Welcome to Balls in the Air, where I size up my Fantasy Golf picks of the week, featuring guys to watch (or not) and interesting story lines. Disclaimer: Don’t yell at me if my picks suck.

First of all, I’d like to take a second to give myself a big-freaking-high-five for posting this before the tournament started. (I know, finally.)

/HI-5!

Okay, I feel so much better about myself after that. Hoo-ray. Because you all care, I’m sure. Moving on to the picks!

Group A

Phil Mickelson: The defending champ needs to step up after a crappy showing on the West Coast swing. You gotta figure he’s found a new putting stroke by now (though not sure what was wrong with the one from the end of last season). It’s time to get hot, Phil — apparently Tiger is coming back soon, so the time is winding down to move closer to that number-one spot.

Group A Bencher

Steve Stricker: Safe pick…for every week. He’s a fantastic alternate to fill in for a potential no-show Phil. Hell, it would probably be smarter to have Phil on the bench. Stricks surpassed him as the number two in the world rankings after he won the Northern Trust Open. He’s placed in the top-10 in three for three starts.

Group B

Camilo Villegas: Uh, heard he’s playing pretty well on the course in between his job as the ambassador of Colombia. Apparently he has a lot of fans out in Miami (se habla Espanol). I’m told when he came second to Tiger in 2006, he overshadowed him (yes, seriously!). But he’s had more rest and not sleeping in his own bed this week, so might be a gamble.

Jim Furyk: My friend Kevin reminded me that Furyk has an excellent record at Doral (T2 in ‘08 and 3 in ‘09). He also advised me to take Furyk over Rory McIlroy, so if Furyk shoots, like, 76 every day, then I’m taking a hit out on him.

Group B Benchers

Rory McIlroy: The 20-year-old from Northern Ireland will be the first to share cover time with Tiger on Tiger Woods PGA Tour ‘11. He picked up some tips from Jack Nicklaus at lunch last week because he’s eager to learn. And he’s been playing Doral since he was, like, nine.

Geoff Ogilvy: He hasn’t done anything spectacular since he won the season-opening SBS Championship. (Maybe the new baby is keeping him up?) But he sure loves World Golf Championship events with three wins tucked away.

Group C

Paul Casey: Three top-10s in three starts. When asked what he’d say to Tiger on the first tee, he replied, “Nike 1, blue dot. I don’t know, what do you say?” Exactly.

Group C Bencher

Ian Poulter: He won the WGC Match Play Championship. Enough said.

Well, that’s all. Great field this week. For the record, I wanted to pick Alvaros Quiros to shake things up — the dude is fun to watch and hits the ball so far he almost makes J.B. Holmes look like Tim Clark. But I guess I’m laying up while wearing orange pants.

Welcome to Balls in the Air, where I size up my Fantasy Golf picks of the week, featuring guys to watch (or not) and interesting story lines. Disclaimer: Don’t yell at me if my picks suck.

I swear I’m going to get better at posting this on a weekly (and more timely) basis, but mostly it’s because I haven’t come up with lyrics for a “Balls in the Air” theme song. Submissions are welcome.

Group A

Anthony Kim: Aside from the third round 76 at the Phoenix Open, Mr. Shiny Belt Buckle had a great tournament. No word whether he was hitting it hard at the Bird’s Nest on Friday night. Oh, and this is good — he’s paired with Robert Allenby the first two rounds. Fight, fight, fight!

Group A Bencher

Ernie Els: The options were slim, so it was either the Big Easy or someone like Steve Marino. Ernie is off to a quick start with two top-10 finishes at the Farmers Insurance Open and Northern Trust Open. Even though his three-year campaign to challenge Tiger Woods as the world’s number one has expired, maybe it comes with a one-year extension plan.

Group B

Rory McIlroy: Gotta love this kid. More important, he wouldn’t have laid up from 231 yards on a par 5 when he was in contention. At least I hope not.

