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TSN Senior Reporter

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Imagine that when the first round of last year’s NHL playoffs rolled around, the Chicago Blackhawks called commissioner Gary Bettman and told him they were taking the series off.

Or that the Golden State Warriors took a couple of weeks off and decided just to show up in the third round of the NBA playoffs.

Ridiculous, right?

But that’s just what’s happening in the PGA Tour’s so-called playoffs, the FedEx Cup, which was created to bring closure to what used to be a never-ending golf season.

Top players skipped last week. Some are even doing it again this week. It’s given the FedEx Cup a bit of a black eye.

Truth is, the four-event series has never really had solid footing. In each of the first two years after its founding in 2007 there were adjustments to the points system. In both cases it was the PGA Tour saying, “Oops, we didn’t think of that.”

The first year, players quickly figured out they could skip a week of the playoffs and still win the overall title. A procedure was put in place to penalize those players.

The second year, Vijay Singh had amassed so many points, all he needed to do was finish four rounds at the Tour Championship and he was assured of the winning the crown. That was changed too, so now pretty much everyone who makes the Tour Championship has a mathematical shot at the title.

Overall, though, the FedEx Cup has caught on with fans even if they – and most of the players – have no real idea how the points work. Through the first three events, there is more interest in the bottom of the points list than the top. While it was great to see Jason Day win last week, it was just as interesting – in an agonizing way – to watch Nick Taylor miss a birdie putt on the final hole to finish 101st and miss the next stage.

That part of the FedEx Cup has been successful, as has the fact that the PGA Tour season now has a finite conclusion, even if the next year starts about a half hour after this one ends.

But there is still this gaping problem of players showing up. Last week, Rory McIlroy sat out. So did Sergio Garcia, who is also taking this week off.

What kind of a playoff is this that a player can miss a couple of rounds, jump back in and then win? In what other sport do the best players or teams not compete in all rounds of the playoffs? Usually they are thrilled to get to the postseason. It’s a badge of honour.

Apparently not in golf.

Of course, this isn’t apples to apples. Golfers, as we are constantly reminded, are independent contractors, not teams. They don’t have to play any week they don’t want to as long as they tee it up 15 times to keep their status (hello, Martin Kaymer).

But surely there must be a better way to supervise the participation in the Tour’s marquee finale of tournaments. No one should be allowed to skip a playoff stop. In my mind, miss one and you’re out.

However if you’re going to allow a pass, then make players earn it – say, give one to the top eight finishers, which can only be used in the first round. But make it come at a cost. Perhaps a pre-determined drop in the number of spots on the points list. Or, if you want to get really inventive, start the next event with a two- or three-shot penalty.

The bottom line is you must have all those who have qualified for the playoffs, playing in the playoffs. No passes, no byes, no skips without a legitimate injury. That’s how playoffs are supposed to work.