Sources: PGA plans changes for revamped FedEx Cup
PARAMUS, N.J. » The PGA Tour is putting the final touches on a revamped FedEx Cup structure that would award a cash bonus to the leading player from the regular season, followed by a new scoring format for the Tour Championship to decide the FedEx Cup champion, The Associated Press has learned.
Five people aware of the discussions say FedEx Cup points will not be involved in the final playoff event at East Lake. Instead, the No. 1 player would start the Tour Championship at 10-under par, with scores to par staggered depending on the 30 players’ position in the standings.
The winner will be the FedEx Cup champion, and the bonus is expected to be more than the current $10 million prize.
That means whoever gets the 30th spot at East Lake would have four rounds to make up as many as 10 shots. The change eliminates the awkward moment — and divided attention — of one player winning the Tour Championship and another winning the FedEx Cup, which happened last year for the second time.
The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the tour has not publicly announced what they are planning to do, and because there are still loose ends.
One item unsolved is when the regular season would end. Since the FedEx Cup began in 2007, the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina, has been the final regular season tournament for players to finish among the top 125 to retain full PGA Tour status and qualify for the postseason.
What emerged from a Player Advisory Council meeting last week was the possibility of ending the regular season the previous week at the FedEx Invitational, a World Golf Championship in Memphis, Tennessee. The top players in the FedEx Cup typically take a week off before the playoffs instead of playing the Wyndham Championship.
But by ending the season in Greensboro — which one person said is the more likely scenario — there could be a case where a player adds the Wyndham Championship if he has a chance to win the regular season.
Two people said the bonus for the regular season would be awarded only to the top three players, with $3 million going to the leading player.
The larger overhaul involves the conclusion to the FedEx Cup.
Starting next year, the number of playoff events will be reduced from four to three. The Northern Trust will rotate each year between Liberty National in Jersey City and the TPC Boston, followed by the BMW Championship and then the Tour Championship. The size of the field is reduced each week until 30 reach East Lake in Atlanta.
For the last 10 seasons, points were reset going into the final event so that all 30 players had a mathematical chance to win the FedEx Cup, and the leading five had a clear shot at the title because they only had to win the Tour Championship.
The problem was splitting attention on two trophies. A year ago, Xander Schauffele won the Tour Championship by one shot over Justin Thomas, who won the FedEx Cup. Thomas said later it was a “weird” moment to lose the tournament and win the $10 million prize.
Four-time champ Ginobili retires at 41
Manu Ginobili has played his final game, and with that a new era awaits the San Antonio Spurs.
Ginobili announced his decision to retire on Monday, the 41-year-old wrapping up what he called a “fabulous journey” in which he helped the Spurs win four NBA championships in 16 seasons with the club.
The smooth left-handed guard from Argentina came to San Antonio in 2002, forming what quickly became a powerful “Big 3” alongside Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. Now, they’ve all moved on: Duncan retired two years ago, Parker left San Antonio earlier this summer as a free agent to sign with the Charlotte Hornets, and Ginobili has worn Spurs colors for the last time as well.
“Today, with a wide range of feelings, I’m announcing my retirement from basketball,” Ginobili wrote on Twitter in making the announcement. “IMMENSE GRATITUDE to everyone (family, friends, teammates, coaches, staff, fans) involved in my life in the last 23 years. It’s been a fabulous journey. Way beyond my wildest dreams.”
The image Ginobili chose to accompany that tweet: A photo of him walking off the floor, away from the camera, with four fingers aloft — signifying his four titles.
“An NBA champion and All-Star, Manu Ginobili is also a pioneer who helped globalize the NBA,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “He is one of basketball’s greatest ambassadors who believes in the power of sports to change lives. And for 16 years, we were fortunate to watch a legend compete at the highest level. Thank you, Manu, for a career that inspired millions of people around the world.”
Kenya to open its first WADA-approved drug-testing lab
MONACO » Kenya has its first World Anti-Doping Agency-approved drug-testing laboratory.
The Athletics Integrity Unit, which handles doping cases in international track and field, says Monday that the lab in the capital Nairobi will be operational early next month.
It’ll be able to perform blood analyses as well as other tests, desperately needed in a country under scrutiny for severe shortcomings in doping control.
Previously, blood samples taken from Kenya’s worldbeating distance runners had to be flown to South Africa or Europe to be tested at an approved lab within 36 hours, a challenging race-against-time that led to the regular bending of anti-doping rules as revealed by The Associated Press in 2016.
Blood doping is especially relevant to distance running, where Kenya has been a powerhouse for decades. The nation’s reputation has been hit hard, though, by an upsurge in doping cases in recent years and an ineffective and sometimes corrupt anti-doping system.