Camilo Villegas: The flashy Colombian has been playing very well. In two starts, he finished third at the Match Play Championship and T8 at last week’s Phoenix Open, including a 9-under 62 in the first round. After complaining last year about the oh-so-grueling year-long golf schedule, he talked about his overall improvement in attitude and appreciation for the opportunity to play. They grow up so quickly!

Group B Benchers

Y.E. Yang: The defending champ is always a safe pick. He also played well last week despite a mental error, where he dunked it in the water, on the 17th hole last Sunday. But last night on Twitter, he mentioned having back pain. Not a good sign and something went wrong today — he shot (gulp) 79.

J.B. Holmes: I have a soft spot for the slow-moving long hitter after speaking with him last week at the Phoenix Open. Really nice guy. He’s also started the year hot with a runner-up finish at the A&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and third at the Northern Trust Open.

Group C

Paul Casey: In two starts, he finished runner-up at the Match Play Championship after losing to Ian Poulter in the finals, and T10 at the SBS Championship. Another safe pick. (Honestly, I’m ashamed how boring I’m getting.)

Group C Bencher

Rickie Fowler: I’m still kinda appalled with his gutless play coming down the stretch. John Hawkins summed it up very well, “Hey dude, did it ever cross your mind that you could make an eagle? You’re Rickie Freakin’ Fowler, the New Kid in Town, the second coming of Lanny…You believe, Rickie, because that’s what champions do. Better safe than sorry? Sometimes, they mean the same thing.” Lucky for him he’ll have another chance sooner than later — can’t discredit him for being able to play. As he heads into the Florida swing, it’ll be interesting to see how he does when not on familiar territory.

Alright, leaderboard check! The soft-spoken Australian, Nathan Green, leads with an early 5-under. Some guys called Alexandre Rocha and Michael Connell are tied for second along with Oliver Wilson and Villegas. Watching the telecast, looks like tough conditions with the wind blowing hard.

Someone else to keep an eye on is rookie Alex Prugh. He’s placed in the top-ten three times and made five cuts in five starts. After a few off-weeks, he’s in the clubhouse with a 68 and T10.

I realize I sound like a broken record this week with some of my picks — you know, so-and-so is playing well, which was annoying because it seemed like I have nothing more interesting to say. But if you’ve discovered a formula that doesn’t involve looking at the players’ current season results and their past performance at that tournament or simply going with your gut, then please share. Maybe next week I’ll get a little crazy and point my finger at the screen with my eyes closed and see which name it lands on.

At least Villegas is making me look smart.

When something bothers Sergio Garcia — whether it’s justified or not — he can’t seem to help but whine.

After being clobbered by Ian Poulter in the semifinals of the Accenture Match Play Championship, Serg insisted (see above), “You should have played it, you should have played it!”

/sniffle-sniffle

He was referring to the line of sight ruling dispute on the 7th hole. Poulter requested a free drop because of the TV tower that stood between his ball and the pin. Sergio — who was on the green but 80 feet away, mind you — even backed up Poults to the old, cranky rules official. Twenty minutes and two officials later, Poults was granted relief, but his drop would have given him a worse lie. So he justifiably chose to play it from the original spot.

Well, apparently Serg had a problem that Poults didn’t take the drop after stirring up such a scene. But Poults did nothing wrong. He was simply exploring his options in an important match, so he could take the next best shot. His ball was in a tough spot, but it wasn’t bad enough for him to simply concede the hole. He was probably also thinking, “Well, Sergio has 80 feet, and you know, the odds of him three-putting aren’t bad.”

Dude, Serg, get over it. You got beat 7&6. You even managed to make a six-footer under pressure to win that hole. What’s the point of making a fuss — particularly before Poults had even picked up his ball?

Whether he’s whining about Augusta being “unfair” and “too hard” or blaming the ghosts at Carnoustie for losing the British Open, it’s always something with him.

But more important, what the hell is on his neck?

