nerve60:
My only issue with the Showdown Tournaments is if you look across the fields, Rookie/ Vet/ Expert: A frek'n Tour Champion leads all divisions. These Tournaments are well thought up but they need some serious tweeking to eliminate a TC from having a cakewalk through the Rookie and Vet. fields...
Some people haven't figured out yet how to change the level they compete at is one problem.
Another problem is credits. Expert level is 1000 credits. Some people simply don't have that to spend so play in lower tiers.
But also The number of people willing to play for a 1000 credit buyin is dwindling. and there are several reasons why.
They still haven't fixed all the bugs to prevent a player from getting 3 bogeys due to the other person dropping out on the first tee. So you bet 1000 credits. Play well and due to something out of your control you're completely knocked out of the top 20.
The Expert level is by it's nature full of the best players in the game. There is zero wiggle room. Everyone in it is very good. So the odds are the top 5 people are the ones that got the best conditions.
What I mean is that there is complete variance with not only wind direction. But also wind strengths and also green speeds.
So someone playing 3 holes on let's say Oakmont with 12 greens and medium winds has a harder time going under par on all 3 holes than someone with light winds and 9 speed greens.
Or RSG with high winds and 12s and someone else gets light and 7.9s.
It's not that every one can't still birdie everything but the odds drop.
So more people are figuring out that you can drop from expert and finish top 5 and still not have to get lucky on the conditions.
Plus the payoff is different.
example first place in veteran is 25x the bet. First place in Expert is 10x the bet.
When showdown first started there was around 170 people that entered Expert. Now it's less than 100. Maybe even less than 80 this time. I didn't play it so don't know. but it's been going down. In the other groups top 50 make the next level. In expert you have to be top 30-35. Just not enough people are playing it. For the reasons i've noted.