Harig penned a piece for ESPN on the subject and I thought I would take down some of his ideas to present them to you. You’ve seen mine on this blog (via Waggle Room), so I think it’s a good idea to keep talking about the subject.

Here are his ideas:

First, limit the playoff field to 100 instead of 144 while allowing a full field of players in each of the three playoff events, meaning there would be a cut each week. Those outside of the top 100 could still compete to win the tournament but would not be eligible for the FedEx Cup.Then whittle the playoff field down to 80, 60 and 30.

Then award more points for top-10 finishes, fewer points for simply making the cut. The best example of this is illustrated by Paul Casey, who tied for seventh at the Barclays and then missed the cut at the Deutsche Bank. He earned 3,455 points at the Barclays, none at the Deutsche Bank. Had he finished 70th both weeks, he would have made 4,196 points.

A couple of good ideas. I still like the idea of keeping non-qualifiers out of Playoff events, but at least he’s coming up with some good suggestions. Of course, as he too mentions, no tweaking will matter if a guy comes out and wins 2 events.

With Vijay Singh as a dead lock to win the FedEx Cup, I’ve realized that FedEx Cup 2.0 is also not bulletproof against a guy who will win half of the Playoff events. So, in an effort to make this thing slightly more exciting, I offer suggestions for Version 3.0 at Waggle Room.

Last year, Firestone yielded just one player to finish under par at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational. That was Tiger Woods and he won by a dominating eight shots over the field and, in the process, silenced Rory Sabbatini for good. The conditions were ridiculous and player complained.

This year, Tiger Woods was not available to win yet another World Golf Championship. The Tour, therefore, found it a perfect week to “experiment” with a concept that many amateurs love – lower height of the rough. The move was designed to let players miss off of the tee and at least have some reasonable opportunity to advance the ball to the green.

The experiment turned out to be a brilliant success. Twenty-six golfers finished under par for the event this year. Fans were treated to recovery shots from the players – Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh in particular – that were a sight to behold. It created more exciting golf from tee to green.

Unfortunately, though, it is pretty much impossible to cut the grass down any lower on the greens at Firestone. They are nuanced and fairly quick, but really not nearly as difficult as the players are going to see at Oakland Hills in next week’s PGA Championship. Still, despite their fairly benign nature, almost all of the contenders for the Bridgestone Invitational ceded strokes due to lackluster short games.

Phil Mickelson gave away the championship because of his inability to two putt following an inability to shape a bunker shot in line with green receptiveness to bunker play.

Lee Westwood has made a career of being solid from tee to green, but leaving the balance of a tournament only in doubt of whether or not he can make putts of any significant length. On Sunday, he really could not, and gave up an opportunity to force a playoff with Vjiay Singh on a simple putt uphill at the last hole.

The eventual champion, Vijay Singh, was simply dreadful for the entire week on the greens. Between four and eight feet, he made less than half of his putts for the week. That is embarrassing for a PGA Tour pro. On the Sunday back nine, Singh could have had the tournament wrapped up were it not for his lack of confidence in putting. He over-thought every putt and it almost cost him the title. The final putt to win the tournament practically ran around the edge of the cup before finally giving in to gravity.

This event was certainly compelling. But it was compelling for all of the wrong reasons. Only one man was playing great golf down the stretch. Stuart Appleby was that man, but he began his charge too late to rustle away the championship from undeserving contenders.

The outcome of the back nine at Firestone leads one to question what we are really getting in the absence of Tiger Woods from the Tour. Commissioner Tim Finchem was in the booth with CBS’ Jim Nantz to talk about the Tour sans-Tiger. Finchem alluded to the variety of intriguing storylines that now had a chance to receive real attention with Woods out of the way. He discussed Anthony Kim and wins by Kenny Perry as stories worth watching, and even drew in the duel between Singh and Mickelson.

