Scottie Scheffler spent the entire season atop the FedEx Cup rankings, but he ultimately missed out on the 2025 title after the PGA Tour removed the ‘starting strokes’ format at the Tour Championship. Without the head start that used to reward the season-long points leader, Scheffler was left vulnerable despite his remarkable consistency. He claimed victory at the BMW Championship and closed with a T4 finish at East Lake. While many felt the change undervalued dominance across the year, Justin Rose argued the timing was right, saying it reintroduced the unpredictability fans had been missing.

Speaking on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast, Justin Rose suggested that Scheffler’s brilliance has made tournaments less volatile and, at times, less compelling. “Yeah, I think it’s, you know, for the crowd and for the fans, it’s a much simpler… sort of… You know, it’s the way the starting strokes were, clear and easy to follow. But I think the way Scottie Scheffler has been playing the last few years is, you know, he’s been playing so strongly that he’s taken the volatility out of the tournaments, so to speak,” Rose began when asked about his opinion on the new format without the starting strokes advantage.

“And obviously, you get to play like him at a 10-stroke lead on certain other guys, or some even two or three or four shots on other guys having a good season, and it just seemed to be too much. I think the tournament has fallen flat because of that, because of his brilliant and consistent play,” Rose added. Scheffler, who has led the FedExCup standings for three straight seasons and won the Tour Championship last year after starting with a 10-under-par advantage, has undeniably raised the bar with his consistent performance through the years. Last year, Scheffler had 7 wins and won the Tour Championship and the FedExCup for the first time in his career.

Rose, however, believes that same consistency may have dulled the edge of competition and would have made the tour championship predictable had it not been for the change. With the starting strokes format scrapped earlier in May, the 2025 Tour Championship at East Lake saw all 30 qualified players begin at even par, returning the finale to a pure 72-hole stroke-play competition.

Justin Rose welcomed the change to eliminate starting strokes, framing it as a move that not only leveled the playing field but also restored the event’s prestige. “So I think from, you know, from this point of view, it is quite nice for all of us obviously, if you’re coming in here on 30th position or 25th or 10th position, it’s nice to have a clean slate, and it’s such a huge tournament. I feel like, it kinda feels nice to have a Tour Championship in a way back being … you know, a very sort of relevant start from scratch.” For Rose, it wasn’t just about fairness; it was about bringing back the drama to one of golf’s most high-stakes stages. His own FedEx Cup playoff run in 2025 reflected that very balance of opportunity and challenge.

He surged out of the gates with a brilliant win at the FedEx St. Jude Championship (P1), showcasing the poise and clutch putting that have defined his career. But the following week at the BMW Championship, momentum stalled and he slid to a T30 finish. At the TOUR Championship, he fought to a T21, a respectable effort though short of contention. Rose’s campaign was a mix of brilliance and inconsistency, yet his St. Jude triumph underscored why he continues to relish golf’s biggest stages.

With all players starting evenly, the championship felt more open, more competitive, and ultimately more compelling. And Rose isn’t alone in that sentiment.

Justin Rose’s Views on Format Change Shared by Fellow Players

Across the PGA Tour, several players and analysts have echoed a similar view, arguing that the old format may have rewarded consistency but at the cost of suspense — something golf, and its fans, desperately need at season’s end. Even Scottie Scheffler declared the change was much needed when the elimination of the old format was announced in May — “We want the Tour Championship to be the hardest tournament to qualify for and the FedEx Cup trophy to be the most difficult to win.” 

Xander Schauffele, who won the Tour Championship before the ‘starting strokes’ format was introduced, shared the same view. “Everyone is trying to hoist that trophy and that part hasn’t changed at all,” Schauffele said. “It’s just the way we’re going to go about it is a little bit different, and I think it will be easier to follow for fans now that everyone is starting at level. And, shoot, if you make it in as 30th – I made it in as 27th before, you really have a nice look at trying to win this thing,” he added, when the changes were announced earlier this year.