PGA Tour postseason could use a little variety in its venues: Analysis

ATLANTA — The PGA Tour postseason could use a change in scenery.

One solution that has no logistical possibility would be a new perk for the No. 1 seed. Along with starting the FedEx Cup finale with a two-shot lead, the top player would get to choose where to play the Tour Championship. The only caveat is it couldn’t be the player’s home course.

“It used to be East Lake,” Xander Schauffele said when asked for his choice.

He probably was more honest than sarcastic. Schauffele has failed to break par only three times in 28 rounds at East Lake. And those three rounds were all at even-par 70. But now East Lake has been changed dramatically, and Schauffele has reason to be leery.

Rory McIlroy picked Quail Hollow, where he has won four times. Scottie Scheffler leaned toward either the TPC Scottsdale or Bay Hill, “something with hard greens.” He has won at both venues. Hideki Matsuyama had to be reminded Augusta National is closed until October. He nodded, smiled and settled on Riviera, where he shot 62 on the last day to win this year.

Something needs to change, and it’s not just the steamy weather.

The PGA Tour prefers continuity to build familiarity. The format for the postseason has changed four times since 2007. The most obvious change was going to “starting strokes,” which is why Scheffler starts at 10-under par with a two-shot lead. But the biggest tweak was reducing the field — 70 players instead of 125 players at the start, down to 50 for the second event and 30 for the finale.

That’s not the problem.

What makes the BMW Championship stand out is moving it around. The second of three playoff events goes from Castle Pines outside Denver this year to Caves Valley outside Baltimore next year. Bellerive in St. Louis and Liberty National across the Hudson River from Manhattan are next in line.

The other two don’t move.

Yes, the heat can be unbearable in Memphis, Tennessee, in August. But it’s not necessarily any cooler in New Jersey or Missouri or most other places. The crowd is flat at the TPC Southwind, at least on the weekdays. The start of the playoffs doesn’t have a lot of buzz.

Of course, there’s that small matter of the building to the right of the fifth fairway at the TPC Southwind — FedEx headquarters, the company paying quite a freight.

The TPC Southwind used to stage a regular PGA Tour event held before the U.S. Open (it’s hot in June, too, by the way). And then when the tour lost a title sponsor for Firestone, Memphis took over as a World Golf Championship. And now it’s a playoff opener.

The course performs well for tournament golf, especially the closing holes. It rarely lacks for drama. But it lacks the electricity, outside of an afternoon thunderstorm in the summer.

Throw in the points system and the vibe coming out of the last two weeks was whether the top players even need to be there. Participation becomes a problem, and $20 million purses are no longer enough to compel players to be there.

McIlroy was asking himself why he needed to play in Memphis. He had just finished in a tie for 68th (against a 70-man field) and dropped all the way from No. 3 to No. 5.

Schauffele raised a similar question last week in the mile-high air south of Denver. Outside of winning, he was going to be No. 2 coming into East Lake even if he didn’t play. The thought crossed his mind as he was leaving Paris after the Olympics.

He thought back to something his father always told him. Would he regret not playing? He chose the BMW Championship, deciding it was the best way to be prepared for East Lake. He tied for fifth and stayed No. 2 in the FedEx Cup. No regrets.

Scheffler has reason to feel the same way, especially in a year like his and going from high altitude to Atlanta.

The bigger issue is the market. When the playoffs began in 2007, it was the New York area, Boston, Chicago and Atlanta. The PGA Tour no longer is in New York or Boston, two of the biggest markets. McIlroy floated the idea of California for prime-time golf on TV.

FedEx still gets the recognition it deserves because “FedEx Cup” is mentioned throughout the year. If an agreement can be reached, it would be ideal for the postseason to alternate out of the TPC Southwind.

In a perfect world, turn Memphis into a signature event and search for a title sponsor to move the playoff opener around the country. Start with New York or Boston.

The PGA Tour had contemplated — before the COVID-19 pandemic — moving around the Tour Championship, with East Lake as the anchor. Imagine going Atlanta one year, Whistling Straits or Shinnecock Hills the next year.

That thought no longer exists, and it’s probably just as well. This is the 21st consecutive year in Atlanta, and with the FedEx Cup and its value, “East Lake” has replaced “Tour Championship” as a destination for players starting the year. It now has tradition.

It’s getting there that can use a change.

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