Like the rest of us, Tiger’s colleagues are reflecting on his leave of absence from golf — here’s a round-up of some of the more interesting comments:

THE SAD:

“Contrary to what everybody believes, the tour will go on, but he will be sorely missed, there is no doubt about it. You take probably the greatest competitor we’ve seen in the game out of the equation [and] it’s going to be a downer. It’s going to be tough for everybody.” —Chris DiMarco

THE LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE:

“I think the mystique has gone. He is suddenly, and I hate to say it, more normal now. Let’s hope golf is not damaged by that. It shouldn’t be…It will have an impact on every tournament Tiger plays. There was an aura, but that has been split. It gives you more opportunity of winning these events.” —Colin Montgomerie

THE DISAPPOINTED BUT OPPORTUNISTIC:

“I’m a big fan of his, a friend of his, and I miss him. I love watching him play, like everyone else. The good news for the rest of us is it’s going to be a lot easier to win tournaments without Tiger playing. But we need him out here. What he’s done for our tour and golf over the last 13 years is unparalleled, really. Whenever he comes back, hopefully it’s smooth sailing and he’ll be better than ever.” —Mark Calcavecchia

THE ECONOMICALLY TOPICAL:

“I don’t think it’s going to help anything, that’s for sure. Especially with the recession we’re in now. It’s hard enough to find sponsors, and now without Tiger it’s going to be a challenge…I think there will be an effect. We all know that. There is an effect when he doesn’t play in a tournament, let alone taking time off. He has been golf since he turned pro. And he’s delivered on all of the expectations and more.” —Nick Price

THE THIS IS PARTIALLY OUR FAULT:

“I think it’s unfair how we have built him up over the years. Obviously on the course he’s one of a kind. No one really know what he was like off the course. He’s a tough guy to get around. He has his own little group. I know him strictly basically on the professional level, at tournaments, some of those team events. But I think it’s a little unfair how we judged him. And really, shame on us for thinking that’s all he went home to do, think about golf and practice and that was it. You know, so it’s a shock. It’s most definitely a shock to everybody to hear what’s been going on. But, you know, hopefully he gets it straight. Staying away I think is a great thing to get his family life in order. There’s no question we’re gonna miss him out here. Hopefully he gets his priorities straight and gets back soon.” —Steve Stricker

THE PISSED-OFF:

“What he did was totally wrong and he’s got no one to blame except himself. That’s up to him if he wants to get his family life in order. It’s a hard thing to come back from.” —Craig Parry

THE VOICE OF REASON:

“My advice to him last week was that he should have come out a lot earlier, told the truth, got it all out…He definitely screwed up. I think a lot of people are in shock. Everybody has to realize that Tiger Woods is a human and he was put on a pedestal of being non-human…They always say there is no one bigger in golf than the game itself. But Tiger is. I hope we get him back soon. Golf needs him.” —John Daly

THE DON’T DRAG ME INTO THIS MESS:

“I am a straight-up sort of person. I tell it like it is. Last year, at the same particular point of time, is when I had the confrontation with Phil Mickleson [the world’s No 2 ranked golfer]. I didn’t lie about it – I called the guy a prick. I never said I didn’t call him a prick. I never denied one word of what I said…I had no knowledge of what Tiger’s indiscretion was. And for Rick Reilly to turn around and say that I am a liar and there is no way I couldn’t know – and that I should be fired – that is sensational journalism at its height right there. I am an honest person. I had no knowledge of what was going on [with Tiger]. If I did, I would say I did.” —Steve Williams

THE IRRATIONALLY WORRIED:

“If he doesn’t return, it’s a scary vision. It’s a very scary vision. We’re under no illusion how prosperous we’ve been with Tiger Woods playing in our era. There are a lot of global stars on their way up. But they’re not quite ready to replace Tiger.” —Graeme McDowell

THE I WANT ANSWERS BUT I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT MY OWN PRIVATE LIFE:

“The tour has got to be worried, because what’s the definition of ‘indefinite’? Does indefinite mean, ‘OK, it might be a year because a lot of issues have got to be resolved’? That’s the word you’ve got to kind of drill in on.” —Greg Norman

THE DELUSIONAL OPTIMIST:

“No doubt we’re gonna miss him. But he ain’t bigger than the game and he’d probably [be] the first one to tell you that.” —Boo Weekley

THE KINDA LAME:

“He has not said he is not coming back. And he’s by far the best player in the world. When he does come back, he will continue to be No. 1. And he will be expected to win golf tournaments immediately.” —Ian Poulter

I’d really like to hear what Phil Mickelson has to say — but he probably can’t be reached for comment because he’s too busy reveling.

