Did the new rule catch you, too?

Here we are, late Friday evening... the last golfers are now in the clubhouse, the cut has been made at EVEN, but the main topic at the bar is that "making the cut doesn't mean you'll play tomorrow".

During the off-season, the players' representatives negotiated a new deal to help move the game along, fit within broadcast schedules, and in general become even more streamlined.

The problem: With very large fields, often as many as 90 golfers (think the ATT Pro-Am) would make the week-end cut. That would require threesomes simultaneously off both front and back nines. Well, sometimes there would be just enough of a lag, that by the time you played the first nine and came around to start the second nine... you'd have a two group wait. Time on that could be anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes.

If there was any kind of weather delay, or delay for rules interpretation, it got really ugly, to the point of rounds not completed before darkness stopped play.

This year's solution: First, establish the cut line... that means "the top 70 players plus ties" .

Now, if there are more than 78 players, who have met the above criteria, go back to the next score closest to the total of 78 players. Those who made the cut, but don't get to play, automatically earn FedEx points for last place, and retirement points (a very important thing).

Here's how this affects the Sony Open.

The cut line was "even". That made for a total field of 87. Eighteen players made the cut "on the number". However 69 players played to -1. So, the guys who played to "even" will get paid for last place, but not play today or tomorrow.

For me, that means Charles Howell III is locked in at last place for FedEx Points this week.

The good news is that I have five other players, who made the weekend playing roster. With the leader at -11, my guys have some work to do. Currently Jerry Kelly is T6 at -6, Pat Perez and Chad Campbell are T12 at -5, and Stephen Ames and Jim Furyk are T48 at -2.