Potential World Tour Takes Aim At PGA Tour With Lucrative Individual And Team Concept

Potential World Tour Takes Aim At PGA Tour With Lucrative Individual And Team Concept — Geoff Shackelford

Found this to be a very interesting Piece by GS. Seems like he's very plugged into whats going on. I am interested in seeing how this plays out. A formula 1 style circuit over the world could certainly allow for a more compelling product. personally i hope this lights a fire under the PGA tour to improve and innovate to adapt to the modern player and viewership. would be great if they clap back with a revamp of the WGCs which have been a disappointment the last 10+ years IMO

How I would do it:

10 WGS events where 48 players scores count, but 60 players are in the field, 12 teams of 4, with 1 alternate (which is a tie breaker score). if you have more guys you bench them

54 hole stroke play events where an individual winner gets paid, and low team gets paid - this would improve the product top to bottom, players at the bottom of the field still can make an impact that week on their team.

the Teams would be sponsored - I would think by Big OEM, and other Golf Brands - this is a ballpark of your 12 sponsors and roughly your top 60 names in golf. some stables are deeper than others, and I'm sure there will be a shift in teams based off needs.

for example UA can poach a from FJ/Ping/Nike/Callaway for guys that will be sure to fit into a "starting lineup"

few points to note: Adidas/UA/Nike/Titleist/Callaway are all publicly traded companies - I'd expect them to have biggest budget

A bunch of “teams”, lol, and a bunch of no cut events for elite players?

Shocker if it gets off the ground, but people with tons of money and individual greed can be a powerful combination.

no thanks ...

Agree. And hope you’re correct. Nobody who loves actual golf wants to see no cut team events more than once every two years. Basically exhibitions of nothingness.

I think players and agents are stirring the pot because the media deal is rounding 3rd base. I’d assume they want a bigger piece of the pie

I’m in favour of a world tour, but not in favour of teams, especially if they have dumb names like the Nike Nicklebacks or the Adidas dazzlers

"The group is retaining a Formula One-style team component,"

Genius to model a golf tour on F1. They are so similar after all ; )

https://media.giphy.com/media/8r0op7ZgMlD9u/giphy.gif

Only if it's a scramble format... I want to see teams win a 3 day tournament at -50

Well, I'll be in the minority and say there's some real merit to it and the Tour should be really careful in how they react because it would only take a few players to get involved for things to fall apart very quickly. Fans that love "actual golf" have been subject to a degrading product on the bulk of the Tour schedule for years.

In terms of feasibility, Tiger could make his own Tour tomorrow, fly around the world and playing in 16 player fields like the Hero at top courses, increase his earnings, prolong his career, and still play in majors. Makes a good bit of sense to me.

It’s degrading because of the focus on distance and the “ Bro “ entertainment aspect. Now it may have grown $ wise. But that isn’t same as the actual product of real golf.

You could up $ across the board with female caddies in very little or no dress , and an mma fight on every hole. But it’s not making a better golf product. It’s just making more money. There’s a limit to what any product can generate. I think we’ve seen the actual golf ceiling. All else is just greed ruining the game.

Not in my lifetime.

The PGA Tour somehow owns the TV rights to their players. When Tiger and Phil played The Match, the PGA Tour had to sign off on it and demanded they play for less than the winning FedEx Cup prize. If this world tour is going to get off the ground and get on TV, the PGA Tour will have to OK it and I don't see how they let that happen without the Tour getting a big piece of the pie.

The bro aspect of the tour is depressing to me. I miss the old days when guys actually disliked each other. There was less money and the players had to be more cutthroat to get their piece of the pie. Now they all stand around hugging each other after one of their boys wins.

Winning is not really needed anymore to be financially set for life. If your a steady cash cow like a Fowler or Finau, then you don't have to win, just be good enough.

Honestly the tour is fairly boring on a week to week basis. Whe Tiger was gone for those few years I hardly watched much golf, just the Majors. I like guys like Reed, at least they keep it from being a total snooze and hug fest.

So a world tour? What's the difference? It would be the same mummies all hugging each other and crusing around on each others planes.

F1 Golf! I totally see the analogy

F1 pitstop

Golf pitstop

Attempted cash grab is all this is. Some big names will probably join for an easy pay check.

The PGA tour wont "HAVE" to OK it. if players opt to defect from the PGA tour and give up their membership and hefty pension that comes along with it they are free to do so. There may be additional stipulations around timing etc. but Phil and Tiger had to get approval because they wanted to maintain their membership status, and intention was never do do something against the tours wishes. what they DID do however, is expose the fact that what can make money in golf is ultimately the players, and the exposure of those players. remember, Majors are not tour sanctioned events and can still be played by non PGA tour members.

