Players Propose New Cut Rule
Courtesy: Reuters
The PGA Tour Players Advisory council has expressed its deep concerns over the new cut rule implemented this season.
Many players are angry with the rule which essentially says you can make the cut but not make the cut. It's confusing and counter-productive, according to the pros.
And the 16-player Council has offered a solution: stick with the tried and true two round cut rule that's been in effect since 1969 but if the field still exceeds 78 players on Saturday, implement another cut to reduce the field to 70 players.
This is a much fairer method than the PGA's version which would prevent players who made the cut from playing on Sunday if the field was too big.
This whole issue of field size is a red herring; the Tour claims that too often a field is so large on the weekends that players must go off in threesomes, leading to lengthy rounds and invoking the ire of the networks.
Let's pray for the day when we are no longer bound by TV schedules but can turn to the internet and watch as much as often and for as long as we want.
But until that day comes, why not implement some old, low-tech ideas? If the fields are too large on the weekends, that means that scores are very low and that can only mean that a course is far too easy.
So grow the rough, shrink the fairways and shave the greens a little more. In other words, make the course harder to play and there will be fewer players making the cut.
I think the players would find this a preferred method – everyone is on the same level playing field.
The Players Council has indicated as much by wanting to stick with the substance of the old rule.
And the old rule worked fine until players began to bomb the ball off the tee, playing a driver-wedge-putter game and bringing many courses to their knees.
Statistically speaking looking at the result of the last 10 years of the PGA Tour the new cut rule would have been employed in some 10 tournaments throughout the year. But I would have thought a simpler thing to do if you did not like more than a certain number of players to play on a Sunday you bring down the cut line one shot lower. At least this way you will not have a situation like this where you say the player made the cut but again not allowed to compete over the weekend. You even get FedEx Cup points and a portion of the prize kitty but it just does not make sense not to have them on the weekend.
I am not so sure about the recommendation given by the players council. It will be confusing, players in the bottom half of the draw would not think of trying to make a big move up the leaderboard because then their new priority will become to make the Sunday cut line. Since it does happen in only roughly 20% of the events in a year then you might as well go ahead with reducing the score for the cut line then have this situation of MDF, made the cut did not finish. I am not even clear on whether they would get more money or less money than someone who plays the weekend but his final score is poorer than the cut line score. It is confusing and the players council is right in being skeptical about it but again the two cuts idea is perhaps not the best.
Council knows the truth.