VARIOUS SOURCES REPORTING SUPER GOLF LEAGUE WILL BE ANNOUNCED DURING WEEK OF THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP,
THE PGA TOUR'S FLAGSHIP EVENT
THE PLAYERS WILL CARRY THE RICHEST PURSE IN GOLF HISTORY, $20MILLION
UP TO 20 PGA TOUR/DP WORLD TOUR MEMBERS ARE RUMOURED TO HAVE SIGNED UP TO THE NEW PLATFORM RUN BY LIV GOLF INVESTMENTS AND BACKED BY THE SAUDI PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND
THE PGA TOUR'S FLAGSHIP EVENT
THE PLAYERS WILL CARRY THE RICHEST PURSE IN GOLF HISTORY, $20MILLION
UP TO 20 PGA TOUR/DP WORLD TOUR MEMBERS ARE RUMOURED TO HAVE SIGNED UP TO THE NEW PLATFORM RUN BY LIV GOLF INVESTMENTS AND BACKED BY THE SAUDI PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND
WEEKS AND MONTHS OF CONJECTURE ABOUT A BREAKAWAY SUPER GOLF LEAGUE SEEM TO BE DAYS AWAY FROM COMING TO A HEAD AFTER IT WAS REVEALED BY VARIOUS SOURCES ON WEDNESDAY EVENING THAT THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE WILL BE LAUNCHED IN THE WEEK OF THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP, MARCH 7-13 2022.
ALAN SHIPNUCK SAID ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT: "A very prominent Tour agent tells me the Saudi plan has always been to announce once they have signed 20 players…and they just got to 20. A formal kick-off is now expected the week of the Players, the PGA Tour’s flagship event. I respect the bitchiness."
THIS FOLLOWS THE REVELATIONS FROM PGA TOUR GOLFER KRAMER HICOCK (STRIPE SHOW PODCAST): “I think there’s already been 17 guys that have jumped over [to the Super Golf League], and I can’t say who they are, but there’s going to be some big names,”
HE ALSO REVEALED that it could have between 12-14 tournaments that feature just 40 players and no cut.
"You’re going to see a lot of big names jump over there, I think there’s already been 17 guys that have jumped over and I can’t say who they are but there’s going to be some big names going over there," the Texan said on the Stripe Show podcast. "Look, I mean from what I’ve heard the money’s very, very appealing. You’re only gonna have 12-14 events, those events are gonna have purses, you’re not going to have to deal with missing a cut anymore, there’s only going to be 40 players. And 10 of those 14 events will be in the States. Signing bonuses, huge, huge purses, it’s going to be very appealing for some of these guys. Yeah you’ll see some big names for sure."
MY THOUGHTS
THIS CAN ONLY BE SEEN AS A DECLARATION OF WAR BY GREG NORMAN, TO LAUNCH THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE IN THE WEEK OF THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP IS AS AGGRESSIVE AND CONFRONTATIONAL AS IT GETS. BUT HE WILL SEE THAT HE HAS GOOD REASON TO DO THIS, AND IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE TO LAUNCH A NEW PLATFORM WHEN THE WORLD'S EYES ARE ALREADY ON GOLF THAT WEEK. ALL THE PLAYERS COMPETING AT SAWGRASS THAT WEEK WILL BE ASKED ABOUT IN THE MEDIA, IS THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE
NORMAN WON THE 1994 PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP AT TPC SAWGRASS WITH A RECORD-LOW SCORE, DOMINATING THE FIELD. IT WAS ONE OF THE STANDOUT PERFORMANCES OF HIS ENTIRE CAREER IN AN ERA HE AND NICK FALDO DOMINATED THE WORLD OF GOLF.
SINCE 1994 NORMAN HAS HAD A SOMEWHAT COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PGA TOUR DUE TO THE PROPOSED LAUNCH OF THE WORLD GOLF TOUR IN 1994, THIS TIME HIS PLANS HAVE THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE SAUDI PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND AND HE HAS FOUND A SANCTIONING PARTNER IN THE ASIAN TOUR. IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHAT THE ASIAN TOUR WILL HAVE TO DO WITH THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE, BUT YOU WOULD EXPECT PLAYERS FROM THE ASIAN TOUR TO BE INVITED OR ELIGIBLE TO PLAY IN THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE EVENTS. HOWEVER THE TWO MAY REMAIN COMPLETELY SEPARATE WITH THE SAUDI PIF AND LIV GOLF INVESTMENTS ALREADY BACKING THE ASIAN TOUR TO THE TUNE OF $300MILLION AND CREATING THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES, WHICH SEEMINGLY IS NOT GOING TO BE PART OF THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE.
