As the FedExCup playoff finale prepares for its first run under the new staggered leaderboard system, we look back at previous events to see what might’ve changed.
This week’s Tour Championship sees Justin Thomas start at -10 with second in the standings, Patrick Cantlay, trying to chase him down two shots back. Brooks Koepka? He starts at -7 with Louis Oosthuizen among five starting level par. A whopping 10 strokes back.
The winner at East Lake will be the guaranteed winner of the FedExCup. In the past, as was the case last year, the Tour Championship and the FedExCup winner were often different players. Tiger Woods secured his comeback win but it was Justin Rose, who drove away from Atlanta with the bonus bounty on offer.
What would history look like if this new system had always been in place?
2008* – Camillo Villegas and not Vijah Singh
Villegas was second on the standings and won in a playoff against Sergio Garcia. Singh, who already had the FedExCup wrapped up, finished in T22 and even giving him 10 strokes, he only would’ve finished in a share of 10th.
*points were reset at the start of the Tour Championship to avoid the Singh circumstance
2010 – Potentially Luke Donald and not Jim Furyk
The Englishman was one short of Jim Furyk’s winning score. But the former would’ve started the week at -4, he was 7th on the FedExCup list, with Furyk starting in 11th and good enough for three stroke headstart. The result? by players tied on -11 and therefor needing a playoff to determine the winner of the Tour Championship and FedExCup.
2011 – Luke Donald and not Bill Haas
Donald finished one short of the playoff between Haas and Hunter Mahan. But if Donald was given his -6 start, he entered the finale fourth, he would’ve won by four. Haas started in 25th so he would’ve only gained a -1 start. By the new system, Donald ends on -13 and Haas at -9.
