"It doesn't help that the FedEx Cup has become an easy target of ridicule, mostly because of the way the tour went about promoting it."

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fedexcuplogo.jpgA few more interesting FedEx Cup observations and anecdotes, this time from AP's writers and a Golf World scribe.

Tim Dahlberg notes:

This week in New York City there is a giant 12-story billboard advertising the start of the playoffs, and actors walking around in golf clothes to remind people about how important it all is. All year long, anyone who has been near a golf broadcast has been bombarded with the message that this is the biggest thing to happen to golf since Gene Sarazen holed his second shot on the 15th hole at Augusta National so many years ago.

Never mind that the whole thing is hard to understand, players don't like much about it except the money, and that it makes every tournament after it this year irrelevant. And forget for a moment that it pays the $10 million first prize in, of all things, an annuity that can't be cashed until long after Woods loses his hair.

I would agree with this, in part. Though the flaws in the system have something to do with the ridicule too:

It doesn't help that the FedEx Cup has become an easy target of ridicule, mostly because of the way the tour went about promoting it. It could have just announced the events and watched to see how it played out, but instead golf fans were bombarded with commercials touting the greatness of an event that had never been played, while golf announcers were forced to drink the Kool-Aid and play along.

Doug Ferguson notes that talk about next year's schedule is already a major issue.

The Ryder Cup will be played immediately after the four-week playoffs, leading to some speculation that Woods won’t be the only player who takes a week off during the playoffs.

“I’m disappointed in the schedule,” Jim Furyk said.

Someone asked Padraig Harrington if golf was less of a grind when he doesn’t have to think about the Ryder Cup, and he immediately thought about next year.

“That’s five in a row. That will be tough,” he said. “That will be a big ask, a big take from any player who plays in all five events. The Presidents Cup this year ... is such a big event, or the Ryder Cup is such a big event. It does require effort. Coming in off something as big as this, it’s a tough bit of work.”

And over at GolfDigest.com John Hawkins blogs this note about Tiger:

Bottom line? A guy who can find motivation in a kernel of popcorn seems to be suffering from a lack of incentive when it comes to the postseason. "We can't promise that everybody's going to play unless we have regulations," Pernice added, referring to everyone who might have been counting on Woods' unconditional commitment. "At some point, Tim has to sit down with Tiger and Phil [Mickelson] and find out what they want to do, because this thing won't work without them."


"They haven't yet hit a shot that counts in the FedEx Cup playoff series, and the whole thing is beginning to look like the kind of idea that got Ishtar, Gigli and The Adventures of Pluto Nash on the big screen."

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fedexcuplogo.jpgAn Ishtar reference. I think Gorant's "disaster" mention just got passed by! Does that supercede Elling's FraudEx Cup reference too? Eh...it's a toss up.

Steve Campbell calls the $10 million FedEx Cup annuity "a serious miscalculation" and really, that was the nicest thing he said in this Houston Chronicle column.

The question: Can you name a stud, a spud, a Fudd and a dud?

They haven't yet hit a shot that counts in the FedEx Cup playoff series, and the whole thing is beginning to look like the kind of idea that got Ishtar, Gigli and The Adventures of Pluto Nash on the big screen.
And Tiger?
Just like that, Woods rendered the Cup about as meaningless as Paris Hilton's views on tackling terrorism. Just like that, Woods made who isn't playing The Barclays the story instead of who is playing. Just like that, Woods set the cause of golfers as actual athletes back into the 20th century.

He is supposed to be the fittest, finest athletic specimen of a golfer on the planet. And after a week off, Woods is sitting out the first round of a playoff series designed to inject life and interest into his sport because he's too pooped to play.

His actions, in other words, speak much louder than the words he uttered the week of the PGA Championship: "I know we're trying to build a lot of excitement towards the end of the year where it's been a dull period, and this might do it."

Woods did it to the FedEx Cup, all right. He lobbied for a shorter tour season. PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem delivered a points-race system that ends seven weeks earlier than last season did. Woods wanted a tour event to call his own. Finchem delivered the AT&T National, which became yet the latest benefactor to the Tiger Woods Foundation.
Meanwhile Tod Leonard in the San Diego Union Tribune is a bit kinder. A bit.
The PGA Tour convinced FedEx and other sponsors to ante up $28 million in cash prizes and another $35 million for a deferred-payment pool for this inaugural year alone. Those companies and the TV networks expect a payoff in public interest, measured by buzz and ratings.

