PGA Tour Delaying Player of the Year Ballots

So, you thought since Luke Donald won the final event of the season, the Children's Miracle Network Hospital Classic at Walt Disney World he may have wrapped up the 2011 PGA Tour Player of the Year award?

Not so fast.

The PGA Tour announced Monday that they would delay sending out the player ballots until after the completion of the WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai, that is played in two weeks.

If this seems strange, and it does to some, their reasoning for this delay is due to the scheduling of the event being different than in 2010.

Last season, the WGC HSBC Champions event was played the week before the final event of the PGA Tour Fall Series.

So all of you conspiracy theorists out there, saying their could be a U.S. bias for POY, can put that to rest now.

"It's important because it's an official win for a member, and that should hold the ballot open." Andy Pazder, the tour's chief of operations said in his statement after the announcement.

"When we send out the ballot, we have a brief summary of the player's year on the PGA Tour. It would be a glaring omission if someone won the tournament and that wasn't on there."

The odds on favorite right now is of course the World's No. 1 ranked player in Donald after his performance this past weekend in the last event of the PGA Tour schedule.

But let's not forget 2011 PGA Champion, and Tour rookie, Keegan Bradley. Who in fact will be teeing it up in two weeks in Shanghai.

If Bradley could pull out a win there, that would give him three victories; with a major on the year. Which could be enough to propel him to Player of the Year.

Pazder went on to say, "It could affect who's on the ballot, and it could affect someones resume who is on the ballot."

Though the HSBC Champions will not count towards the PGA Tour money list, it will however count as an official win if the winner is a member of the PGA Tour.

The 2011 PGA Tour Player of the Year race is not over yet.