by Jim LePera
It's not Tiger's task to make or break any event...why should he play in Barclays? He has just finished winning two in a row...a major and another invitational event on the PGA Tour schedule...

by Bob Steinberg
I'm disappointed Tiger has decided to take a week off. But, we'll get over it if he plays in the other tournaments and the players put on a good show.

by Andy
I'm pretty sure the PGA wants Tiger to miss the first one....what fun would it be if he showed up and won the first? Obviously, it's all about drama, which would be non-existent if he were to win the first. I'm surprised it isn't planned for him to only make the last two. Now that would be interesting, watching Tiger fight and claw his way to the overall fed ex cup win, in only two tournaments. It's all planned out.....I'll watch it just because I like watching the best players in the world. In the back of my mind I know it's just a big Corporate hype fest. But, What isn't these days?

by Bruce Thom
With virtually every player in the field ranging in age from late 20s to very early 40s, and all of them wealthy beyond their dreams of avarice, why in God's name would they get excited about an annuity that kicks in 25-30 years from now? Tiger is skipping the event, quite simply, because a) he's tired b) he doesn't need the money or c) his agent can arrange a corporate outing for a million or so with no pressure. Look how few "name" players showed up last week....

by William Chunyk
Everything starts out in doubt! Easy to be a naysayer. It sure would have helped to have the winner recieve a real check for 10M instead of some lame 1.5M annuity! Whats the deal?

by jja
The FedExCup is all about hype. It's trying to determine who is the 2nd best golfer of the year. Golf fans really don't care about a contrived playoff system like the Nat'l Hockey and Basketball Leagues! The definition of "playoff" assumes that teams or players are equal and therefore a tiebreaker is necessary. This FedExCup playoff is just a means of generating money. It's weak, I have no interest in it and hope it fades away.

by Dan Smith
I believe whoever came up with The FedEx Cup doesn't understand the golf viewer. Although we love watching great, competitive golf, stretching it over four tournements will cause most of us to lose interest rather quickly. We like the idea of the winner being proclaimed on Sunday. We like the finality of it. We like the do or die of it. Where is the anticipation when the current tournement doesn't necessarily matter, ie; Tiger missing the Barclays? It seems to me that this whole thing was produced to get Tiger involved in 'end of season' golf. Some things are better left alone. If viewership equals pay check, reduce the end of season pay checks and keep golf as it was.
Dan

by William Tweedle
Tiger, like a lot of other golfers and TV viewers, knows the FEDEXCUP is a hyped-up pseudo-title created by corporate flaks. Does Tiger really need an annuity when he decides to retire? Retirement for Tiger will probably be a couple of weeks after he wins his 19th Major.

by Bob
Tiger's not retiring after his 19th major. He will go on until he is 45-50, still winning majors and pushing 25 or 30 so he can have golf immortality, a record not broken in anyone's lifetime who ever saw Tiger play.

by Harry Reid
I have long believed that there are two types of sportsman and in particular two types of golfer- those who are driven to be the best and those who chase the money and enjoy a comfortable living without winning anything. The US tour has made a lot of golfers very rich and there is a comfort zone for many. The public has realised this and the interest has wained causing the TV stations and the sponsors to worry. As a result the FED Ex Cup has been dreamed up. At the end of the day golf followers will only remember the winners of majors, the guys that performed when it matters, the guys who held it together coming down the stretch etc. The fact that Tiger Woods has chosen not to play in the first tournament tells me that (a) He feels that he can win it without giving it his full attention and that he can still win it giving the others a start (b) what is the big deal anyway? (c) the money isn't important (d) the only golfers who are really interested in this are the also rans who have crept in to the cut and can make a couple of more pay days. To be honest, what is in it for Tiger, Jim Furyk, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson etc? These guys are rich beyond our dreams and probably the pay days in the FED EX are less than what they could be earning on a contract to design of a new golf course in Dubai, Thailand etc. To me this is an irrelevant tournament or set of tournaments that will not alter the standing of any golfer in the records of time. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating - how many people will tune in to the final round and the back nine (assuming that there is still a contest running!) Don't get me wrong here, I love golf but here I see nothing but blatant commercialism overriding sport.