Woods, Mickelson to play Tour Championship - FedEx Cup a success! Also, Tiger blows off Grand Slam

With both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson preparing to play in the Tour Championship, some are pointing to this as a definitive success for Tim Finchem’s grand FedEx Cup playoffs plan.

And by all means, it will make for an interesting Tour Championship, especially with both Tiger and Lefty playing at a seriously high level. It should be a stellar finish.

Of course, if this is considered a success for the FedEx Cup, then what does it mean that Woods won’t be playing in the Grand Slam of Golf?

“Woods withdraws from Grand Slam of Golf”

World No 1 Tiger Woods has pulled out of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in October so he can spend more time with his wife and new baby daughter, Sam Alexis.

“It’s been a long year,” said Woods, who is in Atlanta this week competing at the Tour Championship.

“And, given some new, personal obligations, it is very important that I take some extended time off and spend it with my family.”

The 2003 US Open winner Jim Furyk will replace Woods in the four-man field at the event to be held October 15-17 in Bermuda.

“While we are disappointed that the world’s No. 1 player will not be able to join us this year in Bermuda, we certainly understand and respect his decision to be with his family,” said PGA of America president Brian Whitcomb.

Woods is in the midst of a busy stretch of golf which will see him play seven events over an 11 week period. He then plans to take a 10-week break from golf – one of the longest of his career.

Woods has won the event seven times in his illustrious career. So while the Tour Championship gets some added luster, the Grand Slam - with a field of Furyk, Angel Cabrera, Zach Johnson and Padraig Harrington - gets lost in the shuffle.

–WKW