Jordan Spieth, 2015 FedEx Cup Champion and back on top of the world rankings.
Rory McIlroy might have raised a few eyebrows last week when he asserted that he doesn’t get excited playing for a $10m bonus.
Given that he has earned in excess of $28m on the PGA Tour alone and rakes in another $10m from his sponsorship deal with Nike every year it’s easy to understand that McIroy’s motivation has little to do with financial gain and much more to do with winning major titles.
As he also pointed out tour golfers play for over a million dollars week in week out and taking an educated guess, I imagine financial hardship is not a hot topic on the PGA Tour
I’m quite sure McIlroy is not the only one among a group of elite extremely wealthy golfers on tour who would trade the FedEx Cup and its $10m dollar bonus for a major title or two.
Interestingly only Tiger Woods has managed to win a major after his FedExp Cup success. The former World number one followed his 2007 FedEx win by hobbling around Torrey Pines on his way to winning the US Open the following year. Woods’ 2009 win makes him the only golfer with two FedEx Cups to his credit.
2008 winner Vijay Singh managed just one top 10 since his FedEx success, a tie for ninth at the British Open in 2012. In fairness the Fijian was just five years from the Champions Tour at the time with his best years, which did yield three majors, behind him.
There’s no doubting the consistency of 2010 winner Jim Furyk who despite a poor 2011 did recover to post a tie for fourth at the US Open in 2012.
His best major finish since his FedEx victory was second at the 2013 PGA behind Jason Dufner. Furyk however has maintained his competiveness and the 45-year-old is currently World no 16.
The Major record of Bill Haas was unimpressive before his FedEx win in 2011 and didn’t improve very much in the aftermath of his $10m bonus. In 16 attempts, Haas has missed five cuts with a tie for 12th at this year’s Masters his best performance.
Brandt Snedeker did at least manage a few top tens since his win in 2012. A tie for sixth at the Masters just nine months after his FedEx win was followed by a tie for ninth at the US Open in 2014 and a tie for eighth at the same event this year.
Henrik Stenson’s 2013 win was followed with a tie for fourth at the US Open and a tie for third at the British Open the following year but the Swede disappointed in 2015 with a tie for 19th at the Masters his best effort.
Billy Horschel stormed to the FedEx title year last year but has endured a trying 2015 season where his World ranking has fallen from a career high 14th to 66th. Having missed the cut at the Masters, Horschel’s 2015 Majors record reads T25, T30 and T25.
On Sunday last in Atlanta Jordan Spieth turned in a master class in putting en route to winning the Tour Championship and the 2015 FedExp Cup.
Five wins over the season including two majors, $22m in prize money and a return to World number one will be difficult for Spieth to emulate next season but it will be fascinating to watch him try.
