PGA TOUR alters '08 Playoffs schedule  PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- In what Commissioner Tim Finchem called a "very good compromise" for 2008, the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup will take a two-week break so players can be rested for the Ryder Cup, as well as prepare for THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola where the $10 million bonus will be awarded.  Tiger Woods is the first FedExCup champion. (WireImage)
The 2008 TOUR schedule that was released on Tuesday includes what amounts to an open date after the first three Playoff events have concluded and immediately preceding the Ryder Cup, which will be played Sept. 19-21 at Valhalla Golf Club outside Louisville, Ky. THE TOUR Championship, which will crown the FedExCup champion, will then be played the week after the Ryder Cup. Finchem said the move was "clearly a one-off" and stressed that subsequent schedules have enough of a break built in to accommodate the high-profile team events like The Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup. The last time the TOUR schedule had an open week was in 1989. "The reason we made the adjustment was, obviously, because of the Ryder Cup," Finchem said. "The PGA (of America) was concerned that the proper preparation of the team argued for having a week off. The European Tour had some concern about player movement to the Ryder Cup the week before the Ryder Cup. It's largely in deference to the Ryder Cup." The change was approved at Monday's meeting of the PGA TOUR Policy Board. The 2008 schedule includes a total of 48 events that offer $278 million in prize money. Finchem said TOUR officials were extremely pleased with the inaugural year of the FedExCup. There will be no changes to the way points are awarded during the regular season in '08, but the commissioner left open the possibility that other changes to the Playoffs might be considered when the Policy Board meets again in February. The possible changes, Finchem said, would involve the points distribution in the four Playoff events, as well as how the size of the fields might be affected. "The only two things we're really interested in there is whether or not you can create some more volatility and the guy who gets hot can move more," he said. "That's one thing that clearly seems to be of interest. I mean, Rich Beem's play was a fairly big story early on in the Playoffs and the question was should a player playing that well be able to move more out of the pack. So we're looking at that. "The other is what can be done to increase the number of players who come into THE TOUR Championship with a reasonable chance to win. There were five in '07 and we think it would be healthy if we could take a couple of steps to get that number up a little bit. It doesn't have to be up a great deal but 8, 9, 10 would probably be more interesting." The Board did approve a change to the distribution of the $35 million FedExCup bonus pool. In 2007, the awards were 100 percent deferred. Next year, $16.5 million will be paid in cash to the top 10 finishers and the remaining $18.5 million will be distributed on a deferred basis. The maximum deferred payment will be $1 million, which means the winner of the FedExCup will also receive $9 million in cash. The Board also approved an Anti-Doping Program that will be fazed into all three Tours over the next two years. PGA TOUR players will receive a manual in December and there will be an education process, including a mandatory player meeting in January, which continues until the end of June, 2008. Testing will begin on July 1. Medical personnel will be available weekly at tournament sites to answer questions, and there also will be 24-hour confidential hotline. The education process on the Nationwide Tour begins in mid-2008 with testing to begin late next year. The Champions Tour's education and testing program will begin in 2009. Finchem said there will be three types of testing -- random, selectively random (if it becomes apparent that some players are not being included in the random sampling) and regular testing if it has been determined that there is a substance abuse issue. Violations will be made public and sanctions -- which may include disqualification, as well as one-year, five-year and lifetime bans and fines up to $500,000 -- will also be reported. "The key is a credible system that creates confidence among the public, unlike what is happening in other sports, that our rules are being followed," Finchem said. "And we anticipate, by the way, that the rules will be followed. I have a very high confidence level assuming we do our job on the education side." |
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