HOWEVER, IT DOES SEEM LIKELY THE ASIAN TOUR WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SOME INVOLVEMENT FOR THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE TO SECURE WORLD RANKING POINTS, AND IF THAT IS THE CASE I SUSPECT THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF PGA TOURS COULD LOOK TO REMOVE THE ASIAN TOUR COMPLETELY FROM THE FEDERATION AND THUS RENDER ITS EVENTS INELIGIBLE FOR OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING POINTS.
WHAT COURSES WILL HOST THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE?
THE RUMOURED PROPOSAL IS FOR THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE TO HAVE 14 EVENTS, WITH 10 PLAYED IN THE UNITED STATES AND 4 OUTSIDE OF THE USA. TO ME THIS IS ABSOLUTELY THE WRONG WAY ROUND AND DOESN'T ACHIEVE WHAT I WOULD WANT TO SEE FROM A SUPER GOLF LEAGUE OR FORMULA 1 STYLE GOLF CIRCUIT. IT ISN'T GLOBAL ENOUGH IN SCALE AND DOESN'T CHANGE THE STATUS QUO OF THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD ONLY NEEDING TO USE THEIR PASSPORTS FOR A LIMITED NUMBER OF EVENTS EACH SEASON.
HOWEVER, IF THE RUMOURS ARE TRUE THEN WHERE WILL THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE PLAY? BUNKERED, THE SCOTTISH GOLF MAGAZINE, HAS SPECULATED THAT TURNBERRY COULD BE A SCOTTISH VENUE FOR THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE, DUE TO NORMAN HAVING PREVIOUS TIES TO THE RESORT PRIOR TO TRUMP'S OWNERSHIP AND BECAUSE HE WON THE 1986 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP THERE.
IT DOES SEEM PLAUSIBLE AND GIVEN THAT THE PGA TOUR REMOVED THE WGC FROM TRUMP'S DORAL AND TOOK IT TO MEXICO I CAN IMAGINE TRUMP WOULD LOVE TO STAGE A SUPER GOLF LEAGUE EVENT ON THE COURSE HE HAS OWNED SINCE 2015 AND HAS OVERSEEN A MAJOR REDEVELOPMENT OF.
TURNBERRY HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP ROTA AND WOULD BE A STUNNING VENUE IF ANNOUNCED BY GREG NORMAN.
OTHER POSSIBLE VENUES WITHIN THE UNITED STATES COULD BE THE LIKES OF TIBURON IN FLORIDA, THE HOST COURSE OF THE QBE SHOOTOUT AND A COURSE DESIGNED BY GREG NORMAN, BUT IF THIS SUPER GOLF LEAGUE IS TO REALLY MAKE WAVES AND SECURE POPULARITY AMONG GOLF FANS AND GOLFERS ALIKE THEN IT NEEDS TO BE PLAYED ON TRULY SPECTACULAR COURSES. THE LIKES OF PINE VALLEY, CYPRESS POINT AND SEMINOLE FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY AND WITH A LIMITED FIELD OF 40 SUGGESTED BY THE RUMOURS THIS WEEK, IT MAY WELL BE APPEALING TO THOSE CLUBS.
WHAT WILL THE REACTION BE FROM THE PGA TOUR AND DP WORLD TOUR?
GIVEN THAT IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE WILL BE LAUNCHED DURING THE BIGGEST WEEK OF THE PGA TOUR SEASON OUTSIDE THE MAJORS, THE WEEK IN WHICH THE PGA TOUR AS AN ORGANISATION IS FRONT AND CENTRE OF ORGANISING AN EVENT WITH THE RICHEST PRIZE IN GOLF HISTORY, PLAYED ON A COURSE CALLED THE TOURNAMENT PLAYERS CLUB - THE PLAYERS STADIUM COURSE, SAWGRASS, I BELIEVE THE PGA TOUR REACTION IS GOING TO BE SEVERE.
