The TOUR Championship is live with an ultimate showdown. Players will be competing for this final leg of the PGA Tour to grab the FedExCup trophy. Ideally, the player who has been performing consistently throughout the season should lift the trophy. However, a change in the rule might prevent that from happening.

For several years, the TOUR Championship experimented with a staggered start system — also called “starting strokes” — which debuted in 2019. Under this setup, players began the tournament with pre-assigned scores based on their FedExCup standings. The meant, the player at the pinnacle of the ranking would start at 10-under par, second place at 8-under par, and the rest scaled accordingly. The idea was to merge the FedEx Cup’s season-long drama with the tournament itself, ensuring that the TOUR Championship winner would automatically also be crowned FedEx Cup champion. However, from this year, the PGA Tour has done away with this rule.

While innovative in theory, the staggered start system often confused players and fans alike. It was tricky to follow who was actually leading the tournament on any given day. Many argued it felt artificial, rewarding prior success rather than performance on the week’s course. Even more complicated, the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) didn’t recognize the staggard start winner if they didn’t post the lowest 72-hole score. “It’s a little odd you get awarded world rankings points for a tournament you may not win or you may not celebrate at the end,” Jon Rahm said back in 2023.

But from this year, the PGA Tour chose to scrap this experiment, reverting to a traditional 72-hole stroke-play event. Now, all 30 players start on an even par, and the winner over four rounds is simultaneously the Tour Champion and FedEx Cup winner. Several notable voices weighed in on the experiment. Scottie Scheffler, last year’s TOUR Championship winner who benefited from the staggered start system, starting with 10-under par last year, stated that he preferred the standard format, calling the format “strange.” “For right now, I think this is the right call. Hopefully, we see more through 2026,” he said as reported by Skratch. 

Now, if this was the right decision by the PGA Tour to go back to the standard format, it will remain to be seen by the end of this week. But fans surely have a lot to say about this change.

Fans show a mixed reaction to the rule change

Fans, predictably, were vocal about the elimination of the staggered start. Some celebrated the return to 72-hole parity, while others were more critical of the system’s outcomes. Let’s have a look at some of their reactions.

One commentator was visibly thrilled with the change, expressing themselves in all caps. “THERE’S SO MUCH AT STAKE IN THIS TOURNEY, & I’M SOOOOO GLAD THIS YEAR THE TOUR WENT BACK 2 A NORMAL 72-HOLE EVENT.. I NEVER UNDERSTOOD THE OLD DEAL WHERE #1 STARTED THE TOURNEY AT 10 UNDER, & 2ND 9 UNDER TO THE LEAST PLAYER STARTING AT EVEN PAR.. HMMMMMM!!” Sure, with the old system gone, every player now starts on equal footing, regardless of their FedEx Cup standings.

Echoing the same sentiments, another X user chimed in, saying, “3 hours in and this is already 100% better than the old format of the tour championship.” With the first round of the Championship underway, players like Collin Morikawa (-5), Ludvig Aberg (-4), and Patrick Cantlay (-4) are already making moves on the leaderboard. Justin Thomas is leading with a score of 7-under par.

But not all fans are pleased. Some argue that underperforming players now have a chance to win. “The tour championship format is a joke. Under no circumstance should Morikowa, Aberg, Cantlay, Nick Taylor or f-king Jacob Bridgman have a chance at winning the FedEx Cup. Completely undeserved.” Morikawa, Aberg, Cantlay, Nick Taylor, and Jacob Bridgeman haven’t had the strongest seasons, yet some fans feel the new format gives them a shot at the title since they’re currently at the top of the scoreboard. The fan favorites to win this year — Scottie Scheffler (currently -3), Rory McIlroy (currently -2), and JJ Spaun (currently -1) — were atop the FedEx Cup rankings, but in round 1 of the event, they’ve fallen behind on the leaderboard.

Many critics argue that this system allows a player to win purely on a lucky day, regardless of a season-long form. “I do not like this winner wins all in the tour championship! Some guy who has never won a tournament could have a Lucky day and win the whole thing. It doesn’t account for all the winnings and high rankings of the excellent golfers!”

And then there are others, who are enjoying the sheer unpredictability of golf, “Jacob Bridgeman winning the TOUR Championship would be the most comical outcome honestly.” Bridgeman is currently at T8 on the scoreboard with a 3-under par. Although he played consistently this year, with a T4 place finish at Truist Championship and a T5 at John Deere Classic, his performance is not at par with the likes of Scheffler or McIlroy.

These conversations reflect the compelling character of golf – thrilling, unpredictable, and always open to debate.