LIV wants what it doesn’t have: Credibility. Legitimacy. The PGA Tour wants: Long-term solvency and to retain the mantle of history.
The fans want: To see the best play the best players. Often.
The sponsors want: What the fans want. No more field dilution.
So…
Start the season with the Sentry Tournament of (yes) Champions. All PGA Tour winners. All LIV individual winners. All LPGA winners. It would blow out all previous television ratings.
Have LIV and the PGA Tour play back-to-back weeks on alternating schedules. Two weeks of LIV, two weeks of PGA Tour and no competing for the fans’ attention. That’s 28 weeks of golf (14 LIV, 14 PGA Tour).
At PGA Tour events, 12 spots are reserved for LIV players in order of points priority. LIV players can garner Official World Golf Ranking points. At LIV events, 12 tee times are set aside for PGA Tour players. Pay the PGA Tour players between $5 million and $10 million per tournament in appearance fees plus winnings. That is your payback for having stuck with the tour. If Rory McIlroy or Justin Thomas plays 20 LIV events over four years, he gets $200 million in appearance fees. Not bad.
Now, with Sentry, four majors, the Players and FedEx Cup you have used up 36 weeks of the calendar. You’ve left room for the Ryder Cup and the Olympics. Stop! Let college football, the World Series and the NFL rule the roost. There would be plenty of golf. The “silly season,” the Match and the PNC Championship would fill the vacuum. Let players rest if they choose, test equipment and leave the fans’ mouths watering for Sentry much the way we do now thinking of the Masters.
LIV is much more global in its thinking than the PGA Tour. And that’s good. Wouldn’t Adam Scott like to play back-to-back weeks in Australia, collect an appearance fee and see his homeland? How about some of the PGA Tour players of Asian descent playing a few weeks closer to their roots? Wouldn’t it be nice to see Cam Smith and Dustin Johnson at the Genesis?
Food for thought.
Rick Whiting
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Thanks for your column, John Hopkins (“Europe operates in a ‘weird spot’,” February 12 GGP). I invariably enjoy your writing.
My question is, why has the Strategic Sports Group “invested in the PGA Tour,” if that is an accurate phrase? Considering the individuals and organizations they represent, one would normally suspect it is to make money, but how? How will their investment generate more profit for the tour when they are increasing the operating costs, e.g., prize money.
I shall be keeping an eye on the charitable donations of each event.
Regardless of all this, my Tuesday and Friday groups will continue to play our $2 skins and greenies.
Arthur McAra
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
It’s a travesty that they were still playing “lift, clean and place” on Sunday at the Phoenix Open (“Taylor stars in Phoenix playoff,” February 12 GGP). The announcers kept saying the conditions were perfect, and I didn’t see any mud balls.
Semi-related: the players finally started complaining about the fans. Here is an idea: don’t sell any alcohol next year.
Jeff Evagues
Chandler, Arizona
Global Golf Post welcomes reader comment. Write to executive editor Steve Harmon at saharmon83@gmail.com and provide your full name, city, state and country of residence. If your comment is selected for publication, GGP will contact you to verify the authenticity of the email and confirm your identity. We would not publish your email address. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and brevity.