28 YEARS AGO, AFTER THE PGA TOUR DEFEATED THE ORIGINAL GREG NORMAN PLAN FOR THE WORLD GOLF TOUR, WHICH WAS TO BE BROADCAST ON FOX SPORTS, THE TOURS OF THE WORLD CAME TOGETHER TO CREATE THE WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS. THIS SERIES OF EVENTS HAD POTENTIAL BUT HAS ULTIMATELY FAILED IN ITS KEY AIMS OF BRINGING THE BEST GOLFERS IN THE WORLD TOGETHER MORE OFTEN, AND GETTING THEM TO PLAY AROUND THE WORLD. NOW, THE PGA TOUR AND DP WORLD TOUR CAN AND SHOULD SEIZE THE MOMENT AND UNDERTAKE A FULL-SCALE MERGER, BUT IN DOING SO THE PGA TOUR AND AMERICAN-CENTRIC MEDIA MUST RECOGNISE THE SPORT IS ALREADY GLOBAL, AND THAT THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD SHOULD PLAY AROUND THE WORLD IN BIG EVENTS ON EVERY CONTINENT.
BETWEEN THEM THE PGA TOUR AND DP WORLD TOUR WILL STAGE OVER 86 TOURNAMENTS IN 2022, IN ADDITION TO THE MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, AND THEIR PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE SUNSHINE TOUR AND PGA TOUR OF AUSTRALASIA BOOST THAT TOTAL TO WELL OVER 100. THE TIME IS NOW TO CREATE A TRULY GLOBAL PGA TOUR IN THE MODEL OF THE ATP TOUR IN TENNIS, ENSURING THE WORLD'S BEST GOLFERS PLAY IN THE SAME TOURNAMENTS ACROSS THE PLANET ON MORE OCCASIONS EACH SEASON.
CATEGORIES OF EVENTS SHOULD BE CREATED, AND THE RIDICULOUS PLAYER IMPACT PROGRAM MONEY SHOULD BE INVESTED INTO EXPANDING THE ROLEX SERIES AND GOLF OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES.
THE GENESIS INVITATIONAL, ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL AND MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT HAVE SEEN THEIR PRIZE FUNDS BOOSTED TO $12MILLION, AND THIS SHOULD BE THE PRIZE FUND FOR THE FOLLOWING TOURNAMENTS TOO - RBC CANADIAN OPEN, MEXICO OPEN, HSBC CHAMPIONS, ABU DHABI HSBC CHAMPIONSHIP, SLYNC DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC, HORIZON IRISH OPEN, GENESIS SCOTTISH OPEN, ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, CJ CUP, BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP, FRENCH OPEN, SPANISH OPEN, ITALIAN OPEN, AUSTRALIAN OPEN, HERO INDIAN OPEN, NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE AND VISA OPEN DE ARGENTINA.
THIS NEWLY EXPANDED, 20-TOURNAMENT ROLEX SERIES WOULD BE THE TOP TIER OF EVENTS IN THE NEW GLOBAL PGA TOUR UNDER THE MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS.
THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP SHOULD BE ELEVATED TO MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP STATUS, AND THE FOUR OTHER EXISTING MAJORS SHOULD HAVE THEIR PRIZE FUNDS INCREASED TO MATCH THE $20MILLION ON OFFER AT TPC SAWGRASS.
BELOW THE ROLEX SERIES COULD BE A SERIES OF TOURNAMENTS ACROSS AMERICA, EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST FEATURING PURSES OF $6MILLION, AND BELOW THAT A GLOBAL SERIES OF EVENTS WITH PURSES OF $3MILLION, AND SO ON TO INCORPORATE EVERY EVENT OF THE PGA TOUR, DP WORLD TOUR, SUNSHINE TOUR, PGA TOUR OF AUSTRALASIA, KORN FERRY TOUR, CHALLENGE TOUR, PGA TOUR CANADA, PGA TOUR CHINA SERIES AND PGA TOUR LATINOAMERICA.
