30.
- Finale (Tour Championship) – Field is cut to 30, but everyone starts at even. So now there is no incentive to finish 1st vs 30th? That seems strange. What if Scottie didn’t play in either of the 1st 2? How far can players force the time off?
The whole system just is ultimately set up to create a finale of only “marketable” players. That’s the only way to justify this situation. It’s not about creating the best postseason for the fans or even the players, it’s about the product that sells the most advertising slots.
The Rory Example: Why Skipping Still Works
Rory McIlroy is one of the best players in the world, and his regular season results were elite. But when he skipped a playoff event this year, his position barely moved. That’s because:
- Regular Season Dominance Overpowers Playoff Results – Players who rack up big points early in the season have such a cushion that even mediocre playoff results (or no results at all) don’t hurt them much.
- Points Weighting Still Favors the Elite – Even in the playoffs, being able to skip an “elevated” event seems bizarre. If Rory wins, will Scottie skip next years round 1? Xander? Ludvig?
Why This Hurts the Product
From a fan’s perspective — and yes, this includes Tee Time Tavern regulars watching on our simulators and 40+ TVs — this system kills the urgency that makes playoffs exciting.
- No Do-or-Die Feel – In most sports, one bad game can end your season. In the PGA playoffs, you can take a week off and still advance comfortably if your season was strong enough.
- Less Drama for Mid-Tier Players – If you’re ranked 70th, going into the playoffs, you’re almost certainly not winning the FedExCup without a miracle — and the current system doesn’t make miracles easy.
- Casual Fans Lose Interest – If the same handful of stars are in the hunt no matter what happens week-to-week, there’s little reason to watch the first two playoff events closely.
How to Fix the PGA Tour Playoff System
If the PGA Tour really wants to capture the drama of postseason sports, it needs to make the playoffs matter every week for every player. Here’s how:
1. Keep the Even start in the Finale
Let everyone start at even. Don’t give massive leads, that’s ridiculous and makes bad TV. This is the one part they got right.
2. Introduce a Cut-Throat Elimination Format
What if the bottom 20 players were eliminated after each playoff event? I don’t mean based on their season long points, this is the playoffs, you made it to the dance, place top 50 and advance, place top 30 and advance. No points, you’re here, now perform and advance!
3. Scrap the player payment program, max out payouts for playoffs
Currently, we have the program that pays players based off the attention they generate. Well, we don’t need to pay Tiger more money. Rory and Scottie are doing just fine too. Put that $20M into the finale pool. Get paid based off your finishing position in the final tournament. It’s all about advancing each week, then massive payouts at the end to maximize the pressure.
Final Thought: The Playoffs Need Urgency
Golf is unique because it’s a season-long grind, but the playoffs are supposed to be where everything changes. Right now, the PGA Tour’s playoff system rewards the same stars and gives them so much cushion that missing a week or coasting through an event barely matters.
If the Tour wants the playoffs to feel like real playoffs — where every swing counts and anyone can make a run — it needs to tighten the points, add true elimination pressure, and put a bigger emphasis on winning playoff events, not just protecting season-long leads.
Until then, for most of the field, the FedExCup Playoffs aren’t a sprint to the finish — they’re a jog for position.
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