Battle Of The Computer-Generated Suspense: Phil Going For #1 Versus Jason Day Vying For #1

Which faux quest for supremacy will be more exciting Monday: Phil Mickelson trying to grab the top spot in the world golf ranking or Jason Day looking to vault to the top spot in the FedEx Cup. 

Sadly for the FedEx Cup, my vote goes to Phil.

Comments

[Der Exilgolfer - Golf in Schweden]

I totally agree! All those FedEx points during the season, that no one understands... And then this artificial playoffs. All the best from http://www.exilgolfer.de.

[Brian Sullivan]

Agree that Phil potentially going to #1 is the top story, but before the "playoffs" were created, Phil and many of the top guys wouldn't even be playing this time of year. Instead we have 4 great weeks in a row - when else can you say that ? As far as the point system, why do people think it is so hard to understand ? The higher you finish, the more point you get. In the playoffs events, that is even more so. Then they have elimination cutoffs. Why is that so hard to grasp ? Besides the 4 majors, this is the best time of the year for golf.

[Jim S]

I agree, but I'm going to take this open form to change the topic.

The TPC Boston tournament should be played during peak fall color for the trees. It must look amazing with the scruffy rough and changing trees. Also, there should be pumpkin patches in play.

[Keith86]

Pull up the old posts of you guys saying Day was a chump when he said he thought he could challange tiger one day.

[mel]

My vote goes to Phil moving to world number one. The Fedex Cup point system is ridiculous. There are players who missed the cut this week who are not only in the field next week but appear to be safe for the Tour Championship. That isn’t playoffs by my definition. Of course the World Golf ranking point system appears in need of revision as well. Tiger hasn’t won since last October in Australia yet he is still at the top while Phil has a major this year plus two big wins beating Tiger at the Tour Championship and World Golf in China last fall. Makes no sense.

[JPB]

Brian: I can't speak for everyone, but for there is no problem understanding the FedExCup points system. The problem is that the system doesn't do a great job of functioning as a true "playoff" like we see in other sports. This was sort of the goal, I think; to create a season-ending "playoff" that would a) keep the best players in the world out there, and b) generate some interest on the order of the World Series or Super Bowl. The points structure, I think, seems to preserve "a" at the expense of "b."

[TXQ]

Phil Mickelson's quest, faux sure.

[digsouth]

The OWGR is a joke. Plain and simple. 2 years is too long, and when they included the Chevron TW no show invited silly season sxxt in the point gathering, it really defined how much of a tool job the rankings are.

I think rock paper scissors is a better system. Double elimination of course.

The FEDEX CUP is a sales tool for Fedex, that has gotten better, but it is what it is. Just a bonus title, that still needs tweaking to e a genuine 'playoff'.

Otherwise, quit calling it a playoff.

I think the players have finally caught on to he gist of it , though..... play well, they give you more money.


Happy Labor Day, all you Shackquacks.

digsouth

[The O]

My vote goes to me not caring at all about either.

[Ky Laffoon's Ghost]

What "The O" said.

But it should be mentioned again that Eldrick of WIndermere is still #1 despite not having been a factor for nearly a year. That's all you need to know about the IMGOWGR. As for the PLAYOFFS!, I still think the Panjandrums of Ponte Vedra are of a mindset that believes the 1954 Cleveland Indians were one of the best baseball teams ever. Maybe so. But ask Vic Wertz (if you could) and the Giants who had the best team in Major League Baseball that year.

[MRP]

Negative Nellies.

Last year's finish of the Fed Ex Cup at the Tour Championship was great fun. Here's to this years being equally fun. Kuchar winning the Fed Ex Cup on his home turf? That would be cool. How far can Tiger go? Pick whatever potential storyline interests you.

If along the way Phil or Stricker can become #1 in the world, great. Or can Tiger hold them off. Either way I'll be watching.

As far as this "faux" or made-up/fake stuff. What isn't? It is all what we make it. We can cut down major championships as being not worthy, such as only an Open Championship (US or British) is a true major. Or how after 1930ish, amateur titles lost their status as true major championships and now they are "faux" majors.

We can live our lives in a blanket of pessimism or we can embrace what it is in life or golf or whatevever that we like. You don't like the Fed Ex, fine...simply don't watch. Vote with your pocket book. If enough of you do the thing will go away and we will go back to the best players in the world simply not playing at that time of the year.

