Question of the week [Sept. 12-18]: An international match competition — Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup — comes down to the final hole, which active golfer, including LIV Golf members, do you want playing for the win?
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Cam Smith for a playoff.
Peter Hill
Jupiter Florida
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Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler.
Spencer Sappington
Milton, Georgia
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I'd want Patrick Cantlay. I'm not sure if there's anybody in the game that is more singularly focused on each and every shot and putt he has to execute or make.
Frank D'Ambrosio
Roslyn Heights, New York
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If I had to pick one guy it would have to be Billy Horschel. Nerves of steel and a temper to match. The man can stare down competitors and throw caution to the wind. He would leave nothing in the tank and would demonstrate nerves of steel. And, besides, his competition would see him as choking. Go Billy.
I was going to pick Pat Perez for two reasons. One is that no one with the exception of Pat would choose Pat. Secondly, LIV Golf has lined his pockets with more than he ever thought he would see, so he too would go all out. Pat and Billy, Billy and Pat. What a great tag team to host a Podcast. Move over Mr. [Brandel] Chamblee, there are two new deputies in town.
Paul Vicary
The Villages, Florida
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Whoever is playing for the U.S. team on that final hole because that person will not be a LIV Golf member.
Jim Pomeranz
Cary, North Carolina
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FEDEX CUP OVERHAUL
My proposed changes to the FedEx Cup are attempts to:
a) simplify the qualification scoring / rankings
b) end the playoffs before the start of football season
c) allow three more players into the playoffs
d) eliminate the unusual / ridiculous scoring setup for the final Tour Championship
Here is my suggestion:
1. The official regular season will end with the final PGA tournament in late July.
2) A four-week FedEx Cup playoff will begin with a 72-hole tournament the first full weekend of August.
3) The top 128 from the official PGA Tour money winnings beginning in January through the end of July qualify for the playoffs (no point rankings).
4) As a reward / bonus to the top 32 money winners, these 32 golfers receive an automatic bye into the second week of the playoffs.
5) Playoff week No. 1 begins with players ranked Nos. 33-128 from money standings (96 players). At the end of the first 18 holes, the eight players with the highest scores are eliminated from the rest of the playoffs. The second round of week No. 1 (88 players) will eliminate the eight players with the highest 36-hole score. The third round of week No. 1 (80 players) will eliminate the eight players with the highest 54-hole score. And the fourth round of week No. 1 (72 players) will eliminate the eight players with the highest 72-hole score. The remaining 64 will advance to week No. 2 and will be joined by the top 32 money leaders who received a bye for week No. 1.
6) Playoff week No. 2 has all 96 players starting at even par and follows the same procedure of eliminating the highest eight scores in each round, with the surviving 64 players advancing to playoff week No. 3.
7) Playoff week No. 3 follows the same procedure of eliminating the highest eight scores in each round, with the surviving 32 players advancing to playoff week No. 4, the Tour Championship.
Many fans, like myself, are interested in which players are "on the bubble." Presently, the bubble is burst after the final round of the present FedEx Cup playoff week Nos. 1 and 2. My system has "bubbles" for every round.
Bonus money could be paid out for each tournament or could be all rolled into one big bonus payout based upon their finish / survival during the four weeks of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
It is important and imperative that the golfers participate in each round of each week (top 32 get week No. 1 bye).
Admittedly, my final round of Week No. 4 (Tour Championship) will feature only eight golfers, but most likely those players ranked Nos. 9-16 would not have much of a chance anyway.
Greg Miles
Grayslake, Illinois
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WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN
Scottie Scheffler won the most prestigious golf event of the year at Augusta [the Masters] and should be named Player of the Year. It would have been debatable with Cameron Smith winning The Open, but he forfeited any honors by jumping to Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
Jim Robinson
Liverpool, New York
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