Fact or Fiction: A Better Tour Championship Is Coming This Year

The SI Golf staff debates the PGA Tour season finale, a women’s TGL and whether more tournaments should be named for golf legends.

This year's Tour Championship could have a smaller field for the final round. / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

Welcome back to SI Golf’s Fact or Fiction, where Bryson should see some of the bunkers on our home courses.

Once again, we’re here to debate a series of statements for writers and editors to declare as “Fact” or “Fiction” along with a brief explanation. Responses may also (occasionally) be “Neutral” since there's a lot of gray area in golf.

Do you agree or disagree? Let us know on the SI Golf X account.

Golfweek reported that big changes to the Tour Championship are coming which include scrapping the starting-strokes format but staying with stroke play, instead cutting down the field gradually until four players are left Sunday to battle for the title. This is the best possible solution to the oft-tinkered PGA Tour season finale.

Bob Harig: FICTION. While scrapping the starting strokes idea is a good one, the Tour has overcomplicated this entire scenario. Make the winner of the Tour Championship the winner of the FedEx Cup. It’s that simple. Direct more FedEx money to the regular season champ if that’s an issue. But just getting to the final event would hold far more drama. Then let them play the tournament for it.

Jeff Ritter: FICTION. It’s an improvement, but it doesn’t go far enough. The makeover blueprint eloquently outlined here would be a better outcome.

John Schwarb: NEUTRAL. Tough to call it the best until seeing it in practice, but ditching starting strokes was a must. Cutting down the field will add drama, though the flip side could be a very dull final day. We’ll have to wait and see.   

TMRW Sports CEO Mike McCarley said last week that the idea of a women’s TGL is on the table. This would be the best expansion of simulator golf.

Bob Harig: FICTION. One step at a time. Adding women golfers in some way—perhaps as part of the teams as they exist—is a good idea. But TGL has to figure out some other issue first. Get this nailed down before expanding.

Jeff Ritter: FICTION. I like the idea of adding LPGA players to the mix, but co-ed teams would be more of a draw. Look at the Olympics, for example, which just added a mixed team event.

John Schwarb: FICTION. A women’s league would always take a back seat to the men and wouldn’t get the same support from ESPN. Would much rather see a loaded team or two of LPGA players added to the current TGL.  

This week’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson is one of two PGA Tour events that carry a player’s name, along with the Arnold Palmer Invitational. It’s time for the PGA Tour to honor more legends directly in tournament names. 

Bob Harig: FACT. The Genesis and Memorial are ostensibly Tiger Woods’s and Jack Nicklaus’s tournaments. Would they object to putting their name on them? Perhaps. But it seems obvious to do so and wouldn’t take away from the overall mission. Why not put Sam Snead’s name on the Greensboro tournament, where he won so often? It would be a nice way to celebrate the game’s history.

Jeff Ritter: FACT. I like it. And maybe better to honor those still alive (looking at you, Memorial Tournament) so the player can help spur participation and buzz for the event.

John Schwarb: FACT. Why not? There would have to be some maneuvering with sponsors and their dollars, but Ben Hogan’s name should be used at Colonial and Jack Nicklaus should be on the marquee at the Memorial. And Tiger Woods surely will have an event named for him at some point.