Because there is no door to the Tour Championship other than the front one, this year’s event will be short a player. Dustin Johnson was the 30th and final qualifier, but since the first of August has been on a voluntary leave of absence to “seek professional help for personal challenges I have faced,” according to his statement at the time.
Since there are no alternates and no exceptions to finishing top 30 in the points standings, No. 31, Stuart Appleby, did not automatically move up to take Johnson’s place.
The PGA Tour theory is that there is too much money and too many other perks that come with finishing Top 30 — like guaranteed spots in the Masters, U.S. and British Opens — to include anyone who didn’t strictly qualify.
“That’s just the way the Cup is set up right now,” PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said Tuesday, regarding not replacing a player unable to compete in the playoffs’ last leg. “It may be something we evaluate after this year.”
While he can earn no purse money from the Tour Championship, Johnson will be paid the $175,000 FedEx Cup bonus for finishing 30th in points.
And in Johnson’s absence they will go with 29 players this week at East Lake, not a number evenly divisible by twosomes. No. 29 in the points standings, Gary Woodland, will have the choice of playing by himself or with a non-competing marker Thursday. Whoever stands in last place after each round will be faced with the same choice when they re-draw the twosomes.
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