• Tournament Prize Money
Restructured 70-place and 50-place distribution formulas
The current 18%-1st place, 70-place PGA Tour prize money distribution formula would be replaced with a 15%-1st
place, 70-place formula. The difference ratio between 1st place and 70th place would be at least 50-1, rather than
the current ratio of 90-1. Also proposed - when more than 70 professionals finish a given event, each pro beyond
the 70th is guaranteed to receive at least as much money as is offered for 70th place.
Four tournaments - the Masters Tournament (post 36-hole cut), Mercedes-Benz Winners Challenge, Bridgestone
World Series of Golf and SONY Grand Finale (last three, no cut) - would each have fields of at least 50 players.
In all these cases, a special 50-place prize money distribution would be used, and each professional beyond the
50th would be guaranteed to receive at least as much money as is offered for 50th place.
The suggested revisions of the tournament prize money distributions would help ease the burden of meeting various
money threshold requirements while adding a measure of increased excitement to such races.
• The Season Championship -- Proposed replacement for the Fed Ex Cup series
Proposed as a replacement for the points-based Fed Ex Cup series, the money-based Season Championship would
be an all-year competition involving every official money PGA Tour event. Unlike the Fed Ex Cup, there would be no
playoffs. Everything would conclude in just one event - the SONY Grand Finale. The Finale would be staged in Hawaii
at the end of the regular season, and played Monday through Thursday in prime time.
The Season Championship would have a bonus pool at stake, offering prizes to 60 players, far less than the 150
place payout of the Fed Ex Cup. As for the grand prize, which would be awarded to the PGA Tour Leading Money
Winner, it would potentionally come in one of two ways - the Gold Cup Prize of $5 million plus a five year PGA
Tour exemption, or the Platinium Cup of $10 million plus a ten year PGA Tour exemption.
The only conditions for winning the Gold Cup Prize are (1) full-time PGA Tour membership, and (2) winning the
Leading Money Winner title. To claim the Platinium Cup Prize, additional requirements must be met. A player
must win a specified minimum number of official PGA Tour events (3, 4, 5 or 6). With each event winning scenario
except the ones for six-or-more wins, an additional requirement is imposed, as follows ---
»» 3 wins: At least one win must be a Grand Slam Major or the Players Championship
»» 4 wins: At least one win must be any event which offers a 3-year PGA Tour exemption
»» 5 wins: At least a $1 million separation from the 2nd Leading Money Winner
The wins requirement would enhance the importance of all official events on the schedule, not just a few. By putting
tournament prize money back in place as a primary performance standard, the enhancement goes further. And just
as important, the proposed tournament prize money distribution changes that would result in at least a 50-1 difference
ratio between 1st and 70th place promises a more level competitive playing field for all PGA Tour players.
• Match Play
In looking at the hypothetical 2010 schedule, one can readly see that the Accenture Match Play event is not shown.
A professional individual match play tournament can have great fan appeal only if any of the top rated players of the
moment can be in the finals. Match play can not guarantee this the way that Stroke or Stableford play can.
In this author's opinion, the most exciting type of Match Play at the professional level, at least as far as U.S.A. fans
are concerned, is that offered by the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup Team Competitions.
Since the inclusion of Continental Europe in 1979, the Ryder Cup has consistently provided great drama. Meanwhile,
the still slowly-evolving Presidents Cup, which has only had a couple of close finishes, could be on the verge of a
breakout, given the recent rise of promising new talents on both sides. However, there is one very critical thing that
the Presidents Cup must do - eliminate its current tie-breaker format, and declare that in the event of a 16-16 tie,
the team which last won the Presidents Cup will retain it.
• Suggested Changes to Certain Events
Western Open and Canadian Open
The Western Open would be restored to the schedule, while the Canadian Open would get more favorable dates. The
importance of each event would be further enhanced by the awarding of a 3-year exemption for a win, as well as having
the win count towards a potential Platinium Cup Prize in the Season Championship competition.
Mercedes-Benz Winners Challenge
While still retaining its reputation as a winners-only event, the Winners Challenge would expand its field to 50 players,
with winners of the event itself, the majors, the Players plus other important tournaments getting extra year invitations.
A 3-year exemption for winning would be offerred, and the win would count towards a potential Season Championship
Platinium Cup Prize.
Doral-CA Invitational
This event would inherit some of the invitational criteria of the current Bridgestone Invitational, including the one for
the participants of the preceeding year's Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup Team Competitions - but not both, as has
been the current practice. 3-year exemption for a win, which counts toward a potential Platinium Cup Prize.
Bridgestone World Series of Golf
This event would return to its pre-1999 format, with a few slight modifications. 3-year exemption for a win, which
counts toward a potential Platinium Cup Prize.
SONY Grand Finale
Would replace the Tour Championship and have a 50-player field. In addition to likely deciding the outcome of the
Season Championship, the Grand Finale would also determine the Final Top 20 Money Leaders (British Open
invitations; Winners Challenge extra year invitation; Top 20 Official Money List exemption) and the Final Top 30
Money Leaders (invitations to Masters Tournament, U.S. Open and Doral-CA Invitational). Winning the Finale
itself is worth a 3-year exemption, and the win counts toward a potential Platinium Cup Prize.