Congratulations to Phil Mickelson, who shot an amazing 65 to win the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. But make no bones about it, Mickelson is not a fan of the playoffs format, saying something to the effect of:
“Let me see if I get this straight. I shoot 65 and beat Tiger, he gets $10 million, and I only get $1 million? No, I’m just kidding…”
What’s crazy to me is how no one is making a bigger deal about this. I’m paraphrasing Mickelson’s comments on NBC after winning, because nobody has the actual comment on their sites! The only comments I was able to find were something a little bit calmer that I’m assuming Mickelson said later at the press conference, where he basically says he’s happy to have a scenario where he and Tiger both win money.
I don’t have a problem with Phil’s comments…but hopefully word gets back to Tim Finchem. Yesterday’s outcome may have been a “dream scenario” for the PGA Tour with Tiger and Phil both winning at the same time, but it says a lot when neither of your champions is enthused with the playoff system at all!
Yesterday’s final round was exciting to watch, and it was great to see golf’s two biggest stars in the limelight. Everything seemed to “work itself out.” But much like the BCS for college football, if the format isn’t changed, one of these years we’re going to end up with a disaster (like Heath Slocum winning the playoffs that he has no business even being a part of in the first place).
Throughout the incredible history of golf, no one person has encapsulated the title of “the common golfer” as much as Bobby Jones. Born Robert Tyre Jones Jr. in 1902, Bobby was immediately a natural talent at golf, learning to golf at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club (site of this week’s Tour Championship) and winning his first tournament at age 6. He then went on to leave an impressive mark on the game of golf, that still can be felt today.