GOLF IS ABOUT MORE THAN THE HERE AND NOW, AND IT IS ABOUT MORE THAN A FEW, SELECT STARS WHO WANT TO PLAY ON ALTERNATIVE PLATFORM. THE PGA TOUR HAS ITS OWN BRAND TO PROTECT AND, IT WILL SEE, IT HAS THE GAME OF GOLF AND WHAT GOLF STANDS FOR TO PROTECT, FOR EXAMPLE THE DEMOCRACY OF THE GAME AND THE MERITOCRACY OF THE SPORT. SO WHILST BANNING THE LIKES OF BRYSON DECHAMBEAU AND DUSTIN JOHNSON, IF THEY JOIN THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE, MIGHT BE A HARD THING TO DO, I BELIEVE THEY WILL BAN ANY GOLFER WHO JOINS THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE PGA TOUR MAY TAKE EVEN FURTHER STEPS TO RESTRICT THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE AND ITS GROWTH.
IT COULD FORBID GOLFERS ON THE PGA TOUR TO HOLD MEMBERSHIP OF THE ASIAN TOUR, AND DENY THEM RELEASES TO PLAY IN ANY EVENTS OTHER THAN THOSE SANCTIONED BY THE PGA TOUR AND DP WORLD TOUR. THE PGA TOUR COULD ALSO DENY ACCESS TO ITS EVENTS FOR PLAYERS BASED ON THE OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING. THEY BARELY RECOGNISE THE RANKING IN ANY CASE AS IT ONLY ALLOWS A NON-PGA TOUR MEMBER A SELECT NUMBER OF STARTS, BUT THEY COULD FORCE A POSITION WHERE THE FEDEX CUP IS THE ONLY RANKING THEY RECOGNISE.
THEY COULD ALSO RESTRICT SPONSORS INVITATIONS, WHICH WOULD POTENTIALLY BE DAMAGING TO THEIR OWN TOUR, BUT IT WOULD STOP TOURNAMENT SPONSORS FROM SIGNING ANY PLAYERS WHO JOIN THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE. IT COULD ALSO TAKE A STANCE OVER MEDIA AND SPONSORS, FORBIDDING MEDIA ACCREDITATION TO PGA TOUR EVENTS IF THEY COVER THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE, AND ENDING BROADCASTING CONTRACTS WITH BROADCASTERS WHO COVER THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE. THEY COULD ALSO TERMINATE SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENTS WITH ANY COMPANY WHICH SPONSORS THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE AND ITS EVENTS.
BUT THE MOST IMPACTFUL REACTION COULD YET COME FROM THE AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB. AS AN INDEPENDENT MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP ORGANISER THE AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB HAS THE RIGHT TO INVITE ANY GOLFER TO PLAY IN THE MASTERS, REGARDLESS OF RANKING OR STATUS, IT IS THEIR PREROGATIVE. BUT THEY COULD DECIDE TO CANCEL ALL INVITATIONS TO MEMBERS OF THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE. ANY RESTRICTION IN ACCESS TO THE MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS WOULD KILL THE SUPER LEAGUE OFF, AS GOLFERS PLAY TO WIN MAJORS, AND ESPECIALLY PLAY TO EARN AN INVITATION TO AUGUSTA NATIONAL.
DOES THIS MEAN WE ARE CLOSER THAN EVER BEFORE TO THE MERGER OF THE PGA TOUR AND DP WORLD TOUR TO CREATE A GLOBAL PGA TOUR?
IT SHOULD DO, BUT I FEAR IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT. THE PGA TOUR, LIKE MOST AMERICAN-BASED SPORTS LEAGUES, SEE THINGS THROUGH A NARROW PRISM. THE ONE OF WE WILL STAGE THE EVENTS HERE AND YOU CAN WATCH ON TELEVISION. THEY DO NOT SEE THINGS THROUGH THE PRISM OF PROVIDING THE BEST PLATFORM ACROSS THE WORLD FOR PLAYERS TO COMPETE, TO TEST THEIR SKILLS ON A VARIETY OF GRASSES, IN A VARIETY OF CONDITIONS, CLIMATES AND TIME ZONES. THEY DO NOT SEE IT AS IMPORTANT FOR STRONG FIELDS TO ASSEMBLE IN AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AFRICA, ASIA, EUROPE OR SOUTH AMERICA. THEIR EVENTS IN ASIA ARE A TOKEN GESTURE, AND THEIR CO-SANCTIONING OF THE SCOTTISH OPEN WON'T SEE A DRAMATIC CHANGE IN FIELD STRENGTH AT THE RENAISSANCE CLUB.
