Every once in a while when people talk about the strength of field in PGA Tour events, it is important to stop and remember that strength of field in PGA Tour events is kind of relative.
For instance, no one is going to confuse the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation for the Masters in terms of the field of the two events. On the other hand . . . .
Brandt Snedeker celebrate his FedEx Cup win (AP photo)
Look back at the final leaderboard for the Humana last January and you’ll see down there in a tie for eighth was Brandt Snedeker. That’s the same Brant Snedeker who just won the FedEx Cup playoffs and the Tour Championship. Back in January, it was the Brandt Snedeker rebounding from yet more injuries, so it was just a nice little story that he made the top 10 in the Humana.
Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson also finished in the top 10 in the final FedEx Cup points standings. And both were in the Humana field, though Johnson withdrew because of a bad knee.
Ryan Moore, Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner, 11th, 12th and 14th respectively in the final FedEx Cup standings, were al in the Humana field. So six of the top 14 players in the FedEx Cup playoffs were in the Humana field. Maybe Moore, Dufner and Zach Johnson and Snedeker didn’t cause much excitement when they were here in January, but they might cause a little more excitement when they return to the Humana next January.
Oddly, the man who won the Humana, Mark Wilson, didn’t make the field of the Tour championships. That continues a string of every Humana (nee Bob Hope) winner since the FedEx Cup began missing out on the field of the Tour Championship the year they won the Humana.
