2022 PGA Tour Thread

[Flabbibulin]

I don’t think a single major sports media outlet posts the leaderboard, highlights, or anything.

[metallicat]

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/pga...s-liv-golf/amp

I’m not so sure I like this vision for the PGA.

[transplant99]

Fascinating stuff.

Golfers are eating themselves.

[DoubleK]

PGA Tour LiV golf styles.

It's ALWAYS about the money.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by metallicat

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/pga...s-liv-golf/amp

I’m not so sure I like this vision for the PGA.

It's not ideal, that's for sure. If they went to 18 of these, it basically leaves the regular events as alternate field type events. I guess if that's what the players say it takes to stay, then there's not a lot of choice. At least it would still be structured as a merit based tour, and not an invite only league where your paycheck is based on how big a name you are.

The pga tour is in a tough spot. They have to compete with a competitor who has no concern about whether they lose a couple billion dollars and no interest in building a sustainable business model. If the liv tour was sincere about building a business model that could bring in more revenue than the pga tour model, then so be it. Instead they are willing to throw away how many billions are necessary to put the pga tour out of business and that is far more anti-completive than anything the pga tour is doing.

[metallicat]

I got really disappointed when I read “18 no cut tournaments” and a base salary for those not in the 18 events.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by chedder

54 hole golf tournamnents should be reserved for age 50 plus. The best professional tournaments have always been 72 holes and always should be. The whole making the cut, moving day and Sunday are what make it entertaining for the fans and grueling for the athletes.

Liv is just a golf exhibition of has-beens and the golf world's most unlikable personalities.

I agree with the 72 hole format for the best tournaments but I see room for other formats on the tour as well. Not every week needs to be 72 holes and some could be scaled back to 54 holes or maybe even 36 holes. Have one significant tournament each month that is a major sponsor and 72 holes plus the Major tournaments.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I agree with the 72 hole format for the best tournaments but I see room for other formats on the tour as well. Not every week needs to be 72 holes and some could be scaled back to 54 holes or maybe even 36 holes. Have one significant tournament each month that is a major sponsor and 72 holes plus the Major tournaments.

Winning a PGA tour event is a significant accomplishment and has significant rewards including a couple years exemption on tour and entry into most of the majors. 36 hole or 54 hole events would definitely cheapen that accomplishment. Anyone on tour could shoot a low round or two. 4 rounds is a much better test to determine a deserving champion and removes a lot of the luck and fluke that a shorter tournament would have.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

Winning a PGA tour event is a significant accomplishment and has significant rewards including a couple years exemption on tour and entry into most of the majors. 36 hole or 54 hole events would definitely cheapen that accomplishment. Anyone on tour could shoot a low round or two. 4 rounds is a much better test to determine a deserving champion and removes a lot of the luck and fluke that a shorter tournament would have.

Wouldn't you want to see some different types of play periodically on the tour? A 36 hole shoot-out would definitely look a lot different and provide a different feel and level of excitement vs a traditional 72 hole event. I don't necessarily view it as cheapening things but rather showcasing skills in a unique way.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

Winning a PGA tour event is a significant accomplishment and has significant rewards including a couple years exemption on tour and entry into most of the majors. 36 hole or 54 hole events would definitely cheapen that accomplishment.

This may have been true in the past but it's not anymore. The fields for non-major, non-playoff events is garbage.

Brendan Quinn from The Athletic is reporting that the top 21 players in the OWGR have only played in 7 tournaments together all year. In 34 weeks. Outside of the majors there are maybe 5 tournaments that have any sort of cachet and one if them isn't on any tour or pays any money (JP McManus).

[Senator Clay Davis]

I think if this whole process has shown anything, it's that even golf fans struggle to care about most events. So with LIV diluting things with more events, and then the PGA diluting things with this new PGA Champions League or whatever....future for televised golf not looking so good right now. Not sure how you attract new viewers, and you're definitely going to lose some people because of all of this.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

This may have been true in the past but it's not anymore. The fields for non-major, non-playoff events is garbage.