THE NEW GLOBAL PGA TOUR SEASON SHOULD RUN FROM OCTOBER TO AUGUST, WITH THE RYDER CUP TAKING PLACE IN THE FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER AS AN EVENT WHICH WILL FEATURE EUROPE, USA, AMERICAS, ASIA, AFRICA AND AUSTRALASIA IN A 6-TEAM SERIES OF MATCHES, AND THE OLYMPIC GOLF TOURNAMENT WOULD BE GIVEN FULL PGA TOUR STATUS WITH THE TOP TIER OF PGA TOUR POINTS AND A MINIMUM OF 100 OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING POINTS, IN LINE WITH THE MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS.
THE FEDEX CUP WOULD BE REBRANDED AS THE PGA TOUR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, WITH THE PLAYOFFS TOTALLY OVERHAULED. THE PLAYOFFS CAN BE A UNIQUE AND EXCITING CLIMAX TO THE SEASON, WE CONSTANTLY HEAR THAT PLAYERS AND FANS WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE MATCH PLAY, SO THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF THE PLAYOFFS WOULD FEATURE HEAD-TO-HEAD MATCHES BETWEEN THE BEST 64 GOLFERS ON THE PGA TOUR AT THE END OF THE REGULAR SEASON.
THE 64 GOLFERS WOULD BE SEEDED INTO 8 GROUPS OF 8 GOLFERS AND EACH GROUP WOULD PLAY AT A DIFFERENT CITY ACROSS THE USA, WITH EACH GOLFER PLAYING 7 MATCHES OVER TWO CONSECUTIVE WEEKENDS. THE LEADING 4 GOLFERS FROM EACH GROUP WOULD QUALIFY FOR THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP, WITH PLAYERS RANKED 5TH AND 6TH PLAYING OFF FOR THE FINAL SPOT FROM EACH GROUP TO COMPLETE AN EXPANDED FIELD OF 40 FOR THE SEASON-ENDING CHAMPIONSHIP.
THE HOST CITIES COULD BE LOCATED IN EVERY TIME ZONE OF THE UNITED STATES, WITH TEE-TIMES CO-ORDINATED TO ENABLE A 4-HOUR WINDOW FOR BROADCASTING OF EACH GROUP. NEW YORK, BOSTON (EASTERN), CHICAGO, MEMPHIS (CENTRAL), TUCSON, UTAH (MOUNTAIN), PORTLAND, SAN FRANCISCO (WESTERN) COULD HOST THE 8 GROUPS, USING ICONIC GOLF COURSES AND CREATING A FEAST OF GOLF ACROSS THE HOST BROADCAST NETWORKS.
WILL THESE INNOVATIVE, CRUCIAL CHANGES HAPPEN? NOT A CHANCE, THAT WOULD REQUIRE COMPROMISE AND THINKING ABOUT WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE SPORT.
BETWEEN THEM THE PGA TOUR AND DP WORLD TOUR WILL STAGE OVER 86 TOURNAMENTS IN 2022, IN ADDITION TO THE MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, AND THEIR PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE SUNSHINE TOUR AND PGA TOUR OF AUSTRALASIA BOOST THAT TOTAL TO WELL OVER 100. THE TIME IS NOW TO CREATE A TRULY GLOBAL PGA TOUR IN THE MODEL OF THE ATP TOUR IN TENNIS, ENSURING THE WORLD'S BEST GOLFERS PLAY IN THE SAME TOURNAMENTS ACROSS THE PLANET ON MORE OCCASIONS EACH SEASON.
CATEGORIES OF EVENTS SHOULD BE CREATED, AND THE RIDICULOUS PLAYER IMPACT PROGRAM MONEY SHOULD BE INVESTED INTO EXPANDING THE ROLEX SERIES AND GOLF OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES.
THE GENESIS INVITATIONAL, ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL AND MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT HAVE SEEN THEIR PRIZE FUNDS BOOSTED TO $12MILLION, AND THIS SHOULD BE THE PRIZE FUND FOR THE FOLLOWING TOURNAMENTS TOO - RBC CANADIAN OPEN, MEXICO OPEN, HSBC CHAMPIONS, ABU DHABI HSBC CHAMPIONSHIP, SLYNC DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC, HORIZON IRISH OPEN, GENESIS SCOTTISH OPEN, ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, CJ CUP, BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP, FRENCH OPEN, SPANISH OPEN, ITALIAN OPEN, AUSTRALIAN OPEN, HERO INDIAN OPEN, NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE AND VISA OPEN DE ARGENTINA.
