The New
of Sprin
I
n the last decade, the run-up to the season’s first men’s major championship seemed interminable.
Sure, there was the occasional glimpse of a raucous crowd in Scottsdale on Super Bowl Sunday or
Bill Murray playing to the crowd at Pebble Beach. But for fans looking to see the world’s best all
gathered in one place, the Masters couldn’t come soon enough.
It wasn’t always this way. In 2007, the PGA Tour introduced the FedEx Cup and the four-week
run of playoff events leading to the Tour Championship in September. Consequently, The Players Cham-
pionship moved from its pre-Masters spot in mid-March to the second week of May. Though the event
still held plenty of allure, losing its status as the season’s first truly important championship chipped
away at The Players’ luster.