Brendan Quinn from The Athletic is reporting that the top 21 players in the OWGR have only played in 7 tournaments together all year. In 34 weeks. Outside of the majors there are maybe 5 tournaments that have any sort of cachet and one if them isn't on any tour or pays any money (JP McManus).

The lowest field rating of the lowest (non-alternate field) PGA tour event is still significantly higher than any of the DP tour events (outside the Saudi sponsored ones and the Irish open that had the North American players come over).

If you look at the winners for the year on the pga tour, outside of maybe 2-3, they are all top players.

I watch dvr'd weekend coverage of pga events pretty much every week. Outside of the events with bad schedules (the week before and after everyone goes to Britain for a few weeks), they always have a good handful of the top 25 players in the world, and it's tougher than ever to win a pga tour event.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

I think if this whole process has shown anything, it's that even golf fans struggle to care about most events. So with LIV diluting things with more events, and then the PGA diluting things with this new PGA Champions League or whatever....future for televised golf not looking so good right now. Not sure how you attract new viewers, and you're definitely going to lose some people because of all of this.

It's hard to figure out what the right answer is.

The PGA tour has to keep their top players happy, or they'll lose them. Should they be looking out for the 51-125 type guys too? They are still elite golfers and a lot of them are the future of the sport, but these guys don't have much leverage at all. They also need to do what the fans want as well or they'll lose them and have nothing. Those 3 groups all have conflicting interests and doing what's right for one is likely hurting the others. Also, what the PGA tour has to do to fight off liv, isn't necessary great for their tour's business.

I like having regular golf on TV to watch every week. I'll take the pga tour in its current form over having 18 elite league tournaments a year. It kind of dilutes the majors too, if every tournament has all the top players.

You can't have tournaments every single week and have the top players in all of them.

[metallicat]

I find it sad to think that some of the best golfers in the world will no longer be at Ryder Cups, or the Masters. It’s really unfortunate it has come to this. The two tours need to figure this out. If it’s acceptable that the European Tour exists these two need to figure it out.

[DoubleK]

Zalatoris WD from Tour Championship.

Conners gets to play the Sentry Tournament of Champions + Tour Championship qualifiers Championship or something like that.....

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

Zalatoris WD from Tour Championship.

Conners gets to play the Sentry Tournament of Champions + Tour Championship qualifiers Championship or something like that.....

That's tough for Zalatoris to have those issues so young.

I think you are referring to this re: tour championship qualifiers? Other tournaments for which Tour Championship qualifiers are exempt are the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, Genesis Scottish Open and the Open Championship.

Getting in the tour championship pretty much gets you into everything.

[DoubleK]

You used to have to win to get into the Sentry.

That was what made it special.

I guess tradition doesn't mean much to the PGA Tour except when it suits their purposes.

[nfotiu]

Ah, I see what you were saying.

[DoubleK]

It's really strange how this is all unfolding, or rather unravelling.

Golf purists are steadfastly behind the PGA Tour only to have this super league emerge.

People who are down with LIV golf are just anarchists whose sole purpose is to destroy the game.

In the end the only traditions that will remain are likely to be the two Opens.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

It's really strange how this is all unfolding, or rather unravelling.

Golf purists are steadfastly behind the PGA Tour only to have this super league emerge.

People who are down with LIV golf are just anarchists whose sole purpose is to destroy the game.

In the end the only traditions that will remain are likely to be the two Opens.

The PGA tour's hand is being forced here. They have to do what they have to do to keep the top players. That's really the only priority that matters right now. That's not necessarily going to be good for the fans and their long term sustainability and not necessary good for the 60-125 type players.

As long as the PGA tour keeps it's meritocracy aspect intact, and doesn't lose too many of the top current players, then I'll keep watching.

When you have to compete against an organization that cares nothing about losing billions, then the market forces go out the window, and you just have to try to do what you can to survive.

If Liv wins, it's not because they have a better model, it's just because they bought all the players, and we'll be left with a pro golf league no one wanted and few will watch.