The Fed Ex Cup is causing a lot of confusion, especially among sportswriters, never exactly known for their ability to absorb detailed information.

So Tiger Woods and Ernie Els skip a “playoff” event? So what? Does that demean the whole shebang?

Look at it like this: They’re high seeds and don’t have to play with the rest of the irregulars. Basically, they’re getting byes. Happens all the time in other sports.

True enough, byes in other sports are the result of well spelled out rules, and Tiger, Els and others just say, “I think I’ll skip this one.”

They’re all locks to advance, so why bother?

Golf is a different sort of sport anyway. It doesn’t really lend itself to a raucous, playoff atmosphere. You won’t see much tailgating at the BMW Championships in Chicago or the Tour Championship in Atlanta, though I hear Tim Finchem may wear face paint in Atlanta.

Golf is a high falutin’ sport in a business-like way, and the word “playoff” just doesn’t fit.

Sadly, I can’t think of another one that does. Uber-tournament? Hostile takeover? Super Big Payoff for the Already Obscenely Wealthy?

See?

Maybe that’s why they just settled on the exceedingly boring name of Fed Ex Cup.

It just ain’t a real playoff.

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