Tiger Spots The Field The First Tournament

In Commissioner Tim’s FedEx Cup dream the media world is sitting at his feet listening carefully as he describes how golf’s version of the “Final Four” exploded on to a hundred million TV screens, and how each successive week’s tournament was bigger than the week before. Then, with the fate of all mankind at stake, and a TV audience bigger than the Super Bowl, Tiger came from behind to win the $10,000,000 by one FedEx point with a double-eagle on the final hole.

Now, cut to a beautiful sunset with Tiger and Phil, tears of joy running down their faces, carrying Commissioner Tim on their shoulders and whispering in his ear, “Commissioner Tim thank you for saving golf and America.”

Lastly, with his blackberry filled with offers by the networks to drop the Super Bowl just so they would have the opportunity to air next year’s FedEx Cup, the Commissioner pulls a FedEx Championship tee-shirt over his head that reads “I told You So.”

It could happen, or then again Tiger could skip the first FedEx Cup Tournament.

I’m sure that the golf chairman of some of the regular season tournaments that Tiger skipped in 2007 are tempted to send Commissioner Tim an email saying, “How does it feel?” And, who could blame them?

Like it or not, Commissioner Tim, Tiger is in charge and you’re not. He, and he alone will decide when and where he will play, FedEx Cup or not. He decides which tournament will have TV ratings and which ones will not. He decides who will make their title sponsor happy and who will not. It’s Tiger’s Tour, so get used to it.

Unlike Commissioner Tim, Tiger didn’t ask for the power he has amassed; he won it fair and square, and now that he has it, perhaps only father time will ever take it away. For the most part, Tiger understands his power and has done a reasonable good job in being as fair as possible. However, he can’t play in every tournament even though we wanted him to.

In the reality show called “Tiger’s World” I suspect there is strange karma between Commissioner Tim and Tiger as they gaze at each other across the room. He knows that Tiger owns him and Tiger knows that he knows. In his mind, he doesn’t have to wash Tiger’s car, but he wants to keep his options open. Could Tiger take Commissioner Tim’s job? Probably not, but he could most likely get him fired if he was so inclined. But, Commissioner Tim shouldn’t worry about Tiger taking his job, what he should worry about is Tiger starting his own Tour. Greg Norman tried it a few years back, and gave birth to the World Championship Tournament idea, and Tiger’s drawing power is ten times Norman’s. But then again, Tiger already owns the PGA, so Commissioner Tim listens to what the boss is saying.

For example, for years Tiger, Phil and some of the other big guns have been complaining that the season is too long. However, what Commissioner Tim heard was that the end of the season didn’t have big enough purses. Not exactly the same thing is it?

Now, I don’t think that Tiger was trying to make a point by skipping the first FedEx Cup Tournament, but he did send a message, didn’t he?

Listen to what Kenny Perry had to say about his friend Tiger Woods. "It's pretty cool when a guy thinks he can spot us a week and still win the deal. I think he's great for the game. He could probably skip the first two tournaments and he'll win the last two. You never put anything past him."

Then Perry said what Commissioner Tim really fears. "As goal-oriented as that guy is, I know he wants (to win) that first one. Then, after that, we probably won't see him playing in any more of them."

For Commissioner Tim’s sake, I hope Kenny Perry is wrong, but just in case I’d at least think about washing Tiger’s car and consider making FedEx pay in advance next year.