The PGA Tour is discussing "moving the end of the season up to Labor Day, which would help the tour achieve one of its goals when it created the FedEx Cup Playoffs a decade ago of avoiding conflicts with college and pro football," according to Brian Wacker of GOLF DIGEST. Another possibility "still at the conceptual stage is moving the Players Championship back to March and the PGA Championship to May." Saturday's third round of the Tour Championship has "traditionally teed off early in recent years, and will again this week, because Notre Dame, which also plays on NBC, has a game Saturday afternoon." Golfer William McGirt said, "How many viewers do you think will be watching us this weekend? We're never going to compete with college football. Ending the season on Labor Day is perfect. It's the start of football and the unofficial end of summer." Golfer Brandt Snedeker: "This is one of our biggest events of the year and it's weird for us to do our schedule differently because Notre Dame is playing." Wacker noted much of these changes are "contingent on the tour's TV rights moving forward." Its current contract with CBS and NBC runs through '21, "although the tour can opt out" in '18. The Tour's deal with FedEx is "up at the end" of '17. The Tour said that it is "currently in negotiations with the company" (GOLFDIGEST.com, 9/21). ESPN.com's Bob Harig wrote among the "numerous things that would have to occur to make a Labor Day finish possible is moving the PGA Championship out of its August time slot." But that is "not going to be easy, and there is no indication the PGA of America even wants to do it" (ESPN.com, 9/21).
TRIAL & ERROR: USA TODAY's Steve DiMeglio writes as the Tour celebrates the 10th anniversary of the FedExCup, Commissioner Tim Finchem's "brainchild to make golf relevant in the final stages of the season has grown in standing." Golfer Henrik Stenson said, "It's just going to get stronger and stronger, and it's going to mean more and more each year." DiMeglio notes much of the "consternation when the FedEx Cup was in its infancy dealt with the points system," as it was "too volatile." However, with "tinkering here and there, the players say it's much better now." Phil Mickelson said, "The first five years it was probably a lot of trial and error, but now it seems like they have it really dialed in, as far as giving guys a chance to win the FedEx Cup if you win The Tour Championship, and the top-5 guys control their own opportunities to win it" (USA TODAY, 9/22). GOLFCHANNEL.com's Rex Hoggard wrote the "difference this year" for the FedExCup is that "having your name etched into the cup has taken priority over signing your name on the oversized check." The "onetime curiosity" that was the FedExCup has "evolved into a bona fide craving." Jason Day said, "We all have money, but I don't have my name on the FedEx Cup trophy, and that's what I really want." Hoggard noted that is a "long way from the initial thoughts on the season-long cash grab" (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 9/21).