[Bar Fedora]

This is the 10th event in 2010 at which Phil has the chance to attain the #1 ranking with a strong result.....Phil, what the hell are you waiting on?!?!?

For perspective...

...OWGR time at #1 list is as follows (weeks at #1, player, majors won):

615 -- Tiger Woods (14)
331 -- Greg Norman (2)
98 -- Nick Faldo (6)
61 -- Seve Ballesteros (5)
50 -- Ian Woosnam (1)
44 -- Nick Price (3)
32 -- Vijay Singh (3)
16 -- Fred Couples (1)
15 -- David Duval (1)
9 -- Ernie Els (3)
3 -- Bernhard Langer (2)
1 -- Tom Lehman (1)

PS...no need to rehash the "Nicklaus would have" stuff, we are all well aware of that.

[RM]

What's the problem? 4 quality tournaments in a row. Good leaderboard today. I don't care about the points list much, I just care about the tournaments. But you have to pay a little attention to it yo see who will make it to the next one. There is compelling stuff going on today, so enjoy it!

[Ky Laffoon's Ghost]

Welcome back, MRP! Nice to have you here again. As for the PLAYOFFS!, when they really are that I'll watch with some interest. How about this? Four events with the following cuts: 125-60-32-Followed by a Winner-Takes-90% match play event (36 holes per match starting with the quarterfinals). And no "missed events" followed by advancing through the series. But as you can see out your window in Atlanta, it's a beautiful day after a miserably hot summer even for us, so I'll be working on my "push" this afternoon. Hmm, sounds a lot like the mayor played by Murray Hamilton in that shark movie...better watch out for rattlesnakes.

[MRP]

I love the idea of match play in the "playoffs".

I know a lot of people say the tv guys don't like match play, but I find it awesome to watch. And with $10 million on the line and the best players in the world. I think it would be good stuff!!

PS...Thanks Ky!

[T-Dude]

What the * did Charley Hoffman eat for breakfast this morning?

[Tottenham Hotspur]

Phil blows it...again. What a head case.

[Ky Laffoon's Ghost]

@BLB: Not quite old enough to remember Willie Mays as a 23-year-old center fielder...but I have seen the picture and the film of the catch. It does a heart good to watch it once in a while.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dK6zPbkFnE

@TH: Word. And I am one of the few Phil partisans in this neighborhood.

Btw, here's how to tame a hybrid. Get the 3-iron out of the closet, put the hybrids in the closet (too many head covers in the bag anyway), and get reacquainted with your 4-iron.

[Elwood Fussel]

I don't why some people are trying to hard to find fault with the FEDEX Cup. I think it's quite entertaining. You have the best guys playing some good golf on some pretty good golf courses. I have no more way of knowing than the rest of you but it looks to me like the players are into it. Why try to ruin the party?

[Bar Fedora]

Hell, not only did Phlab...err Phil...fail to pass Tiger this week, he lost ground!!

They probably shouldn't bring the topic up anymore.

Oops, correction, it was probably about a wash. Last year Tiger finished 11th in Boston (same as this year), Phil finished 27th (25th this year). Be really interesting to see how next week goes, doesn't look like either guy will be skipping any FedEx events in 2010.

Still probably a bad idea to discuss the subject anymore...

[total recoil]

Wrong on both counts. They were both non-events. But Hoffman was brilliant.

[Stevie]

Phil will never be #1.
I see he choked again in Boston.

[The O]

I will say one good thing about the playoffs: it is at least an interesting attempt to make post-PGA Championship golf interesting. But, this OCD-style talking about placement when there are two events to go is grating. "Jason Day predicted to be #1!. And, now he's not!, with that bogey! And there he is again! Stop. Just stop.

[Press Agent]

I'm glad to see a few posts containing common sense, especially Brian Sullivan's. It may not be perfect but it's better than any of the geniuses in this group would come up with and we see guys this time of year we would never have seen in past years.

digsouth, what the hell is a "sales tool" and how is it different from a sponsorship? Also tell me how putting tens of millions of dollars a year into the PGA tour and the Fedex Cup helps Fedex at all? You should count yourself lucky Fedex hasn't figured out this is a losing game for them and taken all their money out of this pathetic golf tour.
One thing I know for sure, the PGA tour doesn't help Fedex sell one single thing all year long. At least in Nascar they thank the sponsors and the drivers tell the fans to support the sponsors, on the PGA tour Fedex just keeps dumping their money into this bottomless black hole that gives them nothing in return.