If I were Commissioner Finchem, I would look at the product we saw on Sunday and be worried. Fans would much rather have seen another Tiger thumping than four guys play footsy to see who would win over a million dollars. The ratings will show that I’m not lying.

What is worse is for the PGA of America. The PGA Championship is generally considered the weakest of the four majors despite about a decade of improvements to the championship rotation. It is the last major and most players are simply gunning to get a major in without Woods in the field. Depending on Woods’ rehab, this may be their last shot for a while to do just that. That may cause some inspired and desperate play, but if that play is of the caliber that we saw at Firestone, then fans can expect an over par winning score for the 90^th PGA Championship at Oakland Hills.

Whenever Tom Pernice gets into contention (thanks to an amazing 63 at Congo on Friday), you know you’re going to get some killer sound bytes. The guy used to be a part of the PAC and is very opinionated. When he got into the press room on Friday, he made a stink about the lack of action from the Tour, the R&A, the USGA, and every other governing body on technology. It’s good stuff.

Here’s the full interview. Then Doug Ferguson breaks it down for you with the big quote:

“Why isn’t the PGA Tour and Tim Finchem stepping to the plate and using our own rules?” Pernice said. “Tim’s been against it all the time. We should have our own rules, and this way we could use V-grooves and everybody can have the same set, and driving the ball in the fairway might make a difference.”

As I have mentioned in Sports Central pieces before on the subject of grooves, the Tour seems unlikely to engage in self-bi-furcation because it would be a nightmare to administer and Finchem doesn’t like that idea – he has said the governing bodies should handle that. But, it does seem like at least one player is growingly frustrated about the lack of action. Join the crowd, Tom.

Of course, Pernice also used the mic time to scream that the Tour should make Tiger play more events. That’s not going to happen.

It begins this week with the AT&T National, incidentally the event hosted by the guy that first said, “We should start drug testing tomorrow.” Now, it’s time to rehash player complaints that are stale. Bob Harig talks about them.

For the first time, players in the field at the PGA Tour event this week — the AT&T National — will be subject to random tests as part of the tour’s Anti-Doping Program. Urine samples will be taken to determine if players are taking steroids or other performance-enhancing substances, as well as illegal recreational drugs. A positive test can result in suspension for a year for a first offense and a lifetime ban for multiple violations.

Rocco gets in his thoughts:

“It’s the biggest joke in the history of the world,” said PGA Tour veteran Rocco Mediate. “You could sit in the parking lot and drink a fifth of vodka, and you might get a fine. But if you take Vick’s Vapor Rub, you’ve got to go through the whole system. There are all kinds of things. If you drink a protein shake, and it metabolizes wrong, you’re done. It’s stupid. There is nothing we can take to help you in golf.

“We’re not Olympians here. If I take steroids, I’m not going to shoot better scores. I can assure you of that. … I don’t have a problem with drug testing, just the way it’s being done. Why don’t we do our own deal? And they follow you in [to a restroom] to take a piss? C’mon, it’s bull—-. Everybody can cheat all day out here if they want. We can move our ball, and nobody does it. We police ourselves.”

I will agree with him that following guys into the bathroom to watch them pee in a cup is a bit much. But, then again, after the Ontarrio Smith-Whizzinator incident…

Still, I will argue with him forever that there are no drugs that can help golfers.

A lot of players, though, are under the impression that only false positives will be found – not legit steroid or other drug abuses.

“I think the first time somebody tests positive for something, it’ll be something like Vick’s cough syrup,” said Brandt Snedeker, who as a college golfer at Vanderbilt was subject to random drug testing by the NCAA. “We’ve all turned into label readers in the last few months. Guys take supplements, and there are certain things you can’t have.”

Said Billy Mayfair: “They spent a lot of money on this stuff, made it very easy for players to ask questions. They’ve got some great doctors here. They’ve been out here every single week. If a player tests positive, there has to be something funny. These guys aren’t going to cheat. If you test positive, it’s taking something you didn’t know you were taking.”

