Tiger Woods shocked the golf world and picked up his 80th career PGA Tour win on Sunday at the Tour Championship, a victory that’s taken him longer than five years to notch.
But would Woods, the player most of the world was rooting for to win this weekend, have done so if this was 2019? The answer is no.
Earlier this week PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan announced major changes to the Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoff system that will begin next season. While the FexEx Cup bonus money saw a major increase — from $35 million to $60 million — the biggest change will be the scoring system at the Tour Championship.
The 30 players who qualify for the Tour Championship at East Lake will be assigned the following scores (below) based off a strokes-based bonus system.
1st : -10
2nd: -8
3rd: -7
4th: -6
5th: -5
6th to 10th: -4
11th to 15th: -3
16th to 20th: -2
21st to 25th: -1
26th to 30th: E
For example, Bryson DeChambeau led the FedEx Cup standings entering the Tour Championship this year, so he would have started the Tour Championship at 10 under with an eight-stroke lead over Woods, who came in 20th and would have had to start at two under.
The Tour says this change will make it easier for players and fans to follow along, and if a player wins the Tour Championship they will also win the FedEx Cup. A Tour Championship winner and a different FedEx Cup champ won’t happen again.
So how would those changes have affected this year’s tournament? Well, Justin Rose, who won the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bonus on Sunday night, still would have won, but he would have taken the Tour Championship title from Woods. Rose was 2nd in the standings entering the event, meaning he would have started the Tour Championship at eight under. That boost would have been enough for him to finish at 14 under. Woods would have finished at 13 under with Dustin Johnson and Billy Horschel. And, remember, if you win the Tour Championship next year you also win the FedEx Cup.
So win No. 80 for Woods? It wouldn’t have happened next year. Below is how today’s tournament would have played out with 2019’s format.
HOW IT WOULD HAVE PLAYED OUT IN 2019
(Finish – Player – 2019 winning score – 2018 actual Tour Championship finish)
1. Justin Rose, 14 under / T4
2t. Dustin Johnson, 13 under / 3rd
2t. Tiger Woods, 13 under / 1st
2t. Billy Horschel, 13 under / 2nd
5. Bryson DeChambeau, 11 under / 19th
6t. Tony Finau, 10 under / T15
6t. Justin Thomas, 10 under / T7
8. Webb Simpson, nine under / T4
9t. Rory McIlroy, seven under / T7
9t. Xander Schauffele, seven under / T7
11t. Hideki Matsuyama, six under / T4
11t. Tommy Fleetwood, six under / T11
11t. Rickie Fowler, six under / T7
14. Jason Day, five under / 18th
15. Jon Rahm, five under / T11
16t. Kyle Stanley, four under / T15
16t. Paul Casey, four under / T11
16t. Cameron Smith, four under / 20th
16t. Aaron Wise, four under / T15
16t. Gary Woodland, four under / T11
21. Francesco Molinari, two under / T21
22. Patrick Cantlay, one under / T21
23t. Keegan Bradley, even / T26
23t. Brooks Koepka, even / T26
25t. Marc Leishman, one over / T21
25t. Patton Kizzire, one over / T21
27. Kevin Na, two over / 25th
28t. Bubba Watson, six over / 29th
28t. Patrick Reed, six over / 28th
30. Phil Mickelson, 10 over / 30th