So far, the buzz has been in a frequency only dogs and tour execs can hear, but that is expected to change this week, when the first of the four playoff events, The Barclays, is contested beginning Thursday at Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y.

Woods, citing fatigue after two straight wins, essentially took a first-round bye when he decided last week not to play at Westchester, where he has never excelled. But he is expected to participate the following three weeks, when the initial field of 144 qualifiers is eventually cut to 30 for the Tour Championship in Atlanta.

The winner of the playoffs gets $10 million, which the tour is touting as the biggest prize for an individual in pro sports, but there is a huge caveat to that. It will be paid into a retirement account and the champ might not see that cash for 20 years.

Oooooooh, doesn't 401k talk just send chills up your spine, like watching that green jacket ceremony each April?
And...

 

Anytime the math goes beyond season records or games behind, they lose most of us. Same for dollar figures. We are numb to, and mostly resentful of, the outrageous money athletes make these days. Why emphasize it?

Thanks to the math, it's also possible the winner of the Tour Championship won't be the champion of the FedEx Cup. “Great victory Phil, now please go away so Tiger can accept the FedEx trophy!”

Weak.

Shipnuck on Cabrera

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aug14_cabrera_299x238.jpgI finally got around to Alan Shipnuck's SI piece on Angel Cabrera, which unfortunately was relegated to the Golf Plus Fed Ex Cup stand alone issue. Unfortunate because it's an oustanding and revealing read that should have made the main issue. Well, those NFL training camp spreads are pretty special.

Anyway, don't miss this. And because I'm kind, the link is to the single page version to save you the trouble of the nine-page version.


More Early FedEx Reviews

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Ron Sirak says it's a blessing that Tiger is missing the first event, but he's in the minority on that one.

David Whitley in the Orlando Sentinel isn't so kind.

The FedEx Cup was a contrived money-grab to begin with. When the sport's pre-eminent star blows off the opening act, all credibility is lost. It's like baseball starting the playoffs without the Red Sox, Angels, Mets and the national anthem. Tour officials are trying to put a happy face on things, but they must feel as if they've had a graphite shaft plunged into their backs.

Doug Ferguson reminds us that the Tour tried this once before at the Vantage Championship and has this from David Toms, talking about the $10 million annuity:

"If you have kids old enough to understand, they're more excited about the $10 million than we are because they're the ones who are going to end up getting it," David Toms said.

Furman Bisher sees it as a threat to...uh, the Champions Tour?

The tour is the stage on which he performs and creates his endorsement connections. For that matter, it isn't cash in hand, anyway. At first the payout was referred to as an annuity, then later it was changed to "deferred compensation." Thus, players don't collect their winnings until they retire from tour competition, and not before they reach age 45, this affirmed by the office of Bob Combs, vice president of communications.

This might be a threat to the prosperity of the Champions Tour, for how many seniors might decide to take early retirement with a fat deferred payment there to be collected?.

Gary Van Sickle offers ways to fix the FedEx Cup before it even starts.

And Douglas Lowe sees plenty of positives...for the European Tour.

After the play-offs, there will be lesser PGA Tour events at which the lower orders can fight out who retains their Tour cards and at that point, with no significant competition from the US, the focus will return to the European Tour, which will be lifted by the returns of Harrington & Co.

The British Masters that has recently heralded the start of British involvement on the Tour in May has been shifted to September 20 to 23, the week after the Tour Championship, to mark the start of a strong tail-end of the season.

The Seve Trophy, Dunhill Links Championship and HSBC World Matchplay Championship will follow in a rousing conclusion to the European Tour, leading up to the Volvo Masters in Spain.


