Check back each week to read our writers and editors’ unfiltered opinions on the hottest topics in sports, and join the discussion by tweeting us at @golf_comThis week we discuss the first leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, Matt Kuchar’s Wyndham statement, the latest U.S. Amateur winner and more.

Scottie Scheffler, the season leader of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, said the format of these playoffs is, well, silly: “Say we get to East Lake and my neck doesn’t burn and heal like it did at the Players. I end up 30th in the FedExCup because I had to drop out of the last tournament? Is that really the race of the season? No.” Do you agree? But more importantly, what’s the solution?

James Colgan, News and Features Editor (@jamescolgan26): There IS a deal, and it’s completely obvious: A huge match play event, seeded and played like the NCAA Tournament! Host the event over three weeks at a handful of tournament sites (to stagger tee times and maximize television visibility). Build in 1-, 2-, and 3-up advantages to start opening round matches for the top 10 finishers FedEx, and everyone else plays straight. Host the Elite Eight through the finals over a long weekend (two days of 36 holes). Winner takes the spoils!

Jonathan Wall, Senior Gear Editor (@jonathanrwall): Personally, I have been against the existing playoff format for some time. I miss the days when the Tour Championship closed out the season without the artificial piling on of extra events that nobody seems to care about except the few guys at the top. I would torpedo the current three-event format and go back to the old end-of-season event. Leave out the different starting scores and just see what happens when everyone starts at the same level. I don’t think golf fans need or care about these gimmicks. Match play is another option, but to return to Scottie’s point, the unpredictability means that a player who has fought his way into first place could be knocked out by someone who is having a good day.

Josh Sens, senior editor (@JoshSens): I like Colgan’s idea, although I don’t think you need to start with points advantages. The seeding itself is designed to give the top players an easier path. After that, sit it out for a long off-season. There are too many events in professional golf already. Switch off for a few months. Give the fans a chance to miss you.

The top 50 for the BMW Championship is now set, meaning those players are guaranteed spots in the hugely lucrative signature events for 2025. Given the importance these events have become – because of the money and FedEx Cup points – are you OK with so many players getting reserved spots? The tour still offers players opportunities to earn spots, but is that being too generous to the top players and making life harder for the rest of the tour?

Colgan: I think it comes down to our perception of fairness. The PGA Tour has done its best to be fair to players in terms of entry to signature events, but the system is inherently favorable to the stars. The good news is that a system built around the stars makes the PGA Tour more similar to the rest of the leagues in professional sports, which makes it a fairer product for fans. I think the turnover is good. At least good enough. But I’m sure there’s someone out there who disagrees.

Wall: I agree with Mr. Colgan: the revenue is good, but you still need the stars on the field. Everyone pays to see them. Don’t you like the system? Play better and become one of those top stars.

Sens: Make life too difficult for others? They are competing for the right to play golf and there are millions of dollars at stake. That is supposed to be difficult. I don’t feel that anyone out there is being treated unfairly.

Jordan Spieth finished 68th at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, meaning he will miss the BMW Championship and will not receive automatic spots for the aforementioned signature events. He will also soon undergo surgery to repair a tendon in his left wrist. Spieth has had just three top-10 finishes this year and hasn’t won since the 2022 RBC Heritage. Do you see better days ahead for him? Or has his form shown that’s not such a sure thing?

Colgan: Seven years is a really long time between two important golf periods, and it’s been seven years since Jordan Spieth’s golf game was relevantly good. I hope the surgery – and subsequent golf break – gives him the reboot he’s needed since 2018. At this point, you can hardly take that for granted.

Wall: I would argue that nobody is more electrifying than Spieth when he is scrambling from anywhere on the course and finding a way to keep up. The problem is that we have seen more ruckus than moments of competition. It is clear that he is out of form and has needed a reboot for some time. The Tour could Really Put in a healthy Spieth. We hope an operation will get him back in shape.

Sens: I’m sure the surgery will help. But recoveries like this aren’t just physical. Spieth needs to regain the magical fairy dust that once surrounded him. And that means regaining his confidence. Doing that, I suspect, will be the hardest part of all.

A week ago, Matt Kuchar made headlines at the season-ending Wyndham Championship when he decided not to finish the 72nd hole in the dark but to finish alone on Monday morning, despite being eliminated from the playoff race and having no chance of winning the tournament. On Monday, Kuchar explained that he thought this would encourage his playing partner Max Greyserman, who was one stroke behind the leader, to do the same and try to force a playoff in the morning. Greyserman finished the match anyway and Kuchar played alone, later saying, “I know it sucks. Of course I apologize for forcing everyone to come here.” What are your thoughts on this? Was Kuchar trying to help or was this just a bizarre miscalculation?

Colgan: What a hilarious, bizarre situation. Couldn’t Kuchar have discussed this with Greyserman as we walked down the 18th fairway before he decided to give up? It seems he could have! But I mean no harm. Strange move, but certainly his right.

Wall: This is definitely a weird move. What’s most puzzling is that the decision was made to help his playing partner – a guy who chose to quit the game. Like Colgan, I’m trying to understand why he didn’t discuss this on the fairway. If they did and Greyserman passed up the opportunity, why the hell didn’t Kuch play along and quit?! My head hurts trying to figure this out.

Sens: This is certainly bizarre, but I find it hard to believe that Kuchar was just trying to help. He looked after himself and did what he thought gave him the best chance to squeeze some more money out of the till.

The 2025 PGA Tour schedule was released last week, with few changes but one major revelation. When asked if the new schedule was an indication that nothing would happen with LIV “at least until next year or 2026 or 2027,” commissioner Jay Monahan said, “I think that’s fair.” Is that bad news for the tour? And what does it mean for the future of golf? Could it actually get worse?

Colgan: If by “is this bad news for the Tour?” you mean “is this undermining the relevance of professional golf in a way that makes the average sports fan less interested in the sport?” … then it is indeed bad news for the Tour. The good news is that the fault lines are so clearly defined (and LIV’s business is so obvious and completely unprofitable) that sitting things out might actually help the PGA Tour. (One note: I know the Tour made the decision to combine its interests with those of the Saudis, but I hate how every conversation revolves around the Tour’s tenure. That LIV’s product appeals to literally everyone would go a long way to fostering unity in professional golf, and yet they continue to be seen by a smaller audience than Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation without any substantive competitive criticism. Both sides are to blame!)

Wall: This is bad news for professional golf, and not just for the PGA Tour. Spreading talent across two tours dilutes the product and makes it difficult for fans to get excited about anything other than the majors. Neither tour has any power, and that’s very frustrating. Let’s put it this way: The future is not looking bright.

Sens: Wall said it well. The Masters can’t come soon enough.

Jose Luis Ballester won the 2024 U.S. Amateur on Sunday at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota, beating Noah Kent by 2 strokes. What did you like about Ballester’s game and has the professional success of last year’s champion Nick Dunlap proven that some of these top amateurs are ready to win on Tour right away?

Colgan: Golf talent is not going away. The most interesting battleground for LIV-PGA Tour relations is amateur sport, and for Ballester, it’s good to increase his bottom line.

Wall: It definitely confirms that amateurs at the highest level no longer need a long warm-up period to get used to the professional game. Just look at how good Luke Clanton was this season. Ballester is another extremely talented amateur who could win on the tour. The ASU pipeline continues.

Sens: It’s hard to keep up with the flood of young golf talent these days. Whether they’re all ready to win right away is another question. Not everyone can do that. But Ballester certainly looked like a world-class player this week. The guy’s wedge play and short game were worthy of a Seve. If he keeps this up, we’ll see him winning more trophies before long.