NORTON, Mass. — Steve Stricker provided the feel-good start to the PGA Tour Playoffs by winning a tournament for the first time in more than six years. Tiger Woods added some controversy by spending time on his boat instead of at The Barclays.

One week into this new season-ending format, it's too early to determine whether it's been a success.

A better indication might come at the Deutsche Bank Championship, which starts today. Woods, the biggest draw in golf, is playing for the first time since he won the PGA Championship. And the PGA Tour can only hope that helps the television ratings.

Despite a dramatic finish at Westchester, the PGA Tour received only a 2.1 rating. That was slightly ahead of The Barclays in 2006 when Vijay Singh won a week before the U.S. Open, but it was down from a 6.6 rating over the same weekend a year ago, when Woods won the Bridgestone Invitational for his fourth straight victory.

"I wasn't surprised," PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said Thursday. "We had an increase over historical Barclays tournaments, which have had good champions. I think it was close to being a good, solid rating. It could have been up even more had we either gone to a playoff or had Phil (Mickelson) and Ernie (Els) make a stronger run.

"Listen, I thought it was off to a good start," he concluded. "I'm not displeased by the numbers, but I'm looking for our numbers to go up here in the next couple of weeks."

Maybe that's because Woods is playing the next three tournaments through the Tour Championship.

And even before the world's No. 1 player tees off this afternoon with Singh and Mickelson in his group, there already were indications that these playoffs had a little more energy.

The crowd following Tiger Woods around the TPC Boston grew steadily throughout the morning sunshine until it lined the length of the 18th fairway as he finished his pro-am Thursday. It was about the same size of the gallery following the leaders Sunday at The Barclays.

Maybe that's why some people believe the playoffs don't start until Woods shows up.

"Let's be honest about it," Rich Beem said. "There's only one person that really matters in this playoff system, and that's Tiger Woods."