IN MANY WAYS THE PGA TOUR ARE REAPING WHAT THEY SOWED BY NOT FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH THE PROMISE OF 'CREATING A SERIES OF CO-SANCTIONED EVENTS AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP LEVEL'. THE PGA TOUR AND OTHER MAJOR TOURS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY AT THE END OF THE 20TH CENTURY TO CREATE SOMETHING TRULY SPECTACULAR, INSTEAD THE WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS WERE PLAYED PREDOMINANTLY IN THE UNITED STATES, AND THEY HAVE NOW SHRUNK TO A PATHETIC 2 EVENTS, WITH THE HSBC CHAMPIONS IN 2022 ALSO LIKELY TO DISAPPEAR DUE TO THE ONGOING PANDEMIC.
WHAT THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE IS SET TO UNVEIL IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT GREG NORMAN PROPOSED IN 1994 WITH THE CREATION OF THE WORLD GOLF TOUR, WHICH WAS TO BE BROADCAST BY FOX IN THE UNITED STATES. FOX ENDED ITS US OPEN AGREEMENT EARLY IN 2020 DUE TO THE PANDEMIC FORCING THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP FROM JUNE TO SEPTEMBER, THUS CLASHING WITH THE NFL SEASON. I COULD SEE THEM, AS A BROADCASTER WHO HAS HISTORIC TIES TO GREG NORMAN, AND A BROADCASTER WHO ONCE AGAIN WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN BIDDING FOR THE PGA TOUR RIGHTS, TAKING ON THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE.
THIS SPRING FOX LAUNCHES THE USFL, AN UPSTART SPRING AMERICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, AND THAT KIND OF INNOVATION AND OPEN-MINDED APPROACH COULD SEE THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE LAND ITS FIRST MAJOR BROADCAST PARTNER.
WE ARE JUST A MATTER OF 19 DAYS AWAY FROM PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK, AND A WEEK WHICH WAS ALREADY HISTORIC BECAUSE OF THE RICHEST PURSE EVER, WILL NOW POTENTIALLY BECOME HISTORIC BECAUSE OF THE LAUNCH OF THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE. WE ALL FEAR WAR ON THE BORDER OF UKRAINE AND RUSSIA, BUT WAR IS COMING TO GOLF THIS MARCH IN FLORIDA.
ALAN SHIPNUCK SAID ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT: "A very prominent Tour agent tells me the Saudi plan has always been to announce once they have signed 20 players…and they just got to 20. A formal kick-off is now expected the week of the Players, the PGA Tour’s flagship event. I respect the bitchiness."
THIS FOLLOWS THE REVELATIONS FROM PGA TOUR GOLFER KRAMER HICOCK (STRIPE SHOW PODCAST): “I think there’s already been 17 guys that have jumped over [to the Super Golf League], and I can’t say who they are, but there’s going to be some big names,”
HE ALSO REVEALED that it could have between 12-14 tournaments that feature just 40 players and no cut.
"You’re going to see a lot of big names jump over there, I think there’s already been 17 guys that have jumped over and I can’t say who they are but there’s going to be some big names going over there," the Texan said on the Stripe Show podcast. "Look, I mean from what I’ve heard the money’s very, very appealing. You’re only gonna have 12-14 events, those events are gonna have purses, you’re not going to have to deal with missing a cut anymore, there’s only going to be 40 players. And 10 of those 14 events will be in the States. Signing bonuses, huge, huge purses, it’s going to be very appealing for some of these guys. Yeah you’ll see some big names for sure."