But Tom Pernice really seems to get it – even if he isn’t playing all that well:

“If you’re going to drug test,” former policy board member Tom Pernice said, “you should do it as sophisticated, as tough and with as much credibility as football, baseball or anybody. Then nobody can say you didn’t do this. Guys are upset about the fact that they have to go pee in a cup and somebody has to watch them do it. It’s just the way it is. Some of the guys take it personal. It’s not about that. We have to do it the right way and the most credible way.”

Pernice offers another reason for testing.

“We need to set a precedent; we need to send a message to the young people playing golf in high school and college,” Pernice said. “The game has become such a power game. Young kids look at the No. 1 player in the world [Woods] and how big he is and how hard he’s worked out. They might take short cuts or try anything. I’m sure Tiger is as clean as he could possibly be. And that’s a big plus for him to go through testing.”

We’ll see what happens…

Wow, the planet is in a mess over Tiger Woods’ injury. I talked about it some on The 19th Hole Golf Show this week (shameless plug), but had not really gotten around to reading all of the reactions.

As you saw in other posts, I did read the reactions of columnists who thought this injury would signal an even more limited schedule for Woods and their lack of consultation about the PGA Tour’s rules and regulations.

We got reaction from Camp Tiger, too. Steve Williams spoke with ESPN about when he found out that the season was over:

When the golf cart departed the seventh green at Torrey Pines on Monday afternoon, carrying Tiger Woods, Steve Williams and both of their wives to the U.S. Open trophy presentation, the caddie knew his season was over.

“I kind of had a premonition that might be it,” Williams told ESPN.com Wednesday night. “I had an inclination that a certain surgery might be required. And then Tiger told me, ‘We’re done for the year.’”

Steve Elling reports that Hank Haney is convinced that Tiger will come back better than ever:

“He’s going to better than ever,” said swing coach Hank Haney of his star pupil. “Think about it. His knee hasn’t been right for a long, long time and he’s won, what, 10 of his last 13 tournaments, with two seconds and a fifth?

“After they finally get this fixed, how can anybody think he won’t play better than he ever has?”

As I mentioned on the 19th Hole, it’s hard to argue with that. He only failed to win twice this year and apparently has had a bad knee since just before last year’s PGA Championship. In effect, he won two majors and finished 2nd in another with one good knee.

Here are the staggering results since the PGA Championship:

• PGA Championship – WIN
• Deutsche Bank Championship – 2nd
• BMW Championship – WIN
• Tour Championship – WIN
• Buick Invitational – WIN
• Accenture Match Play – WIN
• Arnold Palmer Invitational – WIN
• CA Championship – 5th
• the Masters – 2nd
• US Open – WIN

But just in case you think that Tiger may not be ranked #1 when he returns next season, John Antonini at Golf Digest eases your mind:

Based on this information we know what Woods’ point total and average will be at the end of the year. He will have 469.5 points. The U.S. Open win will be worth 82.61 points, the Masters runner-up will be worth 43.698 points, the T-5 at Doral will get him 12.689 and the win at Southern Hills in the 2007 PGA will get him 34.78. The win at the 2006 PGA in Medinah will be worth nothing.

On Dec. 31 Woods will have a points average of 11.73. He will have lost almost half his ranking points. (This is unofficial, my math might be very slightly off as I cannot be sure of rounded figures.)

Phil Mickelson is currently second in the world with an average of 10.214 points. If Mickelson does not play again in 2008 he will have an average of 6.627. Of course, Mickelson will play again. Probably 10 more times. In order to pass Woods with an average of 11.74 points, Mickelson would have to earn 575 ranking points in those 10 events. That’s not an easy task. In fact, it’s a Woodsian task. In his last 10 events, seven of them victories, Woods earned 586 points. And that does not include the incremental loss on the sliding scale.

So it’s safe to say, Tiger Woods will top the ranking at the end of 2008. How much longer he stays there can only be determined by how long he goes into 2009 without playing.