[Photo by Mark Dadswell/Getty Images AsiaPac]

Nice Effing Pants will bring you the wackiest, ugliest and coolest pants (or skorts) in golf — from the pros to the mediocre weekend golfer. Please send submissions to steph.wei@gmail.com.

With all the zany outfits Ian Poulter wears, he can usually work it pretty well, merely because of the way he carries himself. For instance, remember at the British Open when he appeared to be draped in his national flag? (And when he was playing terribly, the commentators dared say his clothes were a distraction, which was totally preposterous.)

But any style maven is going to have an off-day — Poults had one of these at the HSBC Champions when he wore purple plaid pants with a dash of red. So, let’s hope they get lost in his recession-proof closet.

[Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images AsiaPac]

It appears we have our first mid-round tweet (gasp!). Rewind back to the US Open when Ian Poulter snapped a picture of his infamous mud ball. But surprisingly, under Rule 14-3, the USGA said he didn’t break any rules.

Given Parker didn’t gain knowledge to assist his play or distract another player (that we know of), he’s in the clear. He didn’t cause the outrage that Poulter did when he tweeted a photo of Camilo Villegas and Justin Rose flipping off the camera. Or when Stewart Cink complained about his unreliable AT&T service. Then again, Parker McLachlin isn’t Ian Poulter or Stewart Cink.

Oh, by the way — Parker bogeyed the 5th hole.

[Parker McLachlin’s Twitter Feed]

Last week Golf Digest’s Marty Hackel, otherwise known as “Mr. Style,” was kind enough to chat with me about golf fashion, the PGA and LPGA Tours’ best dressed — and the players that need help the most.

The preppy and traditional look is coming back in a big way generally speaking in fashion. How can you incorporate those looks into your golf wardrobe without looking costumed or like a tool?

I think we sometimes get too fixated on what you’re wearing and need to focus on how you’re wearing it. You can take tan bermuda shorts and a white button-up and wear it with a degree of a dressiness; if you want to be preppy, you probably have a grosgrain ribbon belt or the khakis are leathered out and there’s no “tech” in them. I think tech is great in certain things. For example, I think outerwear tech is terrific, like Gore-Tex. It’s fabulous and when it’s used properly, it makes great rain gear. We’ve gotten way too techy. It’s created a buzz and people saw: “It doesn’t look like I sweat and that’s a good thing, I’m going to buy more. Polyester is lightweight material, I don’t even feel like I have it on.” Tech is great in footwear and hosiery. Tech can be good in wearing apparel when used properly. It’s synthetic product — generally speaking. We make a huge mistake. We get too focused on sportswear. It doesn’t have to be golf-specific. Why can’t you wear a woven golf shirt on the course?

John Paul Newport wrote a column earlier this year about the return of the “Full Cleveland” — white shoes and white belts — and it appeared to be a big trend this year. What do you think about that look?

White belts came back more, particularly in the first part of the year. And this Full Cleveland thing, come on, please, what are you talking about…there are a couple of players on the Tour. We misread this a little bit. I think white belts are great on thin guys that are tall. They’re not great on guys with a 38-inch waist. Don’t wear white unless you have holster attached to that belt and badge attached to your shirt, then wear your white belt. Period.

Phil gets a lot of grief about his wardrobe. And recently he wore white pants the week he won the Tour Championship. What’s your general feel on him these days?

His shirts have gotten a little snug. It’s way better than a few years ago when his shirts were oversized. Clothes don’t make you look thinner — diets do. Americans think oversized shirts make you look thinner, but they don’t. Next few people you hear criticize Phil, ask them to look in the mirror. Because it’s mostly oversized guys. He’s not batting a thousand, but who is on the PGA?