MY THOUGHTS
THIS CAN ONLY BE SEEN AS A DECLARATION OF WAR BY GREG NORMAN, TO LAUNCH THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE IN THE WEEK OF THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP IS AS AGGRESSIVE AND CONFRONTATIONAL AS IT GETS. BUT HE WILL SEE THAT HE HAS GOOD REASON TO DO THIS, AND IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE TO LAUNCH A NEW PLATFORM WHEN THE WORLD'S EYES ARE ALREADY ON GOLF THAT WEEK. ALL THE PLAYERS COMPETING AT SAWGRASS THAT WEEK WILL BE ASKED ABOUT IN THE MEDIA, IS THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE
NORMAN WON THE 1994 PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP AT TPC SAWGRASS WITH A RECORD-LOW SCORE, DOMINATING THE FIELD. IT WAS ONE OF THE STANDOUT PERFORMANCES OF HIS ENTIRE CAREER IN AN ERA HE AND NICK FALDO DOMINATED THE WORLD OF GOLF.
SINCE 1994 NORMAN HAS HAD A SOMEWHAT COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PGA TOUR DUE TO THE PROPOSED LAUNCH OF THE WORLD GOLF TOUR IN 1994, THIS TIME HIS PLANS HAVE THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE SAUDI PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND AND HE HAS FOUND A SANCTIONING PARTNER IN THE ASIAN TOUR. IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHAT THE ASIAN TOUR WILL HAVE TO DO WITH THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE, BUT YOU WOULD EXPECT PLAYERS FROM THE ASIAN TOUR TO BE INVITED OR ELIGIBLE TO PLAY IN THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE EVENTS. HOWEVER THE TWO MAY REMAIN COMPLETELY SEPARATE WITH THE SAUDI PIF AND LIV GOLF INVESTMENTS ALREADY BACKING THE ASIAN TOUR TO THE TUNE OF $300MILLION AND CREATING THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES, WHICH SEEMINGLY IS NOT GOING TO BE PART OF THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE.
HOWEVER, IT DOES SEEM LIKELY THE ASIAN TOUR WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SOME INVOLVEMENT FOR THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE TO SECURE WORLD RANKING POINTS, AND IF THAT IS THE CASE I SUSPECT THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF PGA TOURS COULD LOOK TO REMOVE THE ASIAN TOUR COMPLETELY FROM THE FEDERATION AND THUS RENDER ITS EVENTS INELIGIBLE FOR OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING POINTS.
WHAT COURSES WILL HOST THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE?
THE RUMOURED PROPOSAL IS FOR THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE TO HAVE 14 EVENTS, WITH 10 PLAYED IN THE UNITED STATES AND 4 OUTSIDE OF THE USA. TO ME THIS IS ABSOLUTELY THE WRONG WAY ROUND AND DOESN'T ACHIEVE WHAT I WOULD WANT TO SEE FROM A SUPER GOLF LEAGUE OR FORMULA 1 STYLE GOLF CIRCUIT. IT ISN'T GLOBAL ENOUGH IN SCALE AND DOESN'T CHANGE THE STATUS QUO OF THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD ONLY NEEDING TO USE THEIR PASSPORTS FOR A LIMITED NUMBER OF EVENTS EACH SEASON.
HOWEVER, IF THE RUMOURS ARE TRUE THEN WHERE WILL THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE PLAY? BUNKERED, THE SCOTTISH GOLF MAGAZINE, HAS SPECULATED THAT TURNBERRY COULD BE A SCOTTISH VENUE FOR THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE, DUE TO NORMAN HAVING PREVIOUS TIES TO THE RESORT PRIOR TO TRUMP'S OWNERSHIP AND BECAUSE HE WON THE 1986 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP THERE.
IT DOES SEEM PLAUSIBLE AND GIVEN THAT THE PGA TOUR REMOVED THE WGC FROM TRUMP'S DORAL AND TOOK IT TO MEXICO I CAN IMAGINE TRUMP WOULD LOVE TO STAGE A SUPER GOLF LEAGUE EVENT ON THE COURSE HE HAS OWNED SINCE 2015 AND HAS OVERSEEN A MAJOR REDEVELOPMENT OF.
TURNBERRY HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP ROTA AND WOULD BE A STUNNING VENUE IF ANNOUNCED BY GREG NORMAN.