"As an avid golfer, I’m looking forward to putting the USGA front and center among the next generation of golfers via the online platform"

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Leave ESPN for the USGA? Now that takes a certain, uh...vision! Thanks to reader Phil for this, which did not land in my email box. You don't think they would...no, not the USGA I love and know!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
                                      
USGA APPOINTS ALEX WITHERS
AS DIRECTOR OF NEW MEDIA
 
Withers leaves ESPN new media post to take newly created USGA position, reporting to Chief Business Officer Pete Bevacqua
 
Far Hills, N.J. (August 20, 2007) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) has named Alex Withers as the organization’s director of new media, a newly created position making Withers responsible for the overall online and new media efforts of the USGA, with the goal of maximizing online advertising, partnerships, e-commerce initiatives, and industry events to drive revenue and improve the USGA’s core functions.
 
Having most recently held the position of marketing director for ESPN New Media, Withers brings to the USGA over ten years of marketing and product development experience across a range of global brands.  While at ESPN New Media, he managed the marketing strategy and brand positioning for both ESPN.com and ESPN360.com, which included the launch of the myESPN personalization tool as well as the sites’ networking platforms.  Prior to his work with ESPN, Withers oversaw marketing, digital, and branding initiatives for the Financial Times and Pepsi Cola.  He earned his bachelor of science honors degree in business administration from Britain’s Cardiff University.
 
Withers’ expertise will first and foremost position the USGA to better identify and capitalize on a range of interactive digital and online capabilities that will ultimately raise awareness of the organization, as well as communicate the USGA’s numerous initiatives and goals.
 
"As an avid golfer, I’m looking forward to putting the USGA front and center among the next generation of golfers via the online platform,” said Withers. “This is an exciting time for the USGA, as we are tasked with the responsibility of maintaining the history and tradition of golf, whilst helping the sport come of age in a digital world."
 
"Alex is a perfect fit for the USGA and the ideal person to bring our digital vision to life," said Peter Bevacqua, USGA chief business officer. "A key growth driver and top priority for the USGA is to make our organization relevant and appealing to a younger generation of digitally savvy golfers.  We’re looking forward to connecting with them online and, in doing so, making it possible for our members to connect with each other and the great game of golf."
 

"I hear a lot being written, but I don't see anybody writing anything about Finchem"

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Thanks to reader David for catching Jeff Maggert's remarks to the News-Record's Ed Hardin:

"Probably half the players out here couldn't care less about it," he said of the FedExCup. "The other half are indifferent."

That's hardly the marketing phrase Tour officials want to hear heading into the playoffs, and if Maggert's feelings reflect anything close to those of the rest of the players, Finchem's postseason playoff experiment is doomed.

"I hear a lot being written, but I don't see anybody writing anything about Finchem," Maggert said. "I mean, this was his idea. He really didn't consult any of the players. He kind of shoved it down our throats and said, 'This is what we're going to do.' "

 

"The proposed method also takes into account the strong negative relationship that exists between driving accuracy and driving distance."

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Thanks to reader Al for this press release that I know you all will understand just as easily as I did.

A New Method for Ranking Total Driving Performance on the PGA Tour
Northeastern University Business School Professors Argue Current Ranking Method Statistically Inaccurate; New Method More Accurate at Capturing Relationship Between Accuracy and Distance

BOSTON, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Northeastern University's College of Business Administration today announced that three Northeastern professors have devised a new, more statistically accurate and relevant way to rank the Total Driving performance of golfers on the Professional Golf Association Tour (PGA Tour). The new ranking methodology attempts to standardize the differences between driving distance and driving accuracy, as well as account for one factor's influence on the other, enabling a comparison of Total Driving performance to more accurately reflect the true differences between the players.

The table below provides statistics on the top six players under the new "Z" ranking, as well as the top six currently ranked players in the world:

        Player           New Z    PGA Total    Driving   Driving   World
                             Rank      Driving     Distance  Accuracy  Ranking
                                          Ranking(1)   (yds.)     (%)

    Charles Warren        1         1         303.3       66.64     169
    Bubba Watson         2        82         316.2       55.34      87
    J.B. Holmes             3        61         312.4       56.37     125
    Hunter Mahan          4         2         298.6       67.44      48
    Matthew Goggin      5         3         297.4       66.21     157
    Jason Gore             6         5         301.0       62.87     176
    Tiger Woods           30        69         301.9       57.25       1
    Adam Scott             36        71         300.9       57.34       5
    Jim Furyk                51        77         279.3       74.87       2
    Ernie Els                 74       113         298.7       56.33       4
    Phil Mickelson       103       133         299.1       53.88       3
    Padraig Harrington  128       160         294.4       56.22       6