THIS NEWLY EXPANDED, 20-TOURNAMENT ROLEX SERIES WOULD BE THE TOP TIER OF EVENTS IN THE NEW GLOBAL PGA TOUR UNDER THE MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS.
THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP SHOULD BE ELEVATED TO MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP STATUS, AND THE FOUR OTHER EXISTING MAJORS SHOULD HAVE THEIR PRIZE FUNDS INCREASED TO MATCH THE $20MILLION ON OFFER AT TPC SAWGRASS.
BELOW THE ROLEX SERIES COULD BE A SERIES OF TOURNAMENTS ACROSS AMERICA, EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST FEATURING PURSES OF $6MILLION, AND BELOW THAT A GLOBAL SERIES OF EVENTS WITH PURSES OF $3MILLION, AND SO ON TO INCORPORATE EVERY EVENT OF THE PGA TOUR, DP WORLD TOUR, SUNSHINE TOUR, PGA TOUR OF AUSTRALASIA, KORN FERRY TOUR, CHALLENGE TOUR, PGA TOUR CANADA, PGA TOUR CHINA SERIES AND PGA TOUR LATINOAMERICA.
THE NEW GLOBAL PGA TOUR SEASON SHOULD RUN FROM OCTOBER TO AUGUST, WITH THE RYDER CUP TAKING PLACE IN THE FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER AS AN EVENT WHICH WILL FEATURE EUROPE, USA, AMERICAS, ASIA, AFRICA AND AUSTRALASIA IN A 6-TEAM SERIES OF MATCHES, AND THE OLYMPIC GOLF TOURNAMENT WOULD BE GIVEN FULL PGA TOUR STATUS WITH THE TOP TIER OF PGA TOUR POINTS AND A MINIMUM OF 100 OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING POINTS, IN LINE WITH THE MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS.
THE FEDEX CUP WOULD BE REBRANDED AS THE PGA TOUR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, WITH THE PLAYOFFS TOTALLY OVERHAULED. THE PLAYOFFS CAN BE A UNIQUE AND EXCITING CLIMAX TO THE SEASON, WE CONSTANTLY HEAR THAT PLAYERS AND FANS WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE MATCH PLAY, SO THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF THE PLAYOFFS WOULD FEATURE HEAD-TO-HEAD MATCHES BETWEEN THE BEST 64 GOLFERS ON THE PGA TOUR AT THE END OF THE REGULAR SEASON.
THE 64 GOLFERS WOULD BE SEEDED INTO 8 GROUPS OF 8 GOLFERS AND EACH GROUP WOULD PLAY AT A DIFFERENT CITY ACROSS THE USA, WITH EACH GOLFER PLAYING 7 MATCHES OVER TWO CONSECUTIVE WEEKENDS. THE LEADING 4 GOLFERS FROM EACH GROUP WOULD QUALIFY FOR THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP, WITH PLAYERS RANKED 5TH AND 6TH PLAYING OFF FOR THE FINAL SPOT FROM EACH GROUP TO COMPLETE AN EXPANDED FIELD OF 40 FOR THE SEASON-ENDING CHAMPIONSHIP.
THE HOST CITIES COULD BE LOCATED IN EVERY TIME ZONE OF THE UNITED STATES, WITH TEE-TIMES CO-ORDINATED TO ENABLE A 4-HOUR WINDOW FOR BROADCASTING OF EACH GROUP. NEW YORK, BOSTON (EASTERN), CHICAGO, MEMPHIS (CENTRAL), TUCSON, UTAH (MOUNTAIN), PORTLAND, SAN FRANCISCO (WESTERN) COULD HOST THE 8 GROUPS, USING ICONIC GOLF COURSES AND CREATING A FEAST OF GOLF ACROSS THE HOST BROADCAST NETWORKS.
WILL THESE INNOVATIVE, CRUCIAL CHANGES HAPPEN? NOT A CHANCE, THAT WOULD REQUIRE COMPROMISE AND THINKING ABOUT WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE SPORT.
