A FedEx Cup Playoffs fix, new U.S. Amateur champ

Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week we discuss the first leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, Matt Kuchar’s Wyndham explanation, the newest U.S. Amateur winner and more.

Scottie Scheffler, the season-long points leader of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, said the format of said playoffs is, well, silly: “Hypothetically, we get to East Lake and my neck flares up and it doesn’t heal the way it did at The Players, I finish 30th in the FedExCup because I had to withdraw from the last tournament? Is that really the season-long race? No.” Do you agree? But more importantly, what’s the fix?

James Colgan, news and features editor (@jamescolgan26): There IS a fix, and it’s utterly obvious: A massive match-play event seeded and played like the NCAA Tournament! Host the event over three weeks at a handful of tournament sites (so as to stagger tee times to maximize TV view-ability). Bake-in 1-, 2- and 3-up advantages to start opening round matches for FedEx top 10 finishers and everyone else plays straight up. Host the elite eight through the finals in one long weekend (two 36-hole days.) To the winner go the spoils!

Jonathan Wall, managing equipment editor (@jonathanrwall): Personally, I’ve been out on the existing playoff format for a while. I miss the days of the Tour Championship closing out the season without the manufactured buildup of extra events no one seems to care about, save for the few guys at the top. I’d torpedo the current three-event format and go back to the old season-ending event. Lose the different starting scores and just see what happens when everyone starts on a level playing field. I don’t think golf fans need or care for the gimmicks. Match play is another option, but to Scottie’s point, the unpredictability means a guy who grinded for the No. 1 spot might get bounced by someone having a day.

Josh Sens, senior writer (@JoshSens): I like Colgan’s idea, though I don’t think you’d need to start with scoring advantages. The seeding itself is designed to give the top players an easier path. After that, shut it down for a long offseason. There are too many events in professional golf already. Go dark for a few months. Give fans a chance to miss you.

The top 50 for the BMW Championship is now set, which means those players are guaranteed spots into the uber-lucrative Signature Events for 2025. With how important these events have become — for money and FedEx Cup points — are you OK with that many players getting reserved spots? The Tour still has pathways for players to earn starts in them, but is this too generous to the top players while making life more difficult for the rest of the Tour?

Colgan: I think it comes down to our perception of fair. The PGA Tour did the best it could to be fair to players as far as earning entrance into the Signature Events, but the system is inherently favorable to the stars. The good news is that a system built around the stars makes the PGA Tour more like the remaining leagues in pro sports, which makes it a fairer product for the fans. I think the turnover is good. Good enough, at least. But I’m sure there’s somebody out there who disagrees.

Wall: I’m in agreement with Mr. Colgan: Turnover is good, but you still need the stars in the field. That’s who everyone is paying to see. Don’t like the system? Play better and become one of those top stars.

Sens: Making life too difficult for the other guys? They are competing for the right to play golf for multi-million dollar payouts. It’s supposed to be difficult. I have a hard time feeling like anyone out there is getting a raw deal.

Jordan Spieth tied for 68th at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, meaning he’ll miss the BMW Championship and won’t get automatic spots into those aforementioned Signature Events. He also will soon undergo surgery to repair a tendon in his left wrist. Spieth had just three top 10s this year and hasn’t won since the 2022 RBC Heritage. Do you see better days ahead for him? Or has his form proven that’s not so certain?

Colgan: Seven years is a really long time to go between relevant stretches of golf, and it’s been seven years since Jordan Spieth’s golf game was relevant for being good. I hope the surgery — and subsequent time away from golf — gives him the reset he’s needed since 2018. Right now, it’s hard to say that’s a given.

Wall: I’d argue no one is more electric than Spieth when he’s scrambling from all over the course and finding a way to contend. The problem is we’ve seen more scrambling than moments in contention. It’s clear he’s not right and has needed a reset for some time. The Tour could really use a healthy Spieth. Here’s hoping surgery brings a return to form.

