Notebook: PGA Tour changes Fedex points criteria after players object

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – The PGA Tour was ready to base all its criteria on the FedExCup points after making it through the first wraparound season. That was until the four players on the PGA Tour policy board stepped in on behalf of the money list. 

 

As a result, players can still keep their card by finishing in the top 125 money list this year – and maybe for following years. 

 

One of the four player-directors – Paul Goydos – made one interesting distinction in his request. Instead of the board voting each year whether to keep the money list to determine who keeps their cards, the board would have to take action to remove it. 

 

So far, it hasn't made much of a difference. 

 

Nicholas Thompson, Mike Weir, Jim Renner and Charlie Beljan kept their cards for the 2014-15 season by finishing in the top 125 on the money list. A year ago, four players who didn't make the FedExCup playoffs also kept their cards. 

 

CADDIE CAROUSEL: Chris Kirk will use three caddies in his next five tournaments, and that's by design. 

 

In an era when players tend to stick with one caddie until the relationship gets stale, Kirk likes to bounce around. Laddie Cline was with him at Sea Island and will be on the bag for the BMW Masters and HSBC Champions in Shanghai. G.W. Cable, who normally caddies for Heath Slocum, will work for Kirk at the Hero World Challenge and the Franklin Templeton Shootout in Florida. 

 

Bill Harke, with whom Kirk won twice last year, will rejoin him at Kapalua. 

 

"Harke is kind of my caddie now, but he takes breaks," Kirk said. "That's just how I like to do it. It keeps the conversation fresh, helps me relax and play well. It's taken me years to get the formula just right." 

 

MILLER & SON: Johnny Miller is stepping out of the broadcast booth and onto the golf course. 

 

Miller and his son Andy, who missed the cut in the Frys.com Open earlier this month, will play in the PNC Father-Son Challenge on Dec. 12-14 at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida. It will be the first time since 2006 that Miller played in the event. 

 

Andy Miller played one year on the PGA Tour before going off on a Mormon mission. 

 

"We will play hard," the two-time major champion said. "But this will be more to have an enjoyable, relaxing weekend. He is going to have to do most of the work off the tee. I still hit my irons pretty good and I'm putting better. The bottom line is it will be a good time to be with Andy and spend some days with him. It will be a lot of fun." 

 

DIVOTS: One Las Vegas bookmaker listed Rory McIlroy as the 5-1 favorite to win the Masters, followed by Tiger Woods (12-1) and Adam Scott (15-1). Defending champion Bubba Watson is in the group at 20-1 with Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Rickie Fowler. ... The European Tour has another tournament in China. The Shenzhen International will be April 16-19, the week after the Masters, at Genzon Golf Club. ... Bob Ford, the head PGA Professionals at Oakmont and Seminole, will start hosting a monthly radio show in January on SiriusXM PGA Tour radio that concentrates on competitive amateurs. 

 

STAT OF THE WEEK: Zach Johnson is the only player from the top 25 in the world ranking who has not competed outside the United States in the past five years except for the British Open. 

 

FINAL WORD: "When your short game is no good, then you can't get it up-and-down. So you can't shoot 70 or 71 on those halfway days and stay in the golf tournament." – Will MacKenzie.