I’m a guy who has been privileged to have played golf for 68 years. My game is not what it was, but I still get that satisfied feeling just being on the course with old and new friends. Golf is a game for children, adults, and others.
I’m writing to comment on the concerns that the professional tours are facing with declining viewership, the loss of some sponsors, and the ongoing saga with the LIV people.
While I respect the opportunities many players accepted going with LIV Golf, I believe that this has given the public a scenario which many, like me, came to realize that money can affect folks in ways that many find distasteful. Not that it’s wrong. We all know that these people are independent contractors. We all know that not all professional golfers are millionaires. We also know that the PGA Tour has been a very financially successful organization. And that’s good.
I understand that touring is not all fun and is somewhat difficult for folks with families, but that chance for creating a legacy, self-satisfaction, and potentially very nice income sure is nice.
I know not the negotiation outcome between the PGA Tour and LIV. Frankly, I don’t care. I still watch most weekly tournaments wishing I had had the talent that these players possess. I wish all these guys well. I hope to see more players showing appreciation to the patrons and their admirers at home.
Golf is a game about respect for the game itself, the player himself, his fellow players, and his supporters. Let’s hope we can keep the game growing properly.
Mike Edgar
Austin, Texas
Reading about price gouging and transportation nightmares at pro golf tournaments plus the general malaise toward pro tours (excluding the WM Phoenix Open), how long until people just stop going? Even with the commercials, you probably see more shots at home than trying to move around the course.
Semi-related, the PGA Tour is losing sponsors. When will companies pull out of “opposite field” events with no big-name players?
Jeff Evagues
Chandler, Arizona
Have I missed the real question no one has asked in the past two years on the PGA Tour and LIV Golf tour: Did PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan make anything on the “framework agreement” for the proposed merger?
Was this done from the kindness of his heart? Did he make upfront money? Or, will he be paid after an agreement?
I stand corrected if I have missed this. Otherwise, I am sure more than a few golfers are curious.
Alan Dale
New Braunfels, Texas
The PGA Tour’s non-signature events are suffering from weak fields. TV ratings are tanking, even in signature events. Some of the stars have gone to LIV, and people think the PGA Tour needs to get them back.
But would that help? The LIV players we want to see will be in the top 50 and, like the tour’s current stars, probably would play in the majors and signature events. That’s not going to help the other events. The non-majors and non-signature events have become the Korn Ferry Tour, but with elevated purses. Sponsors such as Honda and Wells Fargo have seen the handwriting on the wall and have bolted. Royal Bank of Canada has just announced it will not enter into any long-term deals until “professional men’s golf can get back on track.”
One of the first things Deane Beman proposed as commissioner was a plan that would require players to compete in each tour event once every three years. That plan never went anywhere because a number of players, including Jack Nicklaus, said they were independent contractors and the tour couldn’t tell them where to play. Now that players have an ownership stake in the PGA Tour, have they lost their independent-contractor status? And if so, can the tour require them to play all events within a certain period of time?
The tour’s elite have taken care of themselves. How about now taking care of the sponsors and the fans? Or will CJ Cup Byron Nelson fields be the norm for the majority of the PGA Tour season?
Charlie Jurgonis
Fairfax, Virginia
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