The Players and 'Major' changes in PGA Tour schedule?

Kenny Lee Puckett · May 10, 2017

http://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/19346164/golf-possible-players-championship-move-alter-golf-majors-landscape

I opened this link because during the week of The Players (and my hope that it would discuss the Tour moving the event back to it's original dates in March) rumors/scenarios seem to float around.

but this author takes scheduling of the entire PGA Tour and the Majors and lays it all out there for reassessment. some very interesting possibility there.

Ole3wiggle · May 10, 2017

While trying to end the season before the start of football season makes sense, I'm not sure of the beneficial impact for either THE PLAYERS being moved to March or The PGA Championship moved to May. First, moving THE PLAYERS up in the season will take status away from a few other events early on in the year. Mainly the WGC's and the Florida swing tournaments. TOUR Players will not play in all of them and if THE PLAYERS is in March, what tournaments will they skip? API seems like a tournament that gets left out to dry to me or at the least a significantly weaker field. Now the PGA moving to May, takes away some of its prestige as "Glory's Last Shot" and the last major of the year, etc. I don't think it will get as much love being in the middle of the Masters and US Open, but you never know.

Finally, keeping 47 events seems like too much for the shortened schedule. Why wouldn't you cut a few of the earlier season events and start at the same time as you do now, but end earlier. This way, there are less events. Supply and demand says you can demand more for Tournament Title Sponsorship's. That equals bigger purses for the players as well. That way there's no need to play in as many events if you're a journeymen who is actually playing for a living.

Kenny Lee Puckett · May 10, 2017

Now the PGA moving to May, takes away some of its prestige as "Glory's Last Shot" and the last major of the year, etc. I don't think it will get as much love being in the middle of the Masters and US Open, but you never know.

well let add me add to this segment O3w... what if the PGA actually gets a boost from coming between Masters and US Open? the least attractive (at least by most peoples direct comparisons, fwiw I love the golf tournament) of the Majors now gets positioned in the middle of the run of the Majors and gains itself more value. and how different (and possibly more exciting) would it be to end the stretch of Majors with the original one, The Open?

Ajit · May 10, 2017

Just sounds like the Tour trying to get the Fed Ex cup done before the NFL season starts. Complete madness in my opinion. Are we seriously considering having the final major of the year in Mid July???!!!

Ole3wiggle · May 10, 2017

Now the PGA moving to May, takes away some of its prestige as "Glory's Last Shot" and the last major of the year, etc. I don't think it will get as much love being in the middle of the Masters and US Open, but you never know.
well let add me add to this segment O3w... what if the PGA actually gets a boost from coming between Masters and US Open? the least attractive (at least by most peoples direct comparisons, fwiw I love the golf tournament) of the Majors now gets positioned in the middle of the run of the Majors and gains itself more value. and how different (and possibly more exciting) would it be to end the stretch of Majors with the original one, The Open?

That very well could be the case, i said "ya never know" but it just doesnt seem like the best plan of action. I also agree that the last major of the year being in July isnt good for golf, but if it makes the Playoffs and Tour championship grow in terms of fan excitement then i guess it accomplishes their goal.

Darth Putter · May 10, 2017

Moving the TPC back to a couple of weeks before the The Masters doesn't look like that would hurt the tournament. It might interfere with the surrounding tournaments though. Where do you put the WGCs so players don't skip them? I don't see any advantage to the PGA moving dates and giving up the last spot and possibly losing access to courses in the northeast. I assume the proposed PGA date would be the weekend before Memorial Day. (18th-21st this year)

I would think at least one tournament would have to move back to the fall, perhaps the Texas Open that used to be played at that time of year?

The time between The British Open and the Fed Ex playoffs will be a real dead zone the three non Olympic years.

Hawkeye77 · May 10, 2017

Just the exact same story others were writing a few months ago when Moronahan was shooting off his mouth about it (of course, without any notion the PGA wants to move - and it shouldn't).

Just the Tour wanting to have its own way as usual, trying to emphasize its trumped up "playoffs" which have already forced a wrap around season and mucked up Q school.

Get the Players out of the way in March and bring on the real majors April - August every year and the Ryder Cup every other year. Eat it PGA Tour, none of those are your events!

Bingo1976 · May 11, 2017

Move the Open to November - I hear the weather is nice in Scotland that time of year.

OR

Can the FedEx cup, can some of the silly season events, and work out a way to have an Asian/African PGA Tour swing over the winter so you can show Golf in the morning before the football games start if you really must have a 52 week season.

MountainGoat · May 11, 2017

The Tour was negotiating it's sponsorship agreement with FedEx. Naturally, they floated the idea of pumping up the importance of the FedEx Cup by suggesting that the PGA move their championship to May. Ain't gonna happen. Ever. The TPC is better in May than it was in March, anyway, so there's no place to put the PGA even if they wanted to move.

Kenny Lee Puckett · August 8, 2017

and the changes are off and running.....

larrybud · August 8, 2017

Terrible for venues like Oakland Hills in my area. No way they come here in mid May. It could be 40 degrees during that time, and course conditions generally suck.

Hawkeye77 · August 8, 2017

Just the exact same story others were writing a few months ago when Moronahan was shooting off his mouth about it (of course, without any notion the PGA wants to move - and it shouldn't).

Just the Tour wanting to have its own way as usual, trying to emphasize its trumped up "playoffs" which have already forced a wrap around season and mucked up Q school.

Get the Players out of the way in March and bring on the real majors April - August every year and the Ryder Cup every other year. Eat it PGA Tour, none of those are your events!

Eat it PGA, you caved. Gutless morons.