That’s not likely what the PGA Tour wants to hear.
The World Golf Rankings may need another tweak. Toms, currently No. 47 in the world rankings, would see his position actually improve by not playing this week. He could also raise his number by playing well in Irving, Texas. However, if he plays poorly, he will undoubtedly fall in the rankings. Since the top 50 golfers after this week qualify for next month’s Open at Bethpage Black in New York, Toms’ fate could be determined by a numeral that comes several columns after the decimal point. Either way, the minutiae surrounding the rankings will impact Toms’ 2009 season is a big way. Many believe Toms’ case, and that of Davis Love III prior to the Masters, expose a flaw in the system used to determine the field of the world’s most prestigious events. “It’s unfortunate it comes down to a guy shouldn’t play,” PGA Tour veteran J.J. Henry said Monday, while in Shreveport for the Christus Schumpert Children’s Classic at Southern Trace Country Club. “I don’t think it’s right.” Love brought the play-or-not-to-play issue to light at Bay Hill in March. The tournament provided the last opportunity for golfers to qualify for the Masters. Clinging to a spot inside the top 50 prior to Bay Hill, Love opted to play that week in order to solidify his position. However, the 20-time winner on Tour missed the cut, fell from 47 to 51 in the world rankings and missed the Masters.
Had Love skipped Bay Hill, he would have remained inside the top 50 and teed it up at Augusta National.