My guess: He’ll be back for the 2009 Buick Invitational–as the No. 1 ranked player in the world.

And on when Haney found out the news:

Haney said Woods seemed intent on gutting out the Open and seeing if he could finish the year, but the knee worsened over each of the five tournament days. Ice and painkillers got him to the finish line, but on Monday night, a few hours after Woods hoisted his third U.S. Open trophy, Haney’s phone rang on the way to the airport.

“He said, ‘We’re done for the year,’” Haney said.

Then we heard from the PGA Tour – initially and more measured after the fact.

First, The Commish:

“For an athlete as talented and competitive as Tiger Woods, taking the rest of the season off must have been an incredibly difficult, yet necessary decision, one that we understand and support completely. The fact that he needs additional surgery only makes his performance and victory at last week’s U.S. Open all the more impressive. First and foremost, our concern — as it would be for any of our players facing surgery or illness — is for Tiger’s health and overall well-being, both on and off the golf course. We wish him the best toward a speedy recovery.”

Then Ty Votaw tried to turn those Ponte Vedra, Comcast, NBC, and CBS frowns upside down by playing up the other guys on Tour:

“We see a vast amount of potential for something that’s drastically different than doom and gloom,” Votaw said Thursday, one day after Woods said he was out for the year and needed surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

“There’s no question it’s a negative, you can’t sugarcoat that, and there will be some negative fallout,” Votaw said.

“But, look, Tiger doesn’t play every tournament, he usually plays 17 or 18 and we have 47 events. Tiger’s impact to these events won’t be felt as much. What you hope is that other players are going to get a bigger share of the TV audience, the media’s interest and the fans’ imagination.”

Votaw suggested that some of the players who won while Woods was sidelined for the two-month period after the Masters — Adam Scott, Anthony Kim, Sergio Garcia and Mickelson — represent a mix of branded stars and a rookie with an upside who offer an appealing alternative to Woods while he is sidelined.

“If this is prologue to what we have ahead of us, we’ll see other players and their story lines come to the fore,” he said.

Well, since ratings dip between 33% and 50% when he isn’t in the field, I doubt that will be true. But, sure. Votaw has to say those things. He can’t tell everyone to push the panic button. Besides, the Tour is locked in TV contracts with all of the networks and the sponsors are almost all sewn up in long-term deals. The Tour is bulletproof financially because of Woods.

But, according to Darren Rovell at CNBC, the folks at Nike, GM, Accenture, and PepsiCo (owners of Gatorade) are going to be losing some big bucks because of the injury:

In order to get an estimate as to how much would be lost, I called Eric Wright of Joyce Julius & Associates, a firm that breaks down logos on the field of play and translates it into equivalent television advertising time.

Assuming that Woods would play in nine more tournaments, and conservatively betting that Woods would win four of them, Wright estimated that lack of having Tiger’s swooshes out on the course would result in $65 million to $75 million worth of lost exposure.

Since Buick is on Woods’ bag and occasionally gets into the shot while he’s playing, Wright said Buick will lose out on $5 million to $10 million of exposure.

Finally, since doing a deal with Gatorade, Woods has been chugging it out on the course. The shots where Woods actually has drink in hand are rare, but Wright says Gatorade will miss out on about $2 million in exposure with Woods being off the course.

And, just in case you’re not completely sure of how much golf relies on Tiger Woods, he can’t play in either the AT&T National or Chevron World Challenges – the two events in which he is official host and his charity the beneficiary. Wow.

Then, last, but not least are the quacks who legitimately think Tiger is lying of faking…not named Retief Goosen. I’m not linking to that crap.

In my monthly column over at Sports Central, I talk about the seriousness of slow play. I know, it’s my crusade topic for this season. But, I talk about it in light of the 5 hour rounds of the final pairings at the Masters and the Players Championship. Also, I talk about how Tim Finchem appears to be stepping up to the plate with some options. Last, I mention how everyone wins if those options are implemented regardless of trying to clean up slow play.