FanHouse named Ryo Ishikawa “Best-Dressed in ‘09.” How would you describe Ryo’s look?

He’s costumed, very programmed. There’s not a lot of creativity there. I would like to see what he wears when he loses his luggage. But I think he looks great on Tour.

And how about Fred Couples? I love his classic style.

He looks silly. He’s done more to confuse people about good fit in the past 20 years. I love Freddie. As a human being, he’s a lovable guy. Every woman thinks he’s handsome. I just think his shirts are too big. He’s always pulling up his sleeves before he hits the ball. I think a lot of women say you should look like Freddie Couples, but it’s not because of the clothes.

Who are the best dressers and why?

I’m a big Watson fan. Elkington has the best taste on Tour. Kuchar looks great all the time. He’s terrific. He puts it together well, he’s in good shape, he wears things that are appropriate, he has a good idea of style and he carries himself well. Almost all the time Tiger looks great in everything but his trousers. He’s my textbook example of someone who carries it well. He’s put good fit more on the map than anyone. Charles Howell looks good and can look even better. Just trim up his shirts a little more, so he’s not wearing quite as much of oversized shirts. It would be fine tuning with a guy like Howell, not an overhaul. It would be dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s. You don’t have to be young to look great. Jason Gore always looks great to me. That’s a big guy who looks great! You don’t have to be 140 pounds to look great. The way he carries himself, he has a good taste, he knows a good pair of trousers when he sees it.

I think Stewart Cink looks great — he wears bright colors, he wears clothes that fit, he has some fun, he certainly dresses within himself. I mean, he looks terrific!

I’ll give you another example of a player who wears nice clothes, but carries them to the greatest amount of confidence and looks terrific in them — Rich Beem in Oakley. He has a lot of fun with it. But you know, I like Alex Cejka because he’s in shape and wears clothes that fit. So does Will MacKenzie. So does Camilo. Has Camilo ever looked bad? I don’t think so.

Most of the Spanish guys look fabulous. Alvaros Quiros! He looks like a million bucks. You wanna know why? He’s got great personality! There’s something terrific about him. Soren Hansen looks great to me all the time, love him. Most of the guys that I think look great are European. Because they understand fit much better.

Who needs the most help?

Justin Rose needs help. Everything is one slice off. He doesn’t wear the right combination. He doesn’t wear the stuff that fits him properly. The clothes are fine, it’s the way you wear them. And I think that’s a huge challenge. Huge challenge. Everyone says Woody Austin is a bad dresser. It’s not that he’s a bad dresser, it’s that he doesn’t wear the right stuff and size for him. He’s a terrific golfer and he’s not in terribly bad shape, but he certainly looks that way, doesn’t he? I’ll give you an example of someone who has huge potential to look great. Bill Haas. He’s dressing like his father! He should be dressing like himself. He wears those old man trousers. Everything is oversized!

Biggest fashion faux pas?

What’s not wearing appropriate for your body type. That’s a mistake most people make.

Marty to me: Who’s on your top 5 list?
Me: On mine…Off the top of my head?
Him: No, I want it off the bottom of your head. Yes, of course off the top of your head.
Me: I know Poulter is a little outlandish but I think he always looks great. I mean, how many people can pull off the British flag get-up he wore at the British Open?
Him: Ian Poulter looks great! Once again, classic example of not what you wear, but how you wear. I’m with you on that.
Me: I like Aaron Baddeley’s style, too.
Him: He does! I don’t know what people say Aaron dresses Badd-e-ley. But I think they just like the play on words.

Who would you like to go on a shopping trip with?

Rory Sabbatini would be on my shopping team — if I had to go shopping with 5 guys on Tour, he would be on that list. Elkington would be and so would Darren Clarke. Those three guys right away because they would be great to go shopping because they know what they’re doing. Sometimes I don’t like everything that Rory Sabbatini wears, but I’ll defend him all day long because he doesn’t dress like an Ottoman, he doesn’t dress like he’s been manufactured to look one way, he dresses to his own drummer.