OTHER POSSIBLE VENUES WITHIN THE UNITED STATES COULD BE THE LIKES OF TIBURON IN FLORIDA, THE HOST COURSE OF THE QBE SHOOTOUT AND A COURSE DESIGNED BY GREG NORMAN, BUT IF THIS SUPER GOLF LEAGUE IS TO REALLY MAKE WAVES AND SECURE POPULARITY AMONG GOLF FANS AND GOLFERS ALIKE THEN IT NEEDS TO BE PLAYED ON TRULY SPECTACULAR COURSES. THE LIKES OF PINE VALLEY, CYPRESS POINT AND SEMINOLE FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY AND WITH A LIMITED FIELD OF 40 SUGGESTED BY THE RUMOURS THIS WEEK, IT MAY WELL BE APPEALING TO THOSE CLUBS.
WHAT WILL THE REACTION BE FROM THE PGA TOUR AND DP WORLD TOUR?
GIVEN THAT IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE WILL BE LAUNCHED DURING THE BIGGEST WEEK OF THE PGA TOUR SEASON OUTSIDE THE MAJORS, THE WEEK IN WHICH THE PGA TOUR AS AN ORGANISATION IS FRONT AND CENTRE OF ORGANISING AN EVENT WITH THE RICHEST PRIZE IN GOLF HISTORY, PLAYED ON A COURSE CALLED THE TOURNAMENT PLAYERS CLUB - THE PLAYERS STADIUM COURSE, SAWGRASS, I BELIEVE THE PGA TOUR REACTION IS GOING TO BE SEVERE.
GOLF IS ABOUT MORE THAN THE HERE AND NOW, AND IT IS ABOUT MORE THAN A FEW, SELECT STARS WHO WANT TO PLAY ON ALTERNATIVE PLATFORM. THE PGA TOUR HAS ITS OWN BRAND TO PROTECT AND, IT WILL SEE, IT HAS THE GAME OF GOLF AND WHAT GOLF STANDS FOR TO PROTECT, FOR EXAMPLE THE DEMOCRACY OF THE GAME AND THE MERITOCRACY OF THE SPORT. SO WHILST BANNING THE LIKES OF BRYSON DECHAMBEAU AND DUSTIN JOHNSON, IF THEY JOIN THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE, MIGHT BE A HARD THING TO DO, I BELIEVE THEY WILL BAN ANY GOLFER WHO JOINS THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE PGA TOUR MAY TAKE EVEN FURTHER STEPS TO RESTRICT THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE AND ITS GROWTH.
IT COULD FORBID GOLFERS ON THE PGA TOUR TO HOLD MEMBERSHIP OF THE ASIAN TOUR, AND DENY THEM RELEASES TO PLAY IN ANY EVENTS OTHER THAN THOSE SANCTIONED BY THE PGA TOUR AND DP WORLD TOUR. THE PGA TOUR COULD ALSO DENY ACCESS TO ITS EVENTS FOR PLAYERS BASED ON THE OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING. THEY BARELY RECOGNISE THE RANKING IN ANY CASE AS IT ONLY ALLOWS A NON-PGA TOUR MEMBER A SELECT NUMBER OF STARTS, BUT THEY COULD FORCE A POSITION WHERE THE FEDEX CUP IS THE ONLY RANKING THEY RECOGNISE.
THEY COULD ALSO RESTRICT SPONSORS INVITATIONS, WHICH WOULD POTENTIALLY BE DAMAGING TO THEIR OWN TOUR, BUT IT WOULD STOP TOURNAMENT SPONSORS FROM SIGNING ANY PLAYERS WHO JOIN THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE. IT COULD ALSO TAKE A STANCE OVER MEDIA AND SPONSORS, FORBIDDING MEDIA ACCREDITATION TO PGA TOUR EVENTS IF THEY COVER THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE, AND ENDING BROADCASTING CONTRACTS WITH BROADCASTERS WHO COVER THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE. THEY COULD ALSO TERMINATE SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENTS WITH ANY COMPANY WHICH SPONSORS THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE AND ITS EVENTS.
