GREG NORMAN TELLS JAY MONAHAN - "you can’t ban players from playing golf".
GREG NORMAN HAS THIS AFTERNOON RELEASED A MEMO HE HAS SENT TO THE COMMISSIONER OF THE PGA TOUR, JAY MONAHAN, IN THE LATEST TWIST IN THE BATTLE FOR GOLF'S FUTURE, AND HE HAS EFFECTIVELY DECLARED WAR ON THE PGA TOUR'S CLAIM THEY CAN BAN PLAYERS FOR PLAYING IN AN ALTERNATIVE COMPETITION.
"Dear Commissioner Monahan:
"Dear Commissioner Monahan:
Surely you jest. And surely, your lawyers at the PGA Tour must be holding their breath.
As has been widely reported, you have threatened the players on the PGA Tour, all of whom are independent contractors, with lifetime bans if they decide to play golf in a league sponsored by anyone other than the Tour.
For decades, I have fought for the rights of players to enjoy a career in which they are rewarded fully and properly for their efforts. They are one-in-a-million athletes. Yet for decades, the Tour has put its own financial ambitions ahead of the players, and every player on the tour knows it. The Tour is the Players Tour not your administration’s Tour."
GREG NORMAN HAS POSITIONED HIMSELF ON THE SIDE OF THE PLAYERS, AT LEAST THOSE WHO WISH TO JOIN THE RUMOURED 'SUPER GOLF LEAGUE' AND HE WENT ON TO TAKE AIM AT THE FLAGSHIP EVENT OF THE PGA TOUR AND HOW THE TOUR IS RUNNING IT.
NORMAN SAID: "Why do you call the crown jewel in all tournaments outside the Majors “The Players Championship” and not “The Administration’s Championship?”
IT WAS SUGGESTED BY ALAN SHIPNUCK THAT THE 'SUPER GOLF LEAGUE' WILL BE LAUNCHED DURING THE WEEK OF THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP, AND THIS PART OF THE MEMO CERTAINLY SEEMS TO SUGGEST IT IS VERY POSSIBLY THE CASE. NORMAN THEN WENT ON TO RAISE MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE CLAIMS THE PGA TOUR WILL BAN PLAYERS FROM COMPETING ON AN ALTERNATIVE TOUR, QUOTING LEGAL TEXT AND GOING DIRECTLY FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE PGA TOUR.
GREG NORMAN HAS POSITIONED HIMSELF ON THE SIDE OF THE PLAYERS, AT LEAST THOSE WHO WISH TO JOIN THE RUMOURED 'SUPER GOLF LEAGUE' AND HE WENT ON TO TAKE AIM AT THE FLAGSHIP EVENT OF THE PGA TOUR AND HOW THE TOUR IS RUNNING IT.
NORMAN SAID: "Why do you call the crown jewel in all tournaments outside the Majors “The Players Championship” and not “The Administration’s Championship?”
IT WAS SUGGESTED BY ALAN SHIPNUCK THAT THE 'SUPER GOLF LEAGUE' WILL BE LAUNCHED DURING THE WEEK OF THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP, AND THIS PART OF THE MEMO CERTAINLY SEEMS TO SUGGEST IT IS VERY POSSIBLY THE CASE. NORMAN THEN WENT ON TO RAISE MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE CLAIMS THE PGA TOUR WILL BAN PLAYERS FROM COMPETING ON AN ALTERNATIVE TOUR, QUOTING LEGAL TEXT AND GOING DIRECTLY FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE PGA TOUR.
"But when you try to bluff and intimidate players by bullying and threatening them, you are guilty of going too far, being unfair, and you likely are in violation of the law.
Simply put, you can’t ban players from playing golf. Players have the right and the freedom to play where we like. I know for a fact that many PGA players were and still are interested in playing for a new league, in addition to playing for the Tour. What is wrong with that?
What is wrong with allowing players to make their own decisions about where to play and how often to play? What is so wrong with player choice? Why do you feel so threatened that you would resort to such a desperate, unwise, and unenforceable threat?"
I noticed a recent article by the former chief lawyer to the Federal Trade Commission that stated:
“Let’s be clear: A lifetime ban is never going to happen. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan is no doubt being advised by high-priced lawyers who—if they are worth even a fraction of their lofty rates—have surely advised him of the legal consequences that will blow up in the PGA Tour’s face if it imposes lifetime bans on independent contractors who choose to associate with a competitor.
Most notably, imposing a lifetime ban on players would trigger a slam-dunk antitrust lawