Is It Just for the Money?

It all came out in the wash. The player who played the best all season, Justin Thomas, won the FedEx Cup and the big money; and a new star, in Xander Schauffele has emerged with his Tour Championship victory.

This was really the ideal scenario in my mind. I have to admit that I was always a bit disappointed when someone got hot and came from back in the pack to win the FedEx Cup. In my opinion it really should go to the guy who played the best all year. The problem for the tour is to find a way to make that happen and still have the excitement we want. 

To me, the FedEx Cup should have been won by either Spieth, Thomas, DJ, or Matsuyama. Those were the guys who had the most wins. They were the dominant players. And, fortunately, this happened. Perhaps we need to consider not linking the Tour Championship with the FedEx Cup. 

How about the top five on the money list, or the FedEx point list, have a playoff for the big money in an event like the tournament of champions where the year's Major winners play for some extra cash? Now that might be exciting and fair, as a way to determine the year's best player. I think these playoff events give too much of an edge to a guy who gets hot over a several week period at the end of the season. These playoff events, and particularly the Tour Championship, end up out-weighing Majors in their importance in determining who wins the FedEx Cup. I don't think that's a fair way to identify the year's best player; which I thought was the goal of the FedEx Cup in the first place.

No disrespect to Bill Haas, or Billy Horschell, or some of the other surprise winners we've seen; but surely even they would admit that they weren't the best player of the year. Then again, maybe I've got it all wrong, and the FedEx Cup is not really about identifying that person. Maybe it's just meant to be a wild, end of the season money grab. If so, it will always be important only for that--for the money.