A Proposal for Redesign of the FedEx Cup Playoff Series on the PGA TOUR

We propose a new design for the FedEx Cup playoff series on the PGA TOUR, and especially for its final event, the TOUR Championship. Playing the TOUR Championship as a strongly seeded match-play event, as in our proposal, provides a good chance of an exciting climax to the professional golf season. We validate our proposed design by estimating the probability that a player who has a particular rank entering the TOUR Championship finishes in various positions in the FedEx Cup standings. The choice of match play in our design is motivated by the belief held by various stakeholders in professional golf that match play is closer to the spirit of a playoff event than stroke play. Moreover, our strongly seeded match-play design provides several advantages, including the following: all players have a reasonable opportunity to win at the TOUR Championship; all players are rewarded for consistently strong performance during the season; and the participation of marquee name players is guaranteed during network television coverage late in the event. We discuss how the proposed design achieves the various objectives outlined by PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem about possible redesign of the FedEx Cup playoff series.