Van Sickle: It's a Cash Grab

Another bad review is in. Not surprisingly, SI's Gary Van Sickle isn't a fan of the new FedEx Cup "playoffs."

No doubt you've still got permanent goose bumps from last week's exciting disclosure about the PGA Tour's new would-be playoff system, the FedEx Cup, that culminates with a four-tournament showdown and a $10 million bonus to the winner.

And that's just the lead. 

This is the chance for Tiger Woods, who has won more than $58 million in PGA Tour winnings and was listed No. 5 on Forbes's annual rankings of celebrity earnings with an estimated annual income of $90 million, or Phil Mickelson, who has won more than $25 million on the course and at least that much off the course in endorsement deals, to scoop up another $10 million that they really, really need. It's a pure money grab in a sport in which money means little to the top players, who already have more than they can possibly spend. But if Tag Ridings and Tim Petrovic end up duking it out for the $10 million, it'll mean something to them.

The beauty of the idea, he wrote sarcastically, is that scoring a $10 million bonus is sure to improve a player's incentive to play more the following season and not be tempted to stay home more and scuba dive off his yacht or spend time with his family and, say, be a real person.

Van Sickle then goes on to lay out many previously undisclosed bonus points you won't want to miss.