PGA FedEx Cup Playoffs

[Tripping William]

Another clutch par save by Cantlay on the 2nd playoff hole.

Bryson has a birdie putt from 5 feet to win.

Choooooooke!

[Tripping William]

BAD finds the creek at 18.

[CameronDuke]

BAD finds the creek at 18.

This is one of the most insane endings to a golf tournament I’ve seen!

[Tripping William]

This is one of the most insane endings to a golf tournament I’ve seen!

BAD with a 4-foot putt to extend it.

[CameronDuke]

A 5th playoff hole! This may go on all night!

[cato]

A 5th playoff hole! This may go on all night!

I asked earlier what low score would win. Maybe I should have asked what crazy number of playoff holes!

[Tripping William]

A 5th playoff hole! This may go on all night!

Two amazing shots into 17. Unreal!

[CameronDuke]

Two amazing shots into 17. Unreal!

This is insane! 6th playoff hole. They’re running out of daylight!

[Tripping William]

Cantlay with one last clutch putt.

[cato]

Cantlay with one last clutch putt.

And it did it. Wow. Way to stand his ground with Bryson trying to play the intimidator. Cantlay chose to ignore it, pour in putts and go home one top.

[CameronDuke]

And it did it. Wow. Way to stand his ground with Bryson trying to play the intimidator. Cantlay chose to ignore it, pour in putts and go home one top.

Best golf tournament I’ve seen in quite some time. Cantlay has ice water in his veins standing over putts.

[Tripping William]

Best golf tournament I’ve seen in quite some time. Cantlay has ice water in his veins standing over putts.

Apparently some patrons started referring to him as Patty Ice.

[jimsumner]

Next week is going to have a tough act to follow. That was incredible.

[Rich]

So start off the Wimbledon final with the player that blitzed through the earlier rounds already up two games to none? It is not just team sports that let it all ride on the final game/match.

In Wimbledon, blitzing through earlier rounds is against players other than the one you're playing in the finals. In the FedEx, you're playing against the same players week after week tallying points and then playing against some of those same players in the final. Not getting an advantage at that point would defeat the purpose of trying to get the most points and instead would reward just getting to the final event where (as you propose) everyone starts equal. I agree with the poster who mentioned how home field advantage is the reward for having a better record in other sports, but does not exist in golf.

[mkirsh]

I guess I am in the minority here. Surprising.
The season long stuff would still be used to get people into the tournaments, and to get them from one to the next, just like in other professional sports. I am just suggesting leveling the field for the final tournament.
I still think it would be better, but I concede that it appears i represent a minority opinion.

The problem is the field at 30 is still pretty big. The corollary to Wimbledon would be if the guy who lost in the semis could come back to the final match and win, which wouldn’t make sense either. Golf is just different and this is probably the most fair way to balance year long performance with a survive-and-advance playoff concept.

Unreal putting from Cantlay today. BAD will never actually admit he ever hit a bad shot, but that chunky chip and also missing the 6 footer in the playoff should haunt him. He had so many chances to win but could never put Patty Ice away

The players all shredded Caves but that’s what the PGA wanted. I think the course showed well and hope they come back at some point

[JasonEvans]

Here is how they will start the Tour Championship tournament --

1. Patrick Cantlay (10 under)
2. Tony Finau (8 under)
3. Bryson DeChambeau (7 under)
4. Jon Rahm (6 under)
5. Cameron Smith (5 under)
6. Justin Thomas (4 under)
7. Harris English (4 under)
8. Abraham Ancer (4 under)
9. Jordan Spieth (4 under)
10. Sam Burns (4 under)
11. Collin Morikawa (3 under)
12. Sungjae Im (3 under)
13. Viktor Hovland (3 under)
14. Louis Oosthuizen (3 under)
15. Dustin Johnson (3 under)
16. Rory McIlroy (2 under)
17. Xander Schauffele (2 under)
18. Jason Kokrak (2 under)
19. Kevin Na (2 under)
20. Brooks Koepka (2 under)
21. Corey Conners (1 under)
22. Hideki Matsuyama (1 under)
23. Stewart Cink (1 under)
24. Joaquin Niemann (1 under)
25. Scottie Scheffler (1 under)
26. Daniel Berger (Even)
27. Erik van Rooyen (Even)
28. Sergio Garcia (Even)
29. Billy Horschel (Even)
30. Patrick Reed (Even)