What do you think about the logos? Do you think they are cheapening up the game?

Here we go again with everyone trying to get me to compare golf to NASCAR Racing. And yeah, I think you can overdo it, but these guys are just trying to make a buck. I mean, I think we’re about maxed out right now. I don’t want to see it getting any bigger and I don’t want to see any more logos. I think it’s getting a little confusing. But they’re independent contractors and they’re trying to make money.

How do you feel about the women’s side of things?

There’s where I have a huge problem with too much logo. I don’t like when the LPGA wears a lot of logos. It’s probably because I’m chauvinistic and I like women to look like women. I don’t think women should dress on the golf course like they’re men. I’d like to see them have a little more fun. I think they should dress like they’re stylish women and there are plenty of great golf lines out there — Polo, PAHR Golf Birdie, Adidas — Suzann Pettersen always looks like a million bucks and she wears Nike.

What about girls like Christina Kim? I think she always looks put together and fashionable.

That’s her personality, she sells whatever she wears. She’s a great example of it’s not what you wear but how you wear it. She has fun with it and she smiles and she has a great time. That’s really important. And you don’t have to be a world-class LPGA player — Charlotte Mayorkas, Anna Rawson — these aren’t household names but these gals look like a million bucks all the time.

Well, Anna Rawson can probably wear anything and look great.

Oh that’s true. Or nothing. Either way.

And how about Natalie Gulbis?

Well she’s very consistent. She dresses very athletically, she’s going to wear super-short skorts, she’s not afraid to wear some color and pretty aware of what she’s wearing all the time. It’s not exactly what I like, but at least she’s marching to her own drummer.

How do you feel about Paula Creamer’s pink fetish?

She doesn’t have to wear all pink, we get it’s her color and she likes it. When she wears all pink, she looks like a drum majorette. All she needs is a baton.

What brand that isn’t designing golf clothes would you like to see doing so?

Easy question. Giorgio Armani. Jil Sander. Wouldn’t that be great? I would like to see Prada in golf. You can wear Prada and play golf. You don’t have to call it “golf.” You just call it “great stuff.”

Would you ever design a line?

No, I have much more fun critiquing everyone else. Way much more fun. And I have a lot of opinions as you’ve probably gathered. But I think that’s what makes it fun. We need to have a little more fun, especially in this day and age when we’re stressed all day long with the economy and everything else going on. And golf should be one of those things.

To sum it up, what’s your best advice for the average golfer to look good.

Buy what’s appropriate for your body. Buy what’s not going to make you feel self-conscious. Buy what puts a smile on your face. And rather than buy three things, buy one thing that’s really good. Pick your spot. Make a commitment, decide what you want and go for it.

What are your favorite blogs?

The Sartorialist, Geoff Shackelford, style.com, Golf Digest and Gawker.

Marty Hackel is the Fashion Editor at Golf Digest. For more, go to GolfDigest.com.

Ian Poulter, an avid tweeter, is sometimes displeased by the not-so-amicable “@replies” from a few of his 696,818 followers — so much that he freely fires back with his own choice words. And it’s hilariously entertaining. Get-a-round-in caught the latest feud:

Last month someone thought he tweeted too much. Poulter took offense and rallied his loyal followers to prank the guy (read from bottom to top):

Advice: Don’t insult Poults on Twitter.

[h/t NiceBallz]

Monty targeted Poulter for opting not to play in this week’s Vivendi Trophy match. Poulter joined seven other players that turned down their invitations. Padraig Harrington and Luke Donald are playing in the Tour Championship, and Paul Casey and Martin Kaymer are injured. Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Justin Rose didn’t have commitments this week.

Apparently Monty and Poulter have a feud that traces back to last year’s Ryder Cup. Poulter didn’t play in the last qualifying event because he banked on Nick Faldo’s captain pick. As Monty likes to do, he voiced his objections and Poulter responded with his own strong words. It soon escalated to a heated disagreement between them via the media.

So that would explain why Monty chose to direct criticism solely toward Poulter.

