Idiot's guide to the FedEx Cup

What is the FedEx Cup?
The FedEx Cup is effectively a season-long points race that began with the start of the 2007 PGA Tour season last month and culminates in September. The (supposedly) exciting bit comes in a four-week stretch play-off starting a week after the USPGA in August.

Why has it been invented?
Tim Finchem, the PGA Tour commissioner, wanted to give the golf season a recognisable finale in the States in the same way as most other US sports, such as baseball, basketball and gridiron. Note how the 2006 season went out with something of a whimper neither Tiger Woods nor Phil Mickelson even bothered to play in the Tour Championship. Now, he hopes, the season will build steadily towards a September crescendo.

How do you win the FedEx Cup?
By having the highest number of points after the Tour Championship (but not necessarily by winning the Tour Championship). Those points are earned across the four play-off events, and added to those you automatically receive in the re-rank having initially qualified for the final stages.

What do you get for winning?
A massive pile of cash and a smart trophy. The winner will get a monstrous m (5.1m) with second place picking up m and third m.

What are the play-off events called and do they have their own purses?
They are, in order, the Barclays Classic (New York), the Deutsche Bank Championship (Boston) and the BMW Championship (Chicago). The top-30 point-earners then advance to the Tour Championship. All four events carry identical m (3.6m) purses.

Does that mean the players will earn money both for their performances in individual performances and in the FedEx Cup standings?
Well spotted. The Americans call it double-dipping. So should one player win all four events, and with it the FedEx Cup, he would walk away with the best part of m (7.6m).

How do you qualify to play in it?
Points are earned during PGA Tour events played between last month and mid-August. The leading 144 players will then be re-ranked and qualify (initially) for a three-tournament play-off. As each event goes by, the size of the field is reduced, with only the leading 30 going on to the Tour Championship.

What is this re-ranking business all about?
A good question. Whoever is the leading points-earner up to the mid-August cut-off point will start the play-off series with an impressive sounding but completely arbitrary 100,000 points. The man who finished second will start with 99,000 and from there down in smaller increments to the 144th-placed player, who starts with 84,700. In another world apart from that of the PGA Tour, it would be simpler to say the last guy starts with nothing, and the leader 15,000. But that doesnt sound as impressive.

Why bother with a re-rank?
Theres no compelling reason, only that season-long consistency is rewarded and it makes it less likely that a no-mark will scrape into the play-off events then win the FedEx Cup. As for the nature of the re-rank, it is designed to ensure that all is still to play for going into the Tour Championship. So even the 144th-ranked player can hypothetically win the FedEx Cup, though he would probably have to win at least two of the four play-off events.

How many points do you get for winning a tournament in the regular season?
Each regular tournament has a purse of 25,000 points (regardless of the prize money any given week). The top 70 earn points with the winner picking up 4,500. The three World Golf Championships have purses of 26,250 (4,725 for first), while the four Majors and Players Championship are worth 27,500 (4,950) each.

Will the best players in the world all be playing in the Fed-Ex Cup?
Thats certainly the theory. And there will definitely be some high-class fields in the four play-off events. Do note, though, that the likes of Tiger will not have to play in all them to qualify for the Tour Championship. In fact, if he played in just one, but also the Tour Championship, that would be considered a success by the PGA Tour. Quite how interested Tiger is in the whole concept remains to be seen.

What is the impact on the European Tour?
Massive, unfortunately. You can safely assume that all our Ryder Cup stars will be seen less on their home tour in 2007 due to their commitments in America. Late July, August and early September have previously been strong months for the European Tour. Now the best players are almost certain to take time off after The Open ahead of the USPGA and the run of big events after it. Particularly jeopardised is the Players Championship of Europe, in Germany the week after The Open. Only time will tell how many star names will hang around for it given the packed schedule which follows.

How has the European Tour reacted?
It has been forced to make some pretty significant changes to its schedule, not least because the other big news from the PGA Tour this year is the moving of the Players Championship from March to May. Right opposite the European Tours British Masters, at The Belfry. The latter has been moved to mid-September, while a previously plum date in May is currently blank. Elsewhere, the BMW International moves from early September to late June, swapping places with the Johnnie Walker at Gleneagles.

So what will the schedules of most of the top players look like in July, August and September?
Well, if youre someone like Jim Furyk or Chris DiMarco, youll probably arrive in Scotland the week before The Open. After that, youll skip the Canadian Open that begins on July 26th and play the rescheduled WGC Bridgestone Invitational the week after that. Then its straight into the USPGA, a week off after that, followed by the three play-off events (which you may well only play two of) and the Tour Championship. Then a week off and then its the Presidents Cup. Its surely too much.

What about the timing in relation to the Ryder Cup?
This year, there is a week between the Tour Championship and the Presidents Cup. Next year, the Ryder Cup is scheduled to begin immediately after it. Which means something will have to give. Top players are going to have to think very hard about their schedules. Lets just hope the Ryder Cup doesnt suffer in any way whatsoever.

What does Tiger think of it all?
Hes too diplomatic to say. But you can assume the PGA Tour would not have created the FedEx Cup if they didnt think Tiger would support it. Nevertheless, its not as though he needs the money and hes only really interested in Majors and, to a lesser extent, WGCs. So its hard to imagine hes hugely enthusiastic about the prospect. Another concern for the PGA Tour is Phil Mickelson. Traditionally, he has had little interest in playing any competitive golf after the USPGA in August. His enthusiastic participation is not quite as crucial to the success of the FedEx Cup but it would make a real difference.

Has the traditional Money List for the PGA Tour been scrapped?
No. And high finishes on it will still earn places in the following years Masters and US Open.

Does the PGA Tour season now end with the Tour Championship in mid-September?
No, after that comes the less-than-inspired Fall Series. This seven-week stretch will see those who havent yet secured their cards for 2008 slugging it out, as usual, to finish in the top-125 of the Money List and avoid having to go back to Tour School.

Who will benefit most from the FedEx Cup?
Apart from the tour itself, which hopes to maintain or even increase the amount of money received by the TV networks, the real winners seem likely to be the journeymen who happen to hit a decent spell of form next August. Expect plenty of those who only just scrape in to churn out the top-20 finishes and walk away from the month with a huge amount of money. Like most of the PGA Tour, the FedEx will reward consistent mediocrity very handsomely.

What theyve said about the FedEx Cup
Tiger Woods You know, I don't quite understand it all yet, haven't quite gotten up to speed, because it keeps changing."

Tim Finchem "I don't think it's unfair to suggest that it's the biggest change in the modern era from a competitive standpoint."

Geoff Ogilvy "It's not the biggest motivation but m is a lot of money. The FedEx Cup is going to be a nice feather in your cap. But I don't think there's a golfer in the world who wouldn't rather win a Major championship.

Phil Mickelson "I think the big thing for me is that I need an end point. I can go at it hard with the idea that once you go to this point, you can take some time off. And what I like is that there's an end point now, as opposed to dragging on for 12 months and never having the point where you relax and say, 'Okay, we're done for a while, let's take a break.

Jack Nicklaus "What their idea is, I assume, is to get the guys to play at the end of the year, and the only way to get them to play is to play for enough money. They have to put up enough money to where guys say, 'I can't skip that.' I think the idea is fine.

Chris DiMarco "Is Tiger going to play the last six events in a row? If so and our ratings go way up, then it's worth it. There's no doubt everybody out here knows where our bread is buttered. It's Tiger Woods."

Stuart Appleby "There will be some discussion, but I think the real crux of where the Cup is going to come is the last five weeks of the year when people are trying to make a move and extra pressure will be on. Otherwise, it's just a horse race. Get our position and get going.