After talking with some golfing buddies, the problem is the structure of the PGA tour and how it classifies its players as independent contractors but then they require them to go and be places they don’t want to be which is contrary to what an actual independent contractors.
I don’t think this is going to go well for fans of golf because it will just dilute fields more and will end up just being a bunch of random tours throwing out cash grabs. The only thing the PGA tour has actually had going for it the past 25 years is Tiger. He’s the only figure in golf that matters but he’s only playing in the majors now.
I believe golf will turn into a four event season for all the best players and the fan will be left holding his popcorn wondering why he’s watching Tom Hoge battle Brendan Stelle rather than seeing the big boys together. It seems like the beginning of the end of the PGA tour as we know it and I don’t know how I feel about it all.
The four majors are their own entities. The Masters is it’s own entity, USGA who puts on the US Open is their own entity, the RNA who puts on the Open Championship is it’s own entity, and the PGA of America who puts on the PGA Championship is it’s own entity. All of these are separate from the PGA tour who doesn’t have any authority to say who can and can’t play in these so the real power in my mind is behind these four, none of which are the PGA tour.
The tour can ban Dustin Johnson from playing the Wells Fargo championship but cannot ban him from playing the Masters so if Dustin can get paid huge money, play LIV and the Masters, that’s what he’s going to do.
TL;DR: Money rules all.
I don’t think this is going to go well for fans of golf because it will just dilute fields more and will end up just being a bunch of random tours throwing out cash grabs. The only thing the PGA tour has actually had going for it the past 25 years is Tiger. He’s the only figure in golf that matters but he’s only playing in the majors now.
I believe golf will turn into a four event season for all the best players and the fan will be left holding his popcorn wondering why he’s watching Tom Hoge battle Brendan Stelle rather than seeing the big boys together. It seems like the beginning of the end of the PGA tour as we know it and I don’t know how I feel about it all.
The four majors are their own entities. The Masters is it’s own entity, USGA who puts on the US Open is their own entity, the RNA who puts on the Open Championship is it’s own entity, and the PGA of America who puts on the PGA Championship is it’s own entity. All of these are separate from the PGA tour who doesn’t have any authority to say who can and can’t play in these so the real power in my mind is behind these four, none of which are the PGA tour.
The tour can ban Dustin Johnson from playing the Wells Fargo championship but cannot ban him from playing the Masters so if Dustin can get paid huge money, play LIV and the Masters, that’s what he’s going to do.
TL;DR: Money rules all.
