By skipping The Barclays, Tiger Woods makes it clear that golf fans can skip the FedEx Cup. (Courtesy PGA of America)

Tiger Woods, Michelle Wie make it easy to ignore FedEx Cup and Samsung World Championship

By William K. Wolfrum,
Contributor

Here at the Golfer Supremacy Rankings we have a lot on our plate. Every week we have to go through reams of statistics, thousands of interview transcripts, hundreds of packets of Hostess Zingers, several bottles of diet soda and a few viewings of reruns of The Simpsons. It's an exhausting schedule, but we do it all because we want readers everywhere to know that we take our rankings system seriously.

Nonetheless, we're thrilled when big-name golfers come out and make things easier for us. Because with the FedEx Cup and the Samsung World Championships coming up for the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour respectively, we were unsure of how it would affect how we would rank golfers in the upcoming weeks. We were in a quandary. A deep, deep quandary.

Luckily for us, Tiger Woods and Michelle Wie gave us all the answers we need about these upcoming events. And those answers tell us we don't have to care a lick about either of them.

Golfer Supremacy Rankings

1. Tiger Woods

Comments: We had thought long and hard about whether the FedEx Cup meant anything to us. But when Tiger said that he'd rather rest than play in the Barclay's Championship, it all became perfectly clear - the FedEx Cup isn't really worth the effort it would take to spit into it. Sure, maybe some day the PGA will convince people that it matters, but when Tiger blows off 25 percent of the whole playoff-dealie-thingy-whatever, than so can we. Sure, we'll watch, but deep down we just won't care. Here's our advice for Tim Finchem: take the same route that the big tobacco companies took and try to hook kids into the FedEx Cup when they're young. Maybe get a cute cartoon character to help pimp your product. The FedEx Cup Ferret, perhaps. Until then, however, we're looking at it as a Skins Game with better sponsorship.

2. Michelle Wie

Comments: The Samsung World Championship likes to bill itself as the "Fifth Major" of the LPGA Tour. Well, by including Michelle Wie in its elite field of 20 golfers, no one will ever have to make that mistake again. Because while Wie may yet prove to be one of the best female golfers in the world, she's currently not even the best under-18 female golfer in the world right now. So while the Samsung has every right to select her to play and Wie has every right to accept, the tournament now has to accept the fact that it's as much the "fifth major" as a high-school putt-putt tournament.

3. Lorena Ochoa

Comments: A year ago, people were wondering if Ochoa truly deserved to be the No. 1 female golfer in the World. Now they're wondering how long the Mexican sensation can stay there. Following up her brilliant win at the Women's British Open with a win at the CN Canadian Women's Open, Ochoa is a threat to dominate the women's game as Annika Sorenstam did, but for much longer. While the inclusion of Wie makes the Samsung look silly, Ochoa's presence does help it from being a complete waste of time.

4. Brandt Snedeker

Comments: The rookie won the Wyndham Championship for his first career PGA Tour victory. Snedeker shot a scorching 63 in the final round to get the win, and adds himself to the list of impressive rookies who've made a mark on the tour in 2007. Still, we just can't shake the fact that we feel he should be a cookie tycoon. "Pass me another Snedeker, will ya?" That just works, doesn't it?

Random Quote: "Just to get in means you've had a great year." - Laura Davies on the Samsung World Championship Web site. So remember, Michelle Wie's 2007 (a bunch of missed cuts, a couple last place finishes, some timely withdrawals) was a great year. Samsung and Davies wouldn't lie, would they?

August 20, 2007

William K. Wolfrum keeps one eye on the PGA Tour and another watching golf vacation hotspots and letting travelers in on the best place to vacation. You can follow him on Twitter @Wolfrum.

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management.