US PGA Tour's new cut policy leads to anomalies

FOOD POISOINING ROBS FERRIE
OF WEEKEND ACTION AND
OFFICIAL MONEY
+ FEDEX CUP POINTS



North-east of England player Kenneth Ferrie had to pull out of the Sony Open before the start of Saturday's third round at Honolulu, Hawaii. The rookie on the US PGA Tour had made the cut by three strokes at four under par for the first 36 holes.
Ferrie, pictured right, was suffering from food poisoning.
He will receive a payment from the US PGA Tour of $10,706 but it will not be regarded as "official money won" - which could be important at the end of the season if Ferrie is fighting to retain his card as one of the leading 125 money-winners.
The second blow for the Englishman is that he receives no Fedex Cup qualifying points.
The irony of the situation is that under the US PGA Tour's new cut policy, another 18 men who did not play at the weekend were paid OFFICIAL MONEY.
Under tour regulations, anyone who withdraws or is disqualified for any reason after making the cut is paid last place, unofficial prize money.
"It's always been that way," tournament director Mark Russell said, pointing at the regulations. "I'm reading out of the book of laws. We're bound by these regulations."
US Open champion Angel Cabrera and John Daly were among 18 players who finished among the top 70 and ties but did not qualify for weekend play because the cut exceeded 78 players. The figure was reduced to those nearest to the figure of 70 -- 69 players on 139 or better.
They were paid $9,699, which counts toward the money list, and they received 46 points toward the FedEx Cup.
Ferrie would have been eligible for 53 points had he played and finished last.
The cut policy has come under heavy criticism from some players. It was approved by the policy board in November, and designed to avoid weekends on tour when as many as 80 players - all those tied for 70th place - made the cut, which mean two-tee starts in threesomes, leading to tedious rounds of 5 1/2hr and longer.
In the first tournament with his policy in place, 87 players with totals of level par 140 and better would have made the cut under the old system. Because that number exceeded 78, the tour only allowed the closest number to 70 players -- in this case, 69 players at one under par 139 -- to play on the weekend.
In Ferrie's case, he would have been better off finishing at even par.
However, this payment regulation also applies at tournaments where weather delays force the cut to be closest to 70. Players who don't qualify for the weekend still get paid official money, while someone who withdraws in the final round would not.


Confused? Not half as much as hapless Kenneth Ferrie.