Tiger and the Vardon Trophy
Tiger Woods is a lock to win the Vardon Trophy for the 7th time (more than anyone else in history) for the lowest stroke average in 2006. Well, almost.
There’s one small detail to tend to, according to PGA Tour rules anyway. Woods must have 60 rounds under his belt before he officially qualifies to win the Vardon Trophy, and he currently sits at 55 rounds for the year.
Now, Tiger Woods needs another Vardon Trophy like he needs another million bucks, but this is about the number of rounds required by the PGA Tour that’s in question here. Why 60, and where does that number come from? Certainly, the PGA Tour must impose a minimum number of events in order to filter out the wheat from the chaff, but what’s the logic here?
Note that the minimum number of events a player must compete in is 60. Oddly enough, the Accenture Match Play Championship (key phrase: match play) and the International, which uses the Modified Stableford scoring system, are counted as official events and can be used towards the 60 rounds. I’ll repeat that again. It’s okay to use a match play event, where strokes aren’t even counted, but yet the event counts towards the minimum? I’m confused.
Maybe winning multiple majors per year should add bonus rounds? Maybe when you’ve won at least 10 majors, you’re automatically given bonus rounds as well if you win at least another major that year? My point is that Tiger Woods is head and shoulders above the rest of the golf world, but yet he probably won’t be eligible for the Vardon Trophy this year. It’s the principle of the thing.