    (1) PGA Total Driving ranking as of August 19, 2007

The PGA Tour currently ranks its players according to their overall Total Driving performance by adding together the individual ranks given to each golfer for their average driving distance and for their driving accuracy percentage. According to Professors Frederick Wiseman, Ph.D., Mohamed Habibullah, Ph.D. and Mustafa Yilmaz, Ph.D., however, this widely used and reported measure is inappropriate because it is based upon the addition of two ranks in which the underlying differences between successive ranks are not equal.

"Both average driving distance and the driving accuracy percentages are ratio-scaled data. What we wish to do is to combine these two measures into a single overall measure of Total Driving performance," says Fred Wiseman, Ph.D., lead author of the study and Professor of Information, Operation and Analysis at the College of Business Administration at Northeastern University. "The measure we propose is based upon two statistically independent standardized z-scores, one for driving distance, and the other for driving accuracy given driving distance."

Standardized z-scores are commonly used in many disciplines for comparing performances when different units of measurement are involved. This evaluation of the total driving rankings of the PGA first appeared in a paper written by these three professors entitled A New Method for Ranking Total Driving Performance on the PGA Tour, which appeared in the Spring 2007 edition of The Sport Journal. The rankings released today are the final rankings based upon regular season play on this year's PGA Tour. In that paper's conclusion, the professors wrote:

"The proposed method for ranking golfers according to their Total Driving skill takes into account the magnitude of the differences that exist between players on each of the two driving dimensions. The current PGA Tour method does not. The proposed method also takes into account the strong negative relationship that exists between driving accuracy and driving distance. This negative relationship is reflected in the new conditional standardized z- score."

These factors resulted in an improved Total Driving Performance Ranking, compared to their PGA Tour ranking, for each of the top six players in the world. Computationally, the proposed method is slightly more involved than other existing methods, but this is not a significant factor today.

About Northeastern University College of Business Administration

Northeastern University College of Business Administration, established in 1922, provides its students - undergraduate, graduate and executive - with the education, tools and experience necessary to launch and accelerate successful business careers. The College credits its success to expert faculty, close partnerships with industry, and its emphasis on rigorous academics combined with experiential learning.

Among many external measures of success, BusinessWeek ranks the College 26th in its "Best Undergraduate B-schools." The College's Bachelor of Science in International Business program is ranked in the U.S. top 15 by U.S. News & World Report. Financial Times ranks the College's Executive MBA program in the US top 50 and U.S. News & World Report ranks the College's part-time MBA program #21 in the country. For more information about Northeastern University College of Business Administration, visit http://cba.neu.edu.

 

"So what's the deal?"

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You may recall Tiger's post-PGA comments about his superior conditioning. And now, in light of Tiger passing on this week's inaugural playoff event, Ed Sherman wants to know what the deal is.

Woods, muscles popping out of his red shirt, looks as if he could make a bid to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team in the decathlon, if so inclined.

Yes, contending in a major is taxing, a mental and physical grind, even when the conditions are in the 70s with a nice wind blowing. But runners-up Woody Austin and Ernie Els also endured the pressure, not to mention the heat, and they are playing this week.

The bottom line is Woods would have had nine days off before he had to show up in Westchester, N.Y., for his Barclay's pro-am on Wednesday. That should have been more than enough time for a finely conditioned athlete like Woods to recover.

And even if Woods was a bit tired, so what? This is one tournament where the biggest star most definitely needed to be in the field.


IM'ing With The Commissioners, Vol. VI

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My sources aren't what they used to be, so it's been hard to obtain instant message conversations between the PGA Tour's Tim Finchem and the LPGA Tour's Carolyn Bivens. Thankfully my NSA mole lifted this chat on the eve of the FedEx Cup. Previous chats are here, here, here, here and here.) 

DaBrandLady:  you there tim?

twfPGATOUR©: Yes, how are you Carolyn?

