T.J's Take: Anything but vacation, please

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When's the last time you thought, "Man, I really don't want to go on vacation?"

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It's probably around the same time you thought, "I really hope Bill Gates hits the lotto jackpot," or, "I hope the dishwasher is broken so I can do all these dishes from this dinner for 15 by hand."

What we're getting at here is that we've hit that time of year where guys on the PGA TOUR are trying to avoid vacation like the plague and it has nothing to do with the long lines at Disneyworld.

And yes, I do realize the oxymoron that is "golfers" wanting to avoid "vacation," because for many of us, "golfing" is "vacation." But, it's playoff time, baby!

This week's Barclays, which tees off on Thursday, marks the start of the second PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.

Any player who finishes outside of the top 120 in the FedExCup standings after The Barclays doesn't get to play in a PGA TOUR event again for at least four weeks -- that's the Viking Classic, which is the same week as the Ryder Cup, Sept. 18-21.

And, if the player chooses not to play in the Viking Classic, make it a six-week vacation. The week after the Ryder Cup is the playoff-ending TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, reserved for the top 30 players in the FedExCup standings.

So what's so bad about a potential six-week vacation, you ask? Good question. Do you like the idea of having an ungodly sum of money deposited into your bank account? Well, if you're one and done after The Barclays that idea won't come to fruition for you this year.

The winner of the FedExCup, among other things, receives a $10 million bonus, the largest single payout in sports.

Some might say that's an absurd amount of cash. I say if you can keep your putter from shaking as you stand over a 10-footer for that bonus, you deserve every penny.

Majors aside, I can honestly say I've never been so excited to watch four golf tournaments that didn't include Tiger Woods. He's undoubtedly the biggest draw in golf and arguably all of sports. The buzz just isn't the same without him.

However, last year's inaugural playoffs seemed impossible for the dominator to lose. Sure, Steve Stricker's surge was an incredible story, but deep down we all knew Tiger would be the one hoisting the Tiffany trophy and padding the overflowing bank account when all was said and done.

This year is a different story. Ice water famously runs through the veins of Tiger Woods, but can the same be said for the other 143 players that are FedExCup eligible?

Woods, as we know, is out nursing that gruesome knee injury that he somehow managed to win the U.S. Open with. This is a monumental opportunity for the rest of the boys. Just like the year's final two majors, there's no truly decided favorite before the playoffs start.

You'd have to give a strong look at Padraig Harrington -- after all, the guy has won two majors in a row and three of the last six. We know he can get it done in the clutch. But let's be honest, in terms of an intimidation factor, there's a fine line between Tiger and Paddy.

This thing is wide open. And that's what will make it so compelling. It's going to be a life-changing experience for someone. These four tournaments are like going all-in on every hand.

Tiger will be sorely missed, but it's not always a bad thing to spread the wealth.

So, thanks but no thanks on the vacation -- you can keep the time off for now. For one lucky player, the conclusion of the FedExCup will mean a lifelong vacation, which -- you can be sure -- will include a lot more golf.