by Jeff Skinner
Way back when, about five years ago when Tim Finchem and crew hatched the idea of the FedEx Cup Playoffs this is what they had in mind. Yesterday at a very gettable Crooked Stick the best golfers in the world put on a heck of a show at The BMW Championship.
World number one Rory McIlroy and number three Tiger Woods played together and put on a display of scoring and shot making that can only make Finchem as giddy as a cheerleader at 
kickoff.
With wet conditions and players allowed to lift, clean and place birdies and eagles were the order of the day.
This is the kind of leaderboard and playoff atmosphere that Finchem had envisioned at the birth of this format.
U.S. Open Champ and two time winner this year, Webb Simpson is tied for the lead at -8 with Bo Van Pelt, who nearly missed a Ryder Cup captain’s pick, Graham DeLaet , a Canadian who has worked himself up the points list and McIlroy. Woods is one back at -7 as is Vijay Singh. World number two Luke Donald is two of the pace and the leaderboard is filled with top golfers and plenty of Ryder Cup golfers.
With the season winding down to the Tour Championship and then the Ryder Cup the following week I can’t help but think how ironic it would be if Bo Van Pelt came through with a win this week. Van Pelt had played solid golf all year on the PGA Tour but his failure to win (and Jim Furyk’s friendship with Davis Love) probably kept him off the team. Winning the BMW would be bittersweet for Bo, although a bit sweeter I’m sure.
While a stacked leaderboard is the dream of all of us, especially Mr. Finchem this time of year when the playoffs lead into the Ryder cup it’s even more exciting. Except for maybe Hunter Mahan who was left off the team despite his two PGA Tour wins.
Hmmm, here’s an exciting playoff finish for Tim and Davis: Van Pelt pulls out a win at The BMW and Mahan emerges from his foggy play to pull out a win at The Tour Championship. How bizarre would that be?
Nothing like adding a bit more drama to the playoffs, even Finchem couldn’t have imagined that one.
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