BUT THE MOST IMPACTFUL REACTION COULD YET COME FROM THE AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB. AS AN INDEPENDENT MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP ORGANISER THE AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB HAS THE RIGHT TO INVITE ANY GOLFER TO PLAY IN THE MASTERS, REGARDLESS OF RANKING OR STATUS, IT IS THEIR PREROGATIVE. BUT THEY COULD DECIDE TO CANCEL ALL INVITATIONS TO MEMBERS OF THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE. ANY RESTRICTION IN ACCESS TO THE MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS WOULD KILL THE SUPER LEAGUE OFF, AS GOLFERS PLAY TO WIN MAJORS, AND ESPECIALLY PLAY TO EARN AN INVITATION TO AUGUSTA NATIONAL.
DOES THIS MEAN WE ARE CLOSER THAN EVER BEFORE TO THE MERGER OF THE PGA TOUR AND DP WORLD TOUR TO CREATE A GLOBAL PGA TOUR?
IT SHOULD DO, BUT I FEAR IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT. THE PGA TOUR, LIKE MOST AMERICAN-BASED SPORTS LEAGUES, SEE THINGS THROUGH A NARROW PRISM. THE ONE OF WE WILL STAGE THE EVENTS HERE AND YOU CAN WATCH ON TELEVISION. THEY DO NOT SEE THINGS THROUGH THE PRISM OF PROVIDING THE BEST PLATFORM ACROSS THE WORLD FOR PLAYERS TO COMPETE, TO TEST THEIR SKILLS ON A VARIETY OF GRASSES, IN A VARIETY OF CONDITIONS, CLIMATES AND TIME ZONES. THEY DO NOT SEE IT AS IMPORTANT FOR STRONG FIELDS TO ASSEMBLE IN AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AFRICA, ASIA, EUROPE OR SOUTH AMERICA. THEIR EVENTS IN ASIA ARE A TOKEN GESTURE, AND THEIR CO-SANCTIONING OF THE SCOTTISH OPEN WON'T SEE A DRAMATIC CHANGE IN FIELD STRENGTH AT THE RENAISSANCE CLUB.
IN MANY WAYS THE PGA TOUR ARE REAPING WHAT THEY SOWED BY NOT FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH THE PROMISE OF 'CREATING A SERIES OF CO-SANCTIONED EVENTS AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP LEVEL'. THE PGA TOUR AND OTHER MAJOR TOURS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY AT THE END OF THE 20TH CENTURY TO CREATE SOMETHING TRULY SPECTACULAR, INSTEAD THE WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS WERE PLAYED PREDOMINANTLY IN THE UNITED STATES, AND THEY HAVE NOW SHRUNK TO A PATHETIC 2 EVENTS, WITH THE HSBC CHAMPIONS IN 2022 ALSO LIKELY TO DISAPPEAR DUE TO THE ONGOING PANDEMIC.
WHAT THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE IS SET TO UNVEIL IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT GREG NORMAN PROPOSED IN 1994 WITH THE CREATION OF THE WORLD GOLF TOUR, WHICH WAS TO BE BROADCAST BY FOX IN THE UNITED STATES. FOX ENDED ITS US OPEN AGREEMENT EARLY IN 2020 DUE TO THE PANDEMIC FORCING THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP FROM JUNE TO SEPTEMBER, THUS CLASHING WITH THE NFL SEASON. I COULD SEE THEM, AS A BROADCASTER WHO HAS HISTORIC TIES TO GREG NORMAN, AND A BROADCASTER WHO ONCE AGAIN WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN BIDDING FOR THE PGA TOUR RIGHTS, TAKING ON THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE.
THIS SPRING FOX LAUNCHES THE USFL, AN UPSTART SPRING AMERICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, AND THAT KIND OF INNOVATION AND OPEN-MINDED APPROACH COULD SEE THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE LAND ITS FIRST MAJOR BROADCAST PARTNER.
WE ARE JUST A MATTER OF 19 DAYS AWAY FROM PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK, AND A WEEK WHICH WAS ALREADY HISTORIC BECAUSE OF THE RICHEST PURSE EVER, WILL NOW POTENTIALLY BECOME HISTORIC BECAUSE OF THE LAUNCH OF THE SUPER GOLF LEAGUE. WE ALL FEAR WAR ON THE BORDER OF UKRAINE AND RUSSIA, BUT WAR IS COMING TO GOLF THIS MARCH IN FLORIDA.
