It's the playoff edition of #AskESPNCaddie. Cue the dramatic music! Or elevator music, whichever you're feeling for the first event of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
The only thing that matters to me is what you ask me on Twitter using the hashtag so I can answer all the questions burning inside you. As you can see, I take the best ones and put them right under this paragraph, using a magical elf also known as an editor!
Truthfully I'm the elf and I have zero idea how they make all this stuff look like this, but it's pretty awesome!
@ESPNCaddie do you like the format for the 'playoffs' and how they cut the field down? #ASKESPNCADDIE
— Matthew Broach (@i_c_crazy_matt) August 20, 2015
ESPN.com senior golf analyst Michael Collins: No. I think for "bonus money" (did you know fifth place in the FedEx Cup gets $1 million?) if you skip an event, you should not be eligible. You can still play for the regular purses but no bonus money. I'm not crazy about the fields going from 125 to 100 to 70 to 30, but I can live it. At the Tour Championship, I'd like to see the guys playing for the bonus money paired together Sunday afternoon if those are not the guys trying to win the tournament.
What is the chance that @Love3d is a playing Captain in next year's Ryder Cup? #AskESPNCaddie
— Matt Roadhouse (@MattRoadhouse) August 26, 2015
Collins: None, especially because he's been there before and knows everything that goes into being captain. He knows firsthand how those duties would prevent the player from getting in the practice and team time (as a player) to make him a threat to the European squad. It might have been doable 20 years ago, but now it's just not realistic.
#AskESPNCaddie will you be buying the next pizza we have together? https://t.co/ic6pK95vuu
— Secret Tour Pro (@secrettourpro) August 20, 2015
Collins: Yes, even though you didn't technically pay for the last pizza we shared. I will treat next time in return for the "exclusive" Secret Tour Pro interview on ESPN.com. Of course, we'll change your voice and put you in the shade to protect your identity, but those are my terms.
@ESPNCaddie #AskESPNCaddie how do you see Tiger faring next season? Lots of physical & mental progress at wyndham, but still chipping yips
— Pistol Pat (@pat_henry25) August 26, 2015
Collins: I was extremely encouraged by Tiger Woods' play last week at the Wyndham Championship. I truly believe he will win at least once in the 2015-16 season (if not multiple times). But I also believe he will not win a major. He has overcome some big issues in his game so far, but has not and will not overcome enough to win a major -- yet.
@ESPNCaddie #AskESPNCaddie why isn't Rory at Barclay's?
— Swimming Chicken (@bistromath2013) August 26, 2015
Collins: ESPN UK's Alex Perry said he thinks it's because Rory wanted an extra week for that ankle he sprained to really be 100 percent, and I am leaning in that direction myself. Since 2007, only two players who won the FedEx Cup have ever skipped an event. One player, Jim Furyk, didn't skip the Barclays on purpose. He was disqualified for missing his Wednesday pro-am. The other player was Tiger in 2007. McIlroy isn't playing well enough to take the week off just because, so I'm going to say Perry is probably correct. Good news for Rory: after Deutsche Bank Championship, there's a week off.