FedEx Cup points system to remain same in 2010

November 5, 12:57 PMSF Golf ExaminerGreg Quiroga

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Tiger Woods captured his 2nd FedEx Cup title in 2009. Come 
2010, no one will have to learn a new points system (Photo:AP)

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2009 FedEx Cup Playoffs Coverage

• The FedEx Cup Playoffs in Pictures
• Final FedEx Cup Points Standings: Tiger Woods Wins Cup 
• Mickelson Handily Wins Tour Championship
• Guide to the 2009 FedEx Cup Playoffs
  
• Breakdown of the Tour Championship Points Reset

The PGA Tour released the schedule for the 2010 FedEx Cup points race this week, and made one major announcement about the current points system: it will stay the same as 2009. That means that 2010 will mark the first time in the Cup's short lifespan that the Tour hasn't altered the points system in any way between seasons.

• Complete wrap-up of the 2009 FedEx Cup Playoffs

"We think the FedEx Cup did a lot of positive things and met the objectives we set for it," Rick George, chief of operations for the PGA Tour said Tuesday. "We don't anticipate it changing."

The 2009 points system had many positive impacts on the playoffs, foremost of which was it made every playoff event a must-play event for the entire field. Fans were treated to more tournament appearances by Tiger Woods than ever before, as he rolled to his 2nd career FedEx Cup.

The decision not to alter the points system will also gives fans and pundits alike a chance to do something they've never been able to do before: come in to the season understanding how the system works. For many, the new system was convoluted and required too much math, prompting Steve Stricker to quip, " I'm a NASCAR fan, and I don't understand their point system...and I'm still a NASCAR fan."

But for the PGA Tour, the system worked wonders. Every playoff event featured a full-field of competitors, and the final round of golf at the Tour Championship actually mattered for the first time in the history of the playoffs. The current point system rewarded consistency in the regular season, but put a premium on consistency in the post-season - as a playoff system should.

Come 2010 everyone will be looking to golf's most consistent and dominant golfer to earn his first back-to-back FedEx Cup titles. This time around, no one will have to write a whole new series of guides to understanding the system.