OWINGS MILLS (Md. -- When the playoffs start in almost every sport, the intensity will rise. In football, defenses hit harder. Turnovers by their team are treated as a tragedy by coaches. You have to fight every rebound in basketball. Postseason baseball games often feel like a battle between wills.
Professional golf is a different story.
It seems that the game gets easier.
Bogeys are rare. Doubles are rare. The only thing that players are tested for is their ability to make birdies. They're not tested on this, but how many they can make. They'd better make lots of them or they'll be beaten by the leaders.
This week's FedEx Cup playoffs event, the BMW Championship at Caves Valley, was a perfect example. The 70-man field has recorded 948 birdies and 20 eagles in three rounds. The field is 527 below par for a 69.4 average scoring score.
Patrick Cantlay (21 under) and Bryson deChambeau (21 under) are tied for the lead. They have a great opportunity to shoot the lowest score relative to par on tour this year. Harris English shot 25 under at January's Tournament of Champions (albeit on a par 73 course with five Par-5s), and K.H. Lee shot 25 under at TPC Craig Ranch to win the Byron Nelson in may. Only three tour players have ever shot under 30 in a four-round tournament. However, Dustin Johnson won by 11 shots during the 2020 FedEx Cup playoffs.
What should you make of it? It all depends on how you view it. Despite the massive marketing investment by the PGA Tour, the FedEx Cup is not a major and fans would not mistake it for one. Shouldn't the postseason be more robust? Cantlay was quite candid when asked what he thought of his third-round 66.
He said, "It was another round on a soft, gentle golf course."
This is what the PGA Tour and its sponsors want for the postseason. What's more likely than the best college football players racking up birdies or eagles to draw viewers away from the first weekend? Or are they the same guys chasing pars?
Rory McIlroy is tied for fourth at 17 under. "I definitely think the FedEx Cup playoffs differ from the majors," he said. The tour is a -- this may sound a bit bad, but I think it's more entertainment than the majors. Majors are set up differently, and it's supposed be the most difficult test we face all year. It's a little different.
There are many reasons why it is different. Some of these factors the PGA Tour could not control, even if they tried. The Northeast is hot at this time of the year. Nightly thunderstorms are common in this area. Maintenance crews have had to struggle to maintain a course such as Caves Valley's firmness -- which is its best defense against professional intervention -- for years.
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McIlroy stated that "Look, this is an area in the country where it can get hot and humid, with bentgrass, it won't have the characteristics you want for a really difficult golf course." "I don’t know where you can go at this time of year that doesn’t happen, it could be over on the West Coast or Northwest.
McIlroy, Cantlay were not the only ones to be candid. It doesn't matter how far the course takes, players will know that the ball won’t bounce very far once it lands. Everyone can and will go low.
A soft course like this makes it difficult for a guy like Bryson to win. Sam Burns said that the closer you are to the top, the better," he shared with McIlroy, Sergio Garcia, and is 17 under.
Garcia shot 67 in the third round. Garcia said that it was fun if one plays well. It's not my favorite type of golf. It's more difficult and not just about putting. I enjoy it. Don't misunderstand me. You still need to hit the shots. The course is very simple.
2021 Tour Championship Michael Collins sets you up for the final stop of America's Caddie's FedEx Cup playoffs as well as the Tour Championship. Stream live on ESPN+
After firing a 64 in the first round, Jon Rahm tied for second place. Then he followed it up by a 66, and a68. He lost ground each day and fell all the way down to eighth. The 70-player field is currently over par with only four players -- Carlos Ortiz and Russell Henley, Max Homa, and Collin Morikawa. Their combined score is 5 over.
Jordan Spieth is 5 under and tied 49th. The fairways here are quite wide and the greens are large. To make a bogey, you have to be really good at it. ... It is difficult to be completely out of place unless you do something wrong."
Caves Valley is hosting a PGA Tour event, but it is not a course that has narrow fairways. It actually has the longest fairways outside of Kapalua's Plantation Course. There are also three par-4s less than 400 yards. This is possible thanks to modern technology.
McIlroy stated that "I think there are a lot more courses where fairways pinch in between 300 and 310 [yards]". It doesn't allow long hitters to hit the driver a lot. Last week was a good example. It's always a huge advantage to have a large golf course that allows big hitters to drive the driver. It's nice to have driver in your hands and feel free to let it fly.
Last year's BMW Championship saw a different result. The conditions at Olympia Fields were extremely challenging and the players didn't finish under par. Five players finished below par and Rahm's win score (4 under) was closer to DeChambeau’s winning score at U.S. Open at Winged Foot. Although it is possible to face a tough test in the playoffs but not until the top 30 players get to East Lake, Atlanta next week for Tour Championship, it will be unlikely.
McIlroy stated that while I enjoy the more difficult tests, McIlroy doesn't want to take a test every week. "East Lake will be an example of this -- 12 under wins. I believe 12 under is a great winning score -- 8 to 12 below par is a good score on most courses. It tests men the right amount, but also allows you to make birdies and gives you opportunities. There is a delicate balance to be struck. It all depends on what we want to achieve from the FedEx Cup playoffs. Entertainment is a part of it, I believe. It has been very entertaining this week. It won't be as exciting next week, but it will be just as entertaining. That's something I believe is a good thing, especially as you get to the final one or the top 30. The challenge is also an important part of it.
