Editor’s note: Several readers responded to GGP’s solicitation of suggestions for the PGA Tour’s new future competition committee led by Tiger Woods (“Future considerations,” Aug. 25, GGP). A sampling of the responses:
Give caddies a week off
What about one tournament without caddies, just to see how much quicker the game would be? The players know instinctively what shot to hit. It would be interesting to watch.
Roland Marney
Guildford, Surrey, England
Put putting on the clock
A small point but slow play severely distracts from the public’s enjoyment of the pro game. It also sets a bad example in the amateur/social game where five-hour rounds are now commonplace.
Tennis introduced the time limit on serves and this has helped significantly.
There may be some objections initially but the idea should maybe be trialled at a couple of events. Perhaps it should firstly be applied to putting.
Arthur Buckley
Burton Overy, Leicestershire, England
Consider your audience
Speed of play should be a key principle. The average NFL game is played in 3 hours, MLB in 2 hours, 40 minutes, and NBA games in 2 hours, 30 minutes.
PGA Tour golf played with twosomes: 5 hours.
At my club we play golf with a foursome on average in 3 hours, 20 minutes and that is with low to high single-digit players.
The younger generations will not sit in front of a TV for that length of time. Think of your future viewing audience.
Joe Dooley
Naples, Florida
No more ‘featured groups’
One suggestion I have is to eliminate the Thursday and Friday “featured group” coverage. How utterly boring. Bring back normal whole field coverage.
Rob Pariseau
Tampa, Florida
Crown a true world champion
You’ve heard this before, the Tour Championship isn’t the true Tour Championship. It’s a season-long, made-for-TV commercial for FedEx. A true tour championship would have the top-performing players from the four majors convene in late summer (before the start of the regular NFL season) at a to-be-renamed Players Championship. The goal would be to crown a true champion of the world. The PGA Tour and DP World Tour would develop a rota of venues at which the event would be played.
Rick Kaye
Riverwoods, Illinois
Senior tour for champions only
Yes, make the FedEx Cup final event a match-play event with the top 32 players. As far as the Champions tour is concerned, make it truly a champions tour with only PGA Tour past champions allowed. Guys like Steve Alker are fine but they bring no allure with them. Open it up to past champions of the European Tour and give them a Senior Ryder Cup.
Art Williams
Luzerne, Pennsylvania
No mixing with LIV
Why create any interaction with LIV? It will only add credence to their legitimacy by offering more visibility. On a related subject, get rid of the scoring mechanism for the FedEx Cup! No one understands it, including most of the players and many of the commentators. Ask any of the AI search engines and you will get the same reaction.
Pete Scarborough
Bonita Springs, Florida
Bring women into the fold
Would love to see an event that includes the LPGA.
Cathleen Story
Macungie, Pennsylvania
Support smaller markets
Please pass on my suggestion to Brian Rolapp and the nine-member committee.
My suggestion is to have all PGA Tour card-holding members play in every tournament at least every four or five years. By doing so, it helps every tournament with attendance and television viewership, even in the smaller markets. Who wouldn't want to see Scottie Scheffler or Rory McIlroy at the John Deere Classic?
Jim Richardson
Bettendorf, Iowa
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