Crackling season finale for American golf and Italy too intends to play its part, with the splendid Francesco Molinari, on the strength of three victories this year, including a major. The Playoffs kick off today, the last four matches of the US circuit, which will give the winner a bonus of ten million dollars. It begins in New Jersey with the Northern Trust, on the path of the Ridgewood CC in Paramus. The first 125 classified in the FedEx Cup are admitted to this first race, including Francesco, who occupies eighth place. The blue is among the favorites both in the four tournaments and in the race for the jackpot, supported by an excellent state of form.
Dustin Johnson, world number one and current leader of the FedEx Cup, defends the title in a field that includes almost all the best players on the planet from Justin Thomas to Brooks Koepka, from Justin Rose to Bubba Watson, from Jason Day to Webb Simpson.
Tiger Woods is also in a good position (20th), who as usual attracts attention on the eve especially after the great performance in the PGA Championship, where he finished second. Patrick Reed (tenth), Phil Mickelson (11), Jon Rahm (13) and Tommy Fleetwood (23) are also in the high rankings. Skip the appointment Rickie Fowler (17) and Rory McIlroy (21). The prize pool is 9 million dollars.
On this occasion, the regulation of this grand finale is recalled: in the PlayOffs competitions the competitors will be progressively reduced, at the next one (Dell Technologies Championship, August 31st/September 3rd) the first hundred of the ranking will be admitted, which will be reduced to 70 in the BMW Championship (September 6-9); finally there will be only 30 participants in the Tour Championship (September 20-23). In this last race the points will be reallocated. The ranking order will be maintained, but the first will receive 2.000 points and then 1.800, 1.520, 1.296 and 1.280 down to 115 for the 30th. Only the first five players in the general standings, in the fourth race, will be certain of winning the 10 million dollars by winning the Tour Championship, while for all the others, even if successful, it will not be mathematical to impose themselves in the FedEx Cup.
Meanwhile, the European tour continues its normal course, with a match that sees four Italian players on the field: Matteo Manassero, Renato Paratore, Nino Bertasio and Andrea Pavan. The appointment is the D+D Real Czech Masters, a tournament that anticipates Made in Denmark by a week, the last match that will define the composition of the European Ryder Cup team (France, 28-30 September).
On the course of the Albatross Golf Resort, in Prague in the Czech Republic, the English Lee Westwood, Danny Willett and Paul Waring, last Sunday's Nordea Masters winner, the Irish Padraig Harrington, the Belgians Thomas Pieters and Nicolas Colsaerts, will be in the field South Africans Haydn Porteous, who defends the title, and Thomas Aiken, Australian Scott Hend, Koreans Jeunghun Wang and Soomin Lee and Chinese Ashun Wu. Among the starters also the American John Daly, in the final phase of his career, but always with a good following among the public.
Andrea Pavan is expected to test after the excellent sixth place in Sweden, while Matteo Manassero, Nino Bertasio and above all Renato Paratore are looking for greater continuity, who has gone from a second position (Porsche European Open) to a cut (Nordea Masters). The prize pool is one million euros.