DaBrandLady:  super duper. haven't seen you online much lately.

twfPGATOUR©: Just returned from a very productive week of meetings and retreats in Colorado. Just me and the Co-COO's, Senior Executive VP's, Executive VP's, Senior VP's  and other potential VP's.

DaBrandLady: wow, that's a big group. you guys must fill up the broadmoor!

DaBrandLady:  tim, u there? it was just a joke...

twfPGATOUR©: Yes I am. I just had to close out something. Craig's List.

DaBrandLady: is stadler complaining again?

twfPGATOUR©: No, something else entirely it's a web site where, well, forget it.
twfPGATOUR©: Say, I think you would have been impressed with the program we had in Colorado. We had several group brand-bonding exercise sessions.

DaBrandLady:  oh, which courses did you guys play?

twfPGATOUR©: No, these were actual seminars structured to educate our executives on brand value building as we leverage equity in the FedEx Cup Playoffs© and beyond.

DaBrandLady: good thinking. you can never do enough brand building as far as i'm concerned.

twfPGATOUR©:  We looked at the entire brand building process, with a focus on verbal and visual identity, monetizing logo graphics and manipulating other imagery aspects essential to classic brand building and upward equity paradigms.

DaBrandLady: fascinating, wish i could have been there!

twfPGATOUR©: I tell you, I feel rejuvenated. It's been a rough few weeks here.

DaBrandLady : oh, yes I've seen all of the fedex cup criticism.

twfPGATOUR©: No, I was referring to something else that came up. It's nothing, just make sure your VP's stay off this Craig's List at work.

DaBrandLady: you know they refuse to monetize that intranet site?

twfPGATOUR©: I know, makes no sense. What's the point of doing something if you can't monetize it?

DaBrandLady: my feelings exactly.

twfPGATOUR©: Wait, what FedEx Cup criticism? I've been looking at PGATOUR.com everyday and the writers there have been very positive. My people say there was more buzz at the PGA Championship about our playoffs than there was about that so-called major.

DaBrandLady: well tim there is some question about the points system and, tiger is skipping round 1, that's kind of unfortunate.

twfPGATOUR©: You aren't going negative on me too, Carolyn?

DaBrandLady: well as you know we had a very successful adt championship under my watch, and all i'm saying is... DaBrandLady: the format has merits...i'm biased of course, since i came up with it.

twfPGATOUR©: I thought the adt concept developed was under Ty's watch?

DaBrandLady: well i did the brand building on it, so in essence, it's mine.

twfPGATOUR©: True, true.
twfPGATOUR©: Well you just watch. My VP of FedEx Point Permutations and Playoff Licensing has crunched the numbers and he's confident it will all play out nicely. And he doesn't go on Craig's List, he swears.

DaBrandLady: huh?

twfPGATOUR©: Long story. Say, I have to run. The Falcon is prepped and fueled, I'm off to NYC for a round of meetings, then up to Westchester. Very exciting times.

DaBrandLady: yes it should be interesting. good luck!

twfPGATOUR©: Thanks Carolyn, enjoy the FedEx Cup Playoffs©!  Give my best to...

DaBrandLady:  he says hi back!


Could Snedeker Salvage The FedEx Cup?

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snedekerx.jpgAfter winning Greensboro, Brandt Snedeker actually seems to be one of the few players whose life could be impacted by a FedEx Cup run and win:

Snedeker, a 26-year-old Tennessee native and former Vanderbilt player, had the best round of the tournament. He finished at 22-under 266, earned $900,000 — and, perhaps most importantly, jumped 17 spots to No. 9 on the FedEx Cup points list.

"Everything the tour has been telling us, you have a legitimate chance to win the FedEx Cup, (but) you've got to be inside the Top 15," Snedeker said. "That's why I came here — I wanted to get in the Top 15 and give myself a chance. ... I know my game can leave me tomorrow and I can have the shanks. I wanted to go as high as I could."

With most of the elite players yawning at the $10 million annuity given to the FedEx Cup winner, it would seem that a less established player sneaking in to win may be the only hope for some genuine passion and emotion?

I for one would love to see someone like Snedeker make a run, since the annuity would actually mean something to him.

Otherwise, if this is just an extension of the rich-get-richer pyramid scheme where underdogs have no chance to contend, then it'll probably fail.