Now, this is a cause for concern, but there is an explanation:
When I played Transitions this year, I wrote about how my third place finish changed everything. But this is totally different. Winning Greenbrier means I also won 500 FedEx Cup points, boosting my ranking from 88th to 26th. I’m more excited about that than the money. (But obviously the money is a huge bonus — I earned $1.08 million for finishing first.)
Besides the obvious hit on greater Ponte Vedra area drug store sales of ED refills in an already beleaguered economy, there is an explanation for this blatant FedEx Cup pandering.
Stallings, who started the final round one stroke off the lead, jumped 62 spots to 26th in the season-long race for the $10 million bonus. That increased security is particularly important to the native New Englander who dearly wanted to make field for the Deutsche Bank Championship, the second event in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, which is played in Foxborough, Mass.
"One of the biggest goals we had was to get to Boston," Stallings said. "I was born just outside of the city (in Worcester), and I'm huge, huge, diehard Red Sox fan. To have them have the pairings party at Fenway (Park) ... I told them just to have an opportunity to go in the gates at Fenway any time I can, I would be signed up for as many as I could."
American television coverage of this event in recent years has been sporadic and even before Tiger committed to the Open, a great field was lined up to play over Mike Clayton's rejuvenated The Lakes. So let's make sure this one is beemed back to America!
After 36 holes Zach Johnson bagman Damon Green remains 4-under in the U.S. Senior Open and on the edge of the top 10, setting up a possible weekend run after a similar hot start in the Senior Open Championship at Walton Heath.
You have to love the loyalty, job security and blurbs J.P. Fitzgerald is accumulating as Rory McIlroy continued to defend his man against the commentary of Jay Townsend following round 2 at the Irish Open.
I know this will help everyone rest easier this weekend...but on a serious note, I'm not sure what this means for the golf industry or future discussions about equipment regulation.
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning Drive, is co-host of The Ringer's ShackHouse is the author of eleven books.