The Tour Championship at East Lake has been fun to watch. Only thirty players from Thursday to Sunday. No cut line, just the top 30 FedEx Cup points leaders on the PGA tour, all playing 72 holes for bragging rights and a $10 million first prize. The person who places 30th gets $355K! The purses are insane, stimulated by Tiger Woods’ advent and LIV. And I guess FedEx must be doing OK.
Every now and then I think about why I watch, and maybe even why I shouldn’t bother, as if this would be some sort of meaningful protest directed at the extravagance and excess. I guess there’s a certain vicarious satisfaction in watching anyone win that much money. Still, the purses are outrageous. So I mostly watch for the creativity– for the sheer accomplished nature of these players, along with the layouts of the courses themselves.
The prize money has me dreaming, sure, but I watch because I enjoy seeing really good players do their thing. It’s the artistry, the strategy, the realization and the pay-off of thousands of hours and years of practice—which in itself is a luxury not everyone can avail themselves of.
Playing the sport myself, I can only marvel at the level of proficiency and style and technique. At what they can do. Nothing fazes them—no lie, no situation (I can’t imagine wanting to play to a sand trap, or being able to shape a shot, or knowing their own capabilities well enough to place a shot between trees or play to a specific patch of grass…).
The money is one thing—people can argue breathlessly over whether or not the purses are justified. But no one can argue with the skills these players possess. Ask any duffer or 15-handicapper.
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