With 1 simple statement, Rory McIlroy goes to bat for Tour Championship

Viktor Hovland might have simply gained the FedEx Cup and two different occasions this season, however he’s nonetheless in all probability an underdog for PGA Tour Player of the Year.

On Wednesday, Rory McIlroy mentioned “it’s a two-horse race between Jon and Scottie.” That hasn’t modified.

The case for Jon Rahm is straightforward. He gained 4 instances, together with the Masters, however didn’t win after the month of April.

The case for Scottie Scheffler can be straightforward. He put collectively a run of 19 straight top-12 finishes (incomes comparisons to a few of Tiger Woods’ finest seasons) whereas profitable twice, together with the Players Championship. Scheffler had among the best ball-striking seasons on file, regardless of being one of many worst putters (145th in SG: placing) on the PGA Tour. He wasn’t removed from profitable extra.

Rahm ended the common season because the No. 1 participant within the FedEx Cup standings with Scheffler trailing shut behind. But by the point the controversial beginning strokes had been allotted for the Tour Championship, Scheffler had taken the lead and began the Tour Championship at 10 underneath. Rahm, after two poor showings within the first two playoff occasions, dropped to fourth, at six underneath.

Both gamers had been over par on the weekend in Atlanta, with Scheffler posting a T6 at 11 underneath and Rahm ending T19 at seven underneath. That means, regardless of their unimaginable performances within the common season, they’ll take away simply $2 million and $670k, respectively, in FedEx Cup bonus cash.

Xander Schauffele, who didn’t win in any respect this season, will accumulate $6.5 million for his second-place end at East Lake.

Is that how that is supposed to work? Is that truthful?

Earlier this week, Rahm mentioned it wasn’t.

“I don’t think it’s the best we can come up with,” Rahm mentioned Tuesday. “I think I’ve expressed my dislike towards the fact that you can come in ranked No. 1 in the FedExCup. You can win every single tournament up until this one. You have a bad week, you finish 30th, and now you’ll forever be known as 30th in the FedExCup this season. I don’t think that’s very fair.”

Unfortunately, that’s virtually precisely what occurred to Rahm these previous three weeks.

Even earlier than the format change in 2019, No. 1 seeds from the common season haven’t fared properly within the playoffs. The prime participant from the common season hasn’t gained the FedEx Cup since Jordan Spieth in 2015.

Rahm mentioned he most popular the outdated format the place the highest participant not often fell out of the highest three however mentioned the present one is less complicated to comply with. Previously, factors had been reset earlier than the Tour Championship to be sure that if any participant within the prime 5 of the standings gained the Tour Championship, they’d win the FedEx Cup.

That format led to gamers who had been outdoors the highest 15 within the common season factors listing profitable the FedEx Cup thrice, which was as many instances as the highest common season participant gained it. Billy Horschel gained the FedEx Cup in 2014 regardless of ending 69th throughout the common season.

Only one time has the Tour Championship winner been outdoors the highest seven within the common season rankings (Dustin Johnson in 2020, who was fifteenth) within the 5 examples of the brand new format.

But if the PGA Tour needs a real “playoff” to resolve its season-long champion, isn’t this precisely what it must be trying for? That’s what McIlroy thinks.

He was requested if it’s truthful that Rahm’s season will go down merely as ending 18th this week regardless of his unimaginable run within the first half of the 12 months.

“A basketball team could go 82-0 and lose in the first round of the playoffs,” McIlroy mentioned Sunday evening.

The 16-0 2007 Patriots didn’t win the Super Bowl. The 73-9 2015-16 Golden State Warriors didn’t win the NBA Finals. Should golf be going for the identical form of volatility and weight within the postseason?

McIlroy thinks so.

“You’ve got the regular season and then you’ve got the playoffs,” McIlroy defined. “I think everyone tries to put them together in the same sort of thing, but really they’re like regular season and then this is sort of like a 12-round sprint to the finish.”

To McIlroy, who completed fourth this week after beginning the event in third at seven underneath, there are adjustments that might be made, however he can’t inform you what they’re. This is the most effective they’ve for now.

But, for context, McIlroy’s opinion might be taken with a gentle grain of salt. He’s gained the FedEx Cup within the new format, twice.

Jack Hirsh

Golf.com Editor

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, incomes levels in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his highschool golf crew and not too long ago returned to this system to function head coach. Jack additionally nonetheless *tries* to stay aggressive in native amateurs. Before becoming a member of GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but additionally producing, anchoring and even presenting the climate. He might be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.