FedEx Contest Results

As I mentioned, this was a very close contest. Every entry received votes and the winning entry won by just a single vote. So without further ado, here are the results:

Winner: Idea #3 - Chris Haines. Chris wins a Hit Down Dammit! Bundle (CD-Rom, Book, Audio CD, and Ebook.)  Chris's idea can be seen below.

Idea #3

I like the FedEx Cup playoffs but there are three major problems with them:

1.      It isn't really a true "play off" system since some people in the fourth round have mathematically no chance of winning and others can skip one (or possible more) of the events and still win.

2.      Four weeks in a row with other important events coming up (the 2007 President's Cup one week after the 4th round and the 2008 Ryder Cup immediately after the 4th round) is a lot for most of the golfers to handle, results in top names missing from some of the tournaments and means that early cuts who are on the President's Cup and Ryder Cup teams are better rested and have an edge in those important competitions.

3.      The deferral of the top prize to age 45 is unfair since it means the top prize is different for a 40 year old champion than it is for a 30 year old champion.

Here's a solution:

1.      Award FedEx Cup points as this year until the playoffs start but then have everyone start equal with the top 144 from the season playing the first play-off tournament.  The top 120 in the first tournament advance to the second tournament, the top 70 in the second tournament advance to the third tournament and the top 30 in the third tournament advance to the last tournament.  Ties are settled by playoff holes after each tournament.  This means everyone starts even at every tournament, you need to play well in each tournament to have a chance of moving on and if you skip a tournament you're out.  Just like every other major sport which has playoffs.

2.      The first three tournaments should be 54 hole tournaments with a cut after 36.   This will make it easier on the players to play four or more weeks in a row by giving them one extra day off in the first three weeks.

3.       Forget deferrals and pay the FedEx Cup prize money at the end of the fourth tournament just as golf does with other tournaments and just as other sports do at the end of their playoffs.  Take the prize money that would have been awarded for the fourth tournament and add it to the prize money for the first three tournaments - the  FedEx Cup money ought to be enough to inspire people to try to win the final tournament and the FedEx Cup.

Chris Haines