Bill Haas' FedExCup Win Is The Best Thing To Ever Happen To The FedExCup

Think about it: every year the absurdity of the FedExCup has purportedly been "validated" by big name, established winners. Haas, winning his first event of the year and his third on the PGA Tour, ends the run that the Commissioner cited as evidence of the Cup's stature. And that's a good thing if you want to see the "playoffs" reach their potential as the exciting, dramatic competition it could be.

Now, television ratings were barely up this year and that will be cited against the 2011 Tour Championship and FedExCup finale. But a thrilling conclusion was delivered by having the champion of the Tour Championship capturing the Cup (for those who watched). Imagine guaranteeing that kind of finish each year but somehow whittling the field down to an elite number of players by Sunday, heaving the points out the window, and watching the players fight it out for $10 million in an easily explainable weekend of golf (lowest score wins!).

Brandel Chamblee's idea for something along those lines--essentially a variation on the LPGA's ADT Championship--is an interesting one and was put forward in a NY Times piece by Karen Crouse:

Under the current system, points are cumulative and the fields are reduced after each of the three tournaments leading to the 30-man Tour Championship. Chamblee suggested that once the four rounds of playoffs begin, each golfer starts with a blank slate every tournament.

The top 125 in the points standings would compete in the first event, with cuts in subsequent tournaments at 100, 70 and 30. The 72-hole stroke-play event would begin on Wednesday and crown a winner on Saturday. On Sunday, according to Chamblee’s proposal, the top four finishers would compete in an 18-hole playoff to determine the FedEx Cup champion. His idea has the added benefit of preventing players from taking a tournament off.

Thanks to Bill Haas, we no longer have to hear how the current gerrymandering system has rewarded the best player and steadiest of the year.  And thanks to Bill Haas, perhaps a riskier, wackier and more sensational format can now be put on the table for the finale to the FedExCup.

News Of The Weird: Haney Sued For Lack Of Personal Instruction

A Golfweek staff report on instructor Hank Haney getting sued for not deliving on promises of personal instruction at his South Carolina academy.

Maureen Fitzgerald and her son, Matthew Teesdale, of Ambler, Pa., alleged consumer fraud in a suit filed Sept. 16 in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia.

They claim that Haney, Tiger Woods’ former coach, gave a total of 7 minutes’ instruction to Teesdale, then 18, who paid $30,000 plus fees when he enrolled at the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy in Hilton Head Island, S.C., in 2009-10.

The WORLD Golf Hall Of Fame's International Wing...

In a Golf World Monday extended story, John Huggan looks at the absurdity of the World Golf Hall of Fame having an "International" ballot. This is one of those stories which, combined with several things pointed out by Huggan, where you sense the silly induction of George Bush last year (and his subsequent no-show) has opened the flood gates to questions about the Hall's credibility (I've noticed more negative comments than in the past regarding Phil Mickelson appearing on the ballot while still an elite player).

Don't miss Huggan's case for Peter Alliss and Sandy Lyle joining the hall. You'll love reading about their records versus other "internationals" who are in.

"It's a Durham institution."

Tamara Gibbs reports on stalled talks between the city of Durham and SunTrust Bank over donating Hillandale Golf Course to the city before its planned shuttering on October 31. The course is credited as a Donald Ross with modifications by Perry Maxwell and George Cobb.

With financial losses at Hillandale over the last few years, the bank decided to close the course and give workers their notice.

Despite the impending close date, golfers remain optimistic the City of Durham will step in.

"Losing Hillandale would be a big blow to Durham, so I'm kind of in favor of them taking over," golfer Stu Burns said.

SunTrust has offered to donate the course to the city, but there are some financial strings attached.

"I certainly don't want to see them inherit any of these bad contracts, though, 'cause I don't understand how this place is losing money to begin with," Burns said. "It sees more play than any other course around."

City leaders have said they would be willing to operate the course but not take on its financial burdens.

So far, no decision has been made. SunTrust says it can't disclose the details of a potential last minute deals.

The Gibbs report on video shows a well-conditioned course with a loyal following that is struggling to understand why the busy course is losing so much money:

Bill Haas Didn't Know He Won The FedExCup When He Won The FedExCup

It's hard to imagine that Bill Haas was unaware that he won the $10 million FedExCup. After all, have you seen the PGA Tour's electronic scoreboards? You can get FedExCup standings, but apparently in September when it matters, information was tough to come by! (Maybe not surprising since you may recall I've written about how tough it is to get scores in between the ads, player info and other stuff on the video boards.)

The final round highlights include Haas' brilliant playoff recovery shot from the 17th hole lake but do not capture the bizarre moment Haas talked about in his post round press conference.

Q. Could you clarify when you actually did find out that you had not only won the $1.44 but the 10 mill? And did you fall out of your chair?

BILL HAAS: Well, we went up and did some TV interviews up in the grandstands there on 18 and both trophies were there and there was no other player, (laughter), so I kind of assumed and I looked at my wife and she was there, and she nodded her head. So that was when I realized.

I saw Tim Finchem, I said, I didn't know I had won this, and he was like, congratulations, you won both. That's what he said, both are for you.

The scribblers in attendance weren't buying his claim.

Q. Two-part question: How is it possible that you didn't know you were playing for $10 million?

BILL HAAS: Well, I knew I was playing for it, but even winning it --

Q. No, that the playoff was for the -- when you teed off in the playoff, you did not know you were playing for the FedExCup title and the $10 million?

BILL HAAS: Uh-uh.

Q. How is that possible?

BILL HAAS: I didn't ask, and nobody told me and nobody --

LAURA HILL: Bill, come on now.

BILL HAAS: Well, I knew if I won, that was the only way I could win the FedExCup. If I finished second, I knew I couldn't win the FedExCup. So in theory I knew I was playing for it. I'm not going to sit there and say, well, it's not a million on the line here, there's $11 million, let's put some more pressure on it, because it's not worth it. It's not worth that stress. I was just trying to win that golf tournament. And actually even more than that, I was trying to hit good shots in the moment, and even though I did it some of the time, I still was trying to stay not thinking about what's going to happen if this doesn't come off. I was just trying to hit each shot, and now it just fell that way. It's awesome.

Q. The second question is if you did know you were playing for the $10 million in the playoff, would there have been more pressure?

BILL HAAS: I don't know, because like you said, I knew $11 million was on the line somehow, whether Luke Donald won it or Webb Simpson won it or I won it, it was there, so that was in my head. When I was putting for that 4-footer to win, it was just to win the TOUR Championship, knowing that was all I could do.

The highlights, including the shot on 17 and the final putt: