ADT, Tradition and Golf "Playoffs"

Sunday's ADT Championship seemed like a huge success as a great one-off, year-end bang for the LPGA. Not only because the finish was stellar (with superstars tripping all over themselves) and the story of Julieta Granada ($1 million really means something to her family!), but mostly because it added a "must see" event for any golf fan.

A reader emailed this week wondering how a pro-tradition type like yours truly could love something gimmicky like this while the PGA Tour's Fed Ex Cup is actually something new that also preserves the historic nature of the money title (while the ADT does not for the LPGA).

Well, of course I could care less about the money list in the big scheme, and I'm also fascinated by the notion that such a tradition is more important than say, the relationship between player and his equipment and how that relates to the playing of the game.

The sport desperately needs novelty events like the ADT Championships. It was the first time since the early Skins Games where money really meant something and it translated to entertaining golf.

The real traditions worth preserving relate to skill and architecture. And we won't go there...today, anyway.

Another note on the ADT Championship: Craig Dolch reports that the players would like to see some tweaking with the qualification system.

But Sunday's setup was so simple. 8 players with the low score winning $1 million.

Compare that to this analysis by the New York Times of NASCAR's Nextel Cup going into today's final race, and you get an idea what the PGA Tour has cooked up. Not nearly as interesting or fun or understandable as the ADT.