Hawkins On FedEx Cup

John Hawkins's latest Golf World column is also posted on his "blog" (uh, note to GD: a web log is not a blog when you are copying and pasting material published elsewhere on the same web site!)

Anyway, it's an interesting column in that it throws out some of the ideas circulating on the Tour's FedEx Cup "playoff" system.

It sounds like the FedEx Cup could go one of two ways.

One, is a legitimate playoff system that forces top players to play more often, assuming they'd like to be part of a huge payoff at season's end. The points breakdown would produce something similar to what MacDuff has concocted and shared with us here. On paper, a setup with equal points for all events (and extra for majors) would be the ideal "incentivization" system that the Tour's pension program was supposed to provide.

Or, the FedEx Cup will have a cut off of 125 players to make the "playoffs." There would be a points padding system for stronger field events to coddle international players and those who don't like to play more than 20 events. Just what the big names need, more incentive to play less.

But there is one positive with the latter. It would help golf continue to follow the example led by that once-popular sport known as tennis: shift to a power game, have top stars play sporatically and rarely against each other.

(And please, no emails about how splendid Roger Federer is...it's UNWATCHABLE!)