If you ain’t first on the season-long points race, you’re last (kind of). A list of out-of-the-box, and potentially laughable, suggestions to properly reward the most consistent golfer all PGA Tour season.

Earlier this year, the PGA Tour announced it would eliminate the controversial starting-strokes format from this month’s season-ending Tour Championship. The 2024 edition marked the fifth year with the adjusted scoring system at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. The FedEx Cup leader, Scottie Scheffler, started at 10-under-par (and eventually won), while second place teed off with an eight-under total and they all played 72 holes from there. But for this year’s Tour Championship from August 21-24, all 30 players in the field will start at even-par.

While it was welcome news, it was hardly ground-breaking, as a decent percentage of fans and pundits never warmed to the idea of a golf tournament having a pre-determined leaderboard, and leader, before it had even teed off. The intention was admirable; the tour felt fans were confused by the previous iteration of the showpiece, where a 72-hole strokeplay tournament was the undercurrent to a season-long race for the FedEx Cup hovering over the top.

The starting-strokes format was gimmicky from the beginning, even if it was streamlined. The most compelling argument against it was, under the handicapped leaderboard, Tiger Woods would not have won the 2018 edition that launched his worldwide comeback including a 15th major at the 2019 Masters.

It’s almost a philosophical debate: should a playoff be obliged to provide an advantage to the most consistent performer all season, or should the closing act be a totally level playing field?

“I’ve talked about it the past few years, I think it’s silly,” Scheffler said during a press conference in 2024. “You can’t call it a season-long race and have it come down to one tournament. Hypothetically, we get to East Lake and my neck flares up and it doesn’t heal the way it did at the Players. I finish 30th in the FedEx Cup because I had to withdraw from the last tournament? Is that really the season-long race? No, it is what it is.”

Stiff necks aside, my belief is that the finals series shouldn’t provide any tangible head start. There should be a clear reward, financially, for being the best golfer all season but the field resets for a playoff. Imagine if the Detroit Lions, who had the best record in the 2024 NFL regular season, started week one of the playoffs with a 14-0 or 16-0 lead in their first game. It just wouldn’t happen.

The Tour Championship should be played at either Pebble Beach or TPC Sawgrass. Pebble Beach Golf Links is a far firmer and better course in August when the US summer has dried out the iconic seaside layout than it presents during the annual Pro-Am in February in the middle of winter. If that’s not an option, then a season finale at TPC Sawgrass would be appointment viewing. It’s out-of-the-box thinking, no doubt, but the Tour Championship could be combined with Players Championship to become one tournament if going to the famed venue in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, more than once a year isn’t an option. There would be obvious hurdles to jump, not least that the Tour Championship is a 30-man field while the Players is 144. But tell me it wouldn’t instantly become an enormous event on the schedule if the FedEx Cup leader had to navigate the par-3 17th over water – and the par-4 18th – at the Stadium course as their last two holes of the season with the $US25 million FedEx Cup bonus on the line. Non-golf fans would even tune in.

I know, I know. It’ll never happen. That’s ridiculous. But what about this obstacle?!

I don’t envy the Rubik’s Cube the tour faces with its finale: it needs to satisfy its membership (the players), the fans and broadcast TV partners. But if there is an inescapable need to give the season-long points leader an upper hand, here are nine incredibly serious* suggestions:

With the prevalence of private jets, only the season-long points leader can fly on a chartered aircraft, arriving like the king he has been all season. Nos.2-20 on the standings must fly commercial, while the bottom 10 must drive from the previous tournament.

The season-long points leader is exempt from any extracurricular activities required of players that week, except for his pre-tournament press conference. All other players must partake in sponsors’ events, clinics on the range and other obligations of that nature.

The season-long points leader is allowed unlimited range balls throughout the tournament. The other 29 players are only allowed up to 60 range balls, but the twist is their points ranking coming into the Tour Championship is how many balls are reduced from that 60. For example, the last man in the field gets 30 balls daily (60 balls – ranking of 30 = 30 range balls). 

The season-long points leader stays in a beautiful rental house close to the course, with a private chef, chauffeur, concierge, streaming platforms and premium wifi. The rest of the field must stay in three tiers of accommodation depending on their points standings and all hotels must be at least 25 minutes from the course. Players ranked 2-10 stay in a 5-star hotel, while those ranked 11-20 are assigned a 4-star player hotel and Nos.21-30 in a 3-star hotel.

Only the season-long points leader is allowed a caddie. Players ranked 2-10 are allowed an electric pull buggy with GPS-following capability, while those ranked 11-20 are assigned an electric buggy without GPS. Nos.21-30 receive non-motorised buggies. 

The season-long points leader and his caddie are allowed to use a rangefinder during the tournament. The rest of the field is not.

Only the top six on the season-long points standings are allowed to have their physiotherapists/strength-and-conditioning coaches at the course, the rest must work off-site at the player hotels.

The top six on the season-long points standings are rewarded with morning tee-times before 7:30 for the first two rounds, while the rest of the field tees off after 9am, with tee-times in order of points ranking, as the Atlanta heat rises. But what about the broadcast?! If you’re watching the Tour Championship’s opening two rounds in the morning on a Thursday and Friday, you’ll watch during any window it is on. Be honest!

The season-long points leader gets to choose the host course. Imagine the best player all year throwing down the gauntlet by taking the tournament to a happy hunting ground of his. Last year, Scheffler was the points leader after the regular season. He would probably take the tournament to TPC Scottsdale, Bay Hill, TPC Sawgrass or Muirfield Village, all venues where he was won the PGA Tour event twice. Who’d argue with watching a second tournament for the year at any of those courses? 

*Not serious suggestions at all; just poorly delivered jokes.

Photography by Tracy Wilcox, Stan Badz /getty images