Cantlay's win this weekend moved him from 4th to 1st in the standings, a difference of 4 strokes. That's a big deal! BAD went from 9th to 3rd, also giving him 4 extra strokes. Everyone down to Burns has a decent chance but I have to think the winner is likely to come from the guys who are 6-under or better at the start. A lot depends on how Cantlay does with that lead. If he falters a bit, a lot of guys get back into striking distance.

[Channing]

I expect the rough at EL to be incredibly thick - and I expect it to remind me a bit of BDC's win at Winged Foot. After the past two weeks, I can't wait!

[mkirsh]

Here is how they will start the Tour Championship tournament --

1. Patrick Cantlay (10 under)
2. Tony Finau (8 under)
3. Bryson DeChambeau (7 under)
4. Jon Rahm (6 under)
5. Cameron Smith (5 under)
6. Justin Thomas (4 under)
7. Harris English (4 under)
8. Abraham Ancer (4 under)
9. Jordan Spieth (4 under)
10. Sam Burns (4 under)
11. Collin Morikawa (3 under)
12. Sungjae Im (3 under)
13. Viktor Hovland (3 under)
14. Louis Oosthuizen (3 under)
15. Dustin Johnson (3 under)
16. Rory McIlroy (2 under)
17. Xander Schauffele (2 under)
18. Jason Kokrak (2 under)
19. Kevin Na (2 under)
20. Brooks Koepka (2 under)
21. Corey Conners (1 under)
22. Hideki Matsuyama (1 under)
23. Stewart Cink (1 under)
24. Joaquin Niemann (1 under)
25. Scottie Scheffler (1 under)
26. Daniel Berger (Even)
27. Erik van Rooyen (Even)
28. Sergio Garcia (Even)
29. Billy Horschel (Even)
30. Patrick Reed (Even)

Cantlay's win this weekend moved him from 4th to 1st in the standings, a difference of 4 strokes. That's a big deal! BAD went from 9th to 3rd, also giving him 4 extra strokes. Everyone down to Burns has a decent chance but I have to think the winner is likely to come from the guys who are 6-under or better at the start. A lot depends on how Cantlay does with that lead. If he falters a bit, a lot of guys get back into striking distance.

Agree with your assessment. We only have 2 years of history with this format: in 2019 Rory started at 5 under and ended up winning by 4; last year DJ started in first at 10 under and won by 3. At the top of this year's standings, Cantlay has proved himself as a closer, but not sure about Finau and BAD. I like Rahm at 6 under to make some noise but anyone else will need to go really low to have a chance IMO.

[cato]

Agree with your assessment. We only have 2 years of history with this format: in 2019 Rory started at 5 under and ended up winning by 4; last year DJ started in first at 10 under and won by 3. At the top of this year's standings, Cantlay has proved himself as a closer, but not sure about Finau and BAD. I like Rahm at 6 under to make some noise but anyone else will need to go really low to have a chance IMO.

I don’t think BAD is going to be able to hold it together next week after playing so well this week and not getting it done in crunch time. Personally, I think he’s taking on too much added stress by being so persistently Bryson like out there. Blaming everything other than himself. Isolating himself.

Then again, what do I know about holding up under pressure. If more than three people are watching me tee off I melt.

[jimsumner]

I don’t think BAD is going to be able to hold it together next week after playing so well this week and not getting it done in crunch time. Personally, I think he’s taking on too much added stress by being so persistently Bryson like out there. Blaming everything other than himself. Isolating himself.

Then again, what do I know about holding up under pressure. If more than three people are watching me tee off I melt.

Some people relish being the villain. But not many. Is DeChambeau one of those? I guess we'll find out. It has to be dispiriting to know that darn near everyone is rooting for the other guy(s). Not saying it isn't a self-inflicted wound. But you can almost feel sorry for him. Almost.