Golf's Cup & Race Season Ends, When Do They Get Interesting?

/

Another year of races to Dubai and to the CME Globe.

Another year of FedEx and Schwab Cups.

Another year trophies were handed out, bonus checks issued, and sponsors have been gratuitously mentioned to justify investments. But what do fans get out of these cups and races?

Yes, they make people show up when they otherwise would not play, bringing top players together a few more times. On occasion, the golf is exciting, though I'd say Ryan Moore's Ryder Cup team-making effort at the Tour Championship proved as intriguing as Rory McIlroy cashing a huge check. Losing Arnold Palmer that evening overshadowed it all.

Henrik Stenson took the Race To Dubai, with nary a soul except perhaps the engraver paying close attention. Had Alex Noren kept up his hot streak and finished first or second, there might have been legitimate news out of Dubai. Instead, Matthew Fitzpatrick's win salvaged an almost-breakthrough season, may ultimately resonate if it turns out to be the next logical step for a budding talent, as Ryan Lavner noted in this Monday scramble.

Lavner also pointed out in the same piece that we may have seen a changing-of-the-guard in what was arguably the season's most compelling race, as Ariya Jutanugarn took the Race to the CME Globe. But as sports theater, the list of possible scenarios shown by the ABC broadcast team summed up the futility of trying to follow the race prior to Sunday's big finale. What fun is this?

The races and playoffs are suffering due to fatigued stars and non-playoff playoff formats. You don't have to look far to read that players are zonked by the time they reach the finals and too often limp to the finish line for their bonus. In the case of the PGA Tour and European Tour, starting your new season within a week or two after the playoffs doesn't exactly leave much time for any potential reflection.

Which is why none of the tours will institute authentic playoffs where the points list keep stars around whether they want to be there or not. The time-honored tension of win-or-go home playoff pressure only exists for lesser-known players. That dynamic can be compelling when they are playing for their livelihood or life-changing checks. But that's not what the race and cup sponsors are paying for. They want stars and the stars are overextended.

Until the sponsors figure out how their money could be better spent on a different format or some other package altogether, I suspect we won't see much change. Perhaps the European Tour's new Rolex Series becomes a future model by eschewing the season-long focus for enhanced gatherings of top talent at elite venues. Something has to change. Judging by the lack of interest in these "playoff" formats, something will.