I spoke to Miguel Angel Jiménez. He’s never missed one of these and never would miss one. Good for him and I’m the same and Paul McGinley the same and Thomas. I haven’t spoken to Ian at all. Please don’t make any big issue of this.

As he should know, it was inevitable to become one.

I would like to focus on the players that are here and not the players that are not. It does give an opportunity for those who would not otherwise have played to impress not just the captains and their team-mates, but me also. You could have over half the [Ryder Cup] team playing here quite easily and it will be interesting to see who performs within a team environment.

So, he’s saying Poulter isn’t a team player. This time around Poulter decided to respond in a civil manner. He explained his decision via Twitter.

It would have been great to play the seve trophy, but the schedule becomes very difficult to play every event, so important not to burn out

And he wants to spend time with his family because he’ll be away for six straight weeks starting in November. Understandable. Because of the Tour’s schedule, the last few months were a tiring, long stretch for most players.

It also doesn’t seem like he’s offended by the comments as he added that Monty will be an inspiring Ryder Cup captain. At least Poulter has learned not to add more fuel to the fire.

[h/t Shane Bacon/FanHouse]

It’s finally here: The sprint to the finish of the oh-so-riveting-and-prestigious FedEx Cup playoffs is set to go at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. 30 players are vying for the oversized $10 million purse. After the first leg, I thought the FEC really sucked and after the second, I said it was getting kinda interesting. On the eve of the Tour Championship, we might return to suck.

Perhaps the format is the best it’s been in its three-year history — the Tour rectified some of the flaws in the system for this year’s edition to heighten the intrigue and create more volatility. Has it achieved that, though? The points have been reset, but the standings haven’t. The top 5 players have a huge advantage and are the only ones with a solid chance. And those would be (in order of their standing) Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson and Heath Slocum.

The Tour has emphasized that everyone has a mathematical shot, but really, it’s a sham. John Senden, who is in 30th place, can take the Cup if he wins and Tiger finishes last. And the chances of that happening are…slim to none. Sure, that appears to be somewhat the Tour’s intention — to reward consistent play throughout the entire season with more emphasis on those who finish strong in the playoff events.

That’s also flawed. Two words: Heath Slocum. He entered The Barclays, the first leg, ranked 124th, and after winning, he moved to 3rd. So there’s the volatility. But after missing the cut at the Deutsche Bank Championship and finishing a mediocre T38 at the BMW Championship, he’s still in 5th place! Shouldn’t he also be “punished” for that? And not just by moving down two spots.

There are some other guys that got hot during the playoffs, like John Senden, Marc Leishman and Jason Dufner. They stepped it up when it mattered — it’s comparable to a scenario in the NBA playoffs when the team with one of the worst records upsets the one with the best. Fair enough.

But shouldn’t the Tour Championship also include the players that performed consistently or won in the regular season? Off the top of my head, there’s Ian Poulter, Camilo Villegas, Charley Hoffman (who at one point made a gazillion cuts in a row), Rory Sabbatini, Anthony Kim, Ryan Moore and Tim Clark aren’t in the field. Sure, perhaps they didn’t perform so great in the FEC, but the Tour’s finale should showcase all of the year’s best players.

And if for some reason Tiger plays like total garbage and doesn’t win the Cup, it would totally make sense. Right. He won 6 times, including one of the playoff events.

Though the powers-that-be have shoved the excitement and significance of the FEC and perfectly logical points system down everyone’s throats (I mean, have you seen the commercials?), the playoffs are still completely contrived. The Tour Championship is an important tournament, but the extra crap is unnecessary. The only way to fix it is to enter the finale with a clean slate (no one gets the points anyway) and make it stroke play. Or to make it match play. But the latter would never happen, because God forbid, Tiger is ousted in his first match. Then, people would care even less and TV ratings would plummet and we’re back to exactly what this is — a mediocre tournament to get people to watch golf after the PGA Championship.

All that said, the playoffs aren’t about what’s better for golf. Let’s be real, it’s just about one thing: money.