PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The PGA Tour Playoffs will take a two-week break next year to give players a chance to be fresh for the Ryder Cup, addressing a concern that American players would be worn out before one of the most tiresome weeks of the year.
The change was approved by the PGA Tour policy board.
"It probably helps us because our Ryder Cup team tends to have more players in the Tour Championship," U.S. captain Paul Azinger said Tuesday. "Their guys (Europe) could be over at Valhalla for a week while our guys are grinding for a fifth week in a row. It's not going to hurt us."
The first three playoff events for the FedEx Cup -- The Barclays, Deutsche Bank Championship and BMW Championship -- will be played consecutive weeks starting Aug. 21.
After the BMW Championship in St. Louis, the tour will have a week off from golf -- a rarity for September -- before the Ryder Cup is played Sept. 19-21 at Valhalla in Kentucky.
The Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta will be held the following week.
"We felt it was important to give those members of both the U.S. and European teams who will be competing in the playoffs the ability to prepare for the Ryder Cup while also focusing on the Tour Championship the following week," PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
Source: ESPN.com
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