Taking Sides

So when Phil Mickelson held his press conference on Wednesday we got a great deal of info, some the media didn't even have to ask to get. Admittedly I didn't see the press conference (three cheers for work) and read about it online instead. What I read was Phil being open and honest with great intent. I am not going to say that it was necessary for Phil rattle on for 35 minutes or that it accomplished much of anything except to announce he has grand plans for this season and is worker harder than ever before.

What I was actual surprised to find out was how many people not only don't like Phil, but down right hate him. After the few articles I read recapping the press conference there were pages and pages of comments expressing either huge pro-Phil support or sheer disdain for the man. The Phil-haters all seemed to think the press conference was Lefty's way to fire at Tiger while Woods' guns are holstered.

For sure the overall theme of the commenting was if you are pro Woods you are very anti Mickelson and vice versa. Has golf fandom become split down the middle? Probably not, because it was never just about these two anyway. A few hundred guys will play during the course of the season, not a few. It does, however, bring up a question; Is a split amongst the fans over the two most popular players a good or bad thing for the PGA Tour?

Despite being a golf first personalities second person, I think a Woods camp v. Mickelson camp could be a good thing. I look at baseball, specifically the Yankees and Red Sox rivalry. These two teams represent the bulk of baseball fans, and the rivalry itself has at times single-handedly driven the sport. As in this instance with Woods and Mickelson the fans of the Yanks and Sox almost hate the other team more than they love their own. Whichever side of the fence you are on the rivalry drives interest and most importantly viewership.

The inherent problem is unlike the MLB, the PGA can't schedule eighteen or nineteen head-to-head meetings between the two...or can they? Hear me out. What if golf explored a team concept for the regular season leading into the FedEx Cup playoffs? Tournaments would still be played individually but players are assigned to one of six or eight teams pre-season based on world ranking. As FedEx points are accrued the teams are whittled down to the twelve highest point earners each for the Fed Ex playoffs. The highest point earner on each team is the Captain of the squad. The highest twelve man team point total becomes the #1 seed, #2 seed is the second highest twelve man total and so on. The FedEx Cup Playoffs then become single elimination, team match-play, Ryder Cup style tournaments with the possibility for instituting a "first tournament bye" for the #1 and #2 seeds. The Captains would set the lineups for alternate shot and best ball play as well as the singles. The team members on the bye are rewarded by being able to practice at the second round site during the week of the opening round. The winning team are FedEx Cup champions and each team member gets a million dollar bonus for winning instead of $10 million to one player for having the best overall season by points. A bonus of some sort is paid to each of the 72 or 96 players who make their playoff teams.

The point is that players like Woods and Mickelson would not find themselves on the same FedEx teams thanks to their assumed high world rankings. For example, this year they would be the first player placed on each of the first two teams by being ranked #1 and #2 in the world. Thus an opportunity to do battle for something meaningful at the end of the season for the golfers and for the fans who would no doubt have forged their allegiances. Get your Mickelson or Woods jersey now!

The idea may be really far fetched to some readers, but just think how much fun a real golf playoffs would be.