The PGA's New Scoring System

After a lot of discussion this past spring, the PGA changed its scoring system to generate volatility and infuse more excitement into the game of golf. To accomplish this, the spread between the first-place and last-place slots was reduced by almost 50% and more worth was added to each of the playoff events.

To date, the new system has proven to be much more volatile than anticipated, and players who never expected to be near the top are getting better scores, while others who were expected to finish among the first are almost down and out. With so much movement from week to week, no one can predict where anyone will finish. The winner of the last two Majors, who is also expected to be voted player of the year, still has to think about whether he will make it to the Tour Championship.

Another interesting part of the new system is that the FedEx points are used for tournament entry requirements into the Tour Championship. This means that all 30 championship players are exempted into the Masters and U. S. Open. Applying this part of the equation will keep some golfers from playing in the Majors who have played well all year, while letting in some who have not been noticed nor had any wins.

As with anything new, there are bugs to be worked out and it will take some time to adjust and get comfortable, but golf rankings and scoring certainly aren't boring anymore.