I don’t agree with Matt Fitzpatrick (Titleist Pro V1x) that the PGA Tour doesn’t need playoffs, but I do think the current system needed to be changed. 

Fitzpatrick stated last week that he is not a fan of the FedEx playoffs, which he termed really weird. 

“I understand that playoffs in the United States are a very important aspect in other sports, but it’s obviously difficult to apply them to golf, given the format,” Fitzpatrick said prior to last week’s BMW Championship, which whittled the field from the top 50 players in FedExCup points to the top 30 for this week’s Tour Championship. The winner will collect $10 million. 

Fitzpatrick went on to say the player who has performed best all year and has accumulated the most points, deserves to be the FedExCup champion.

In his opinion, that is Scottie Scheffler (Titleist Pro V1x). Fitzpatrick is second.

The system has some faults. You could have a player who suddenly gets hot in the first two tournaments of the playoffs, which have a premium on points, to advance to the top 30.

Or you could have a player who has already qualified for the Tour Championship skip the first leg of the playoffs, which Rory McIlroy (TaylorMade TP5) did last year. This year, he played in the opening tournament, perhaps because of pressure from FedEx and/or the PGA Tour.

Unlike in years past where the top player in points accumulated started at 10-under par as part of a staggering start that included second place at eight-under, third at seven-under and so on, beginning in 205, there is no premium reward for overall player. That was scrapped after 2024 because of player and fan feedback. So now it’s just a 72-hole stroke-play tournament. Scheffler had called the previous system as silly.

I believe the tournament changes set to take place in 2028 will be far more compelling and exciting. There will be a season-long Championship Series featuring the top 90 players competing in 72-hole format tournaments, after which a season-long points leader will be crowned.

But it’s the playoffs that should really cause a buzz based on the first week in which the top 32 players are divided into four groups. Hopefully it will be a random draw to determine who will be in each group, similar to what is done in soccer’s World Cup. The top two players from each group will advance to the final (if there is a tie in points in the groups, a playoff will take place). The following week the top 16 will play head-to-head at a different course to determine the Tour Champion.

So, the change should initially break the stroke play monotony.

It could also inspire betting, and that’s a key thing for all sports these days. For instance, you could bet on which players advance in group play.

The fact the courses will change from the first week to the second will be an interesting nuance. Moreover, it won’t always be the same two courses. I think the PGA wants to get more media and fan engagement going to cities with a bigger mainstream buzz — i.e. those in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York—top give the events a bigger presence in terms of coverage.

That will be the hope of new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, who didn’t want the same-old, same-old when he took over. You just knew he was coming into the job with some fresh ideas. He received buy-in from fans, players and sponsors and then formed a Future Competition Committee.

THIS AND THAT:

• Crazy how Scheffler had to deal with a hand, foot and mouth disease last week, after trouncing the field in the St. Jude Championship. He admitted he should have taken the week off and rested up for this week—he still would have qualified. He finished tied for 12^th, despite a slow start.

• How about Robert MacIntyre (Titleist Pro V1) finishing tied for 10^th after having to withdraw after the first round with a knee injury?

• Miya Yamashita (Srixon Z-Star XV) destroyed the field in the CKPC Women’s Open finishing with a tournament record 23-under par

• Lydia Ko (Titleist Pro V1x) finished tied for 37^th. She won the event as an amateur in 2015 when it last played at the Royal Mayfield Golf Club in Edmonton, Alberta.