This has the potential to be very problematic to the PGA tour. for years they've opted to cover up discrepancies, protect their brand at all costs and essentualy spew propganda. they have been reluctant to change many things. the WGCs have been a disaster for 10+ years. Although I think Tiger will show loyalty to the status quo and the tour, he would be the first to tell you he has been grossly underpaid (on course earnings) compared to other sports superstars. The Shotgun start Podcast made a great point - spread between the highest and lowest earner in the NBA is potentially 2-3x that of the PGA tour. And the PGA tour arguably is even more top heavy than the NBA. This has the potential to appeal to guys like Brooks Koepka - he wants to play less, make more money, appear as more of an athlete to the masses, and still compete in and win majors. I wouldn't at all be surprised to hear he is involved.

The other counter argument here is that the on the field product will greatly improve in addition to the TV product. with less groups on the course the reallocation of resources would make way for better more complete coverage. Also in theory, the high interest players will be going up against each other on a more frequent basis.

I think it has legitimate legs - Do i want to see it happen? not necessarily, but expect the PGA tour to do everything in their power to suppress material/content/information regarding this topic. remember, the tour controls its rights to its highlights. Golf Channel has an agreement to show those highlights and cover their product. golf channel employees will surely be told by the tour what they can and cannot talk about. GolfTV, Golf Digest, Golf pass, Golf Channel's strings are all being pulled by the tour. this is exactly why Geoff is the only one writing about this

Lol. Yea. Let’s leave our futures behind ( tour card and golden parachute ) to go play in Vince McMahon style team play. We may make a lot if it doesn’t go bankrupt , and/or if anyone watches .

This is one of those threads where everything was announced in the title. There was no suspense, happiness or anger.

This thread.......................good for gifs.

Phil and Tiger have earned Lifetime Membership status with 20 wins and 15 active seasons. It would be lawsuits galore if they tried to take that away.

Maybe you are not disagreeing with this, but Bob Harig from ESPN reported that no PGA Tour player can play on TV without the Tour's permission. You're saying they can as long as they leave Tour membership and their pension. I don't see that happening. Tiger has what, nearly $100 million in a Tour pension. If a player did leave, can they get back in?

Lifetime membership doesn't mean you get to do whatever you feel like.

If you don't abide by the rules/agreements you lose your membership. I'd guess that's included in the terms of their "Lifetime Membership".

lifetime status not membership. And to be clear, I'm not all for this. I am just pointing out that this is much more complex, and conversations are likely much further along than we know. like i said - could simply be a bargaining chip for the players/agents to try to get a bigger piece of the new media deal.

regardless, money talks

hahaha

I think if the purse size is 10MM, that's not going to to get it done. There are already 15 PGA Tour events with purses at about 9MM or higher and then add the big Euro events.

Also, the PGA Tour "product" (jeez, side rant coming....WHEN did EVERYTHING become a PRODUCT? Lol. I remember when a disposable razor or a hair dryer was a product. Now, software, media, you name it, it's a freaking "product", ok rant over), is pretty successful and well managed. Why take the risk? Dump PGA Tour membership for what might turn out to be the USFL? Tough sell.

Finally, yes, the players don't earn as much, and I understand what you are saying about the "spread" but they are independent contractors and golf is an *individual game. Golf does not generate the revenue to pay guys $25MM a year guaranteed.

The only thing wrong with the PGA Tour as it stands is the number of commercial breaks during any broadcast. If you are attending the event you don't even get bothered by those. All the other perceived problems; pace of play, Gary McCord etc, are just there for grumpy old men to whine about on GolfWRX.

The people behind this new tour obviously have Greg Norman in mind, I cant' see too many other "stars" being too interested.

From the article:

The original concept featured 54-hole, no-cut events that would be spread around the world while allowing players to still earn world ranking points needed to qualify for major championships

What happens if the PGA Tour and the European Tour, along with the governing bodies staging the major championships, go into negotiations saying world ranking points will be invalid for World Tour events. This would seem to be very logical considering the significant differences in formats of the tournaments (54 vs. 72 holes, teams vs. individuals, etc.). Would those without major wins be willing to jeopardize entry into majors? Lots of negotiation needed ... likely unfruitful.

This wont matter to most, but as someone who's a fan of both series, that's an Indycar. The 2nd video you posted of the pitstop was indeed a Formula 1 car.

Carry on.

That can cut both ways. You don’t want top players leaving your Tour, but you also don’t want them to be missing majors either. I don’t know if the Masters or US Open or PGA Championship cares if players are missing PGA Tour events as long as they can get world rankings points to qualify for their events.