Sens: I’m sure the surgery will help. But recoveries like this aren’t just physical. Spieth is going to need to regain that magic pixie dust he used to have around him. And that will mean regaining his confidence. Doing that, I suspect, will be the toughest part of all.

A week ago, Matt Kuchar made headlines at the season-ending Wyndham Championship when he decided not to finish the 72nd hole in darkness and finish by himself on Monday morning despite being eliminated from playoff contention and without a chance to win the tournament. On Monday Kuchar explained, saying he thought it would encourage playing partner Max Greyserman, who was one back of the lead, to do the same and try to force a playoff in the morning. Greyserman finished anyway, and Kuchar played alone, later saying “I know it stinks. Certainly I apologize to force everybody to come out here.” What’s your read on this? Was Kuchar trying to help, or was this just a bizarre miscalculation?

Colgan: What a hilariously bizarre situation. Could Kuchar not have discussed this with Greyserman while walking down the 18th fairway together before he elected to give up? Seems like he could have! No ill will from me, though. Weird move, but well within his rights.

Wall: It’s a weird move for sure. The most baffling bit is saying the decision was made to help his playing partner — a guy who opted to finish. Like Colgan, I’m trying to understand why he didn’t discuss this going down the fairway. If they did, and Greyserman passed on the opportunity, then why the heck didn’t Kuch play in and call it a week?! My head hurts trying to figure this one out.

Sens: Bizarre for sure but I have a hard time believing that Kuchar was simply trying to help. He was looking out for himself and doing what he thought would give him the best chance to squeeze a bit more money out of the purse.

The 2025 PGA Tour schedule dropped last week with few changes but one important revelation. When asked if the new schedule is an indication that there’s not going to be anything happening with LIV “at least through next year or ’26 or ’27,” commissioner Jay Monahan said, “I think that’s fair.” Is this bad news for the Tour? And what does it mean for golf’s future? Could things actually get worse?

Colgan: If by “is this bad news for the Tour?” you mean “is this undermining pro golf’s relevance in a way that makes the average sports fan care less about the sport?” … then, yes, it is bad news for the Tour. The good news is that the fault lines are so clearly defined (and LIV’s business is so obviously and totally unprofitable) that waiting things out might actually help the PGA Tour. (An observation: I know the Tour made the decision to merge interests with the Saudis, but I hate how every conversation is framed around the Tour’s incumbency. LIV’s product appealing to literally anyone would go a long way in motivating unity in pro golf, and yet they continue to be watched by audiences smaller than Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation without substantive competitive critique. Both sides are at fault!)

Wall: It’s bad news for pro golf, not just the PGA Tour. Spreading the talent across two tours waters down the product and makes it difficult for fans to get excited about anything other than the majors. Neither Tour has any juice, and it’s highly frustrating. The future doesn’t look rosey, let’s put it that way.

Sens: Wall said it well. The Masters can’t come soon enough.

Jose Luis Ballester won the 2024 U.S. Amateur on Sunday at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota, besting Noah Kent 2 up. What did you like about Ballester’s game, and has the professional success of last year’s champ, Nick Dunlap, proven some of these top-level amateurs are ready to win on Tour right away?

Colgan: Golf’s talent is not going away. The most interesting battlefield for LIV/PGA Tour relations is in the amateur game, and good for Ballester in boosting his bottom line.

Wall: It most definitely confirms the top-level amateurs no longer need a long runway to get acclimated to the pro game. Just look at the heater Luke Clanton has been on. Ballester is another uber-talented amateur who could very well win on Tour right now. The ASU pipeline continues.

Sens: It’s hard keeping up with the torrent of young talent in golf these days. Whether they are all ready to win immediately is another matter. Not just anyone can. But Ballester sure looked like a world beater this week. The guy’s wedge play and short game were Seve-worthy. If he keeps that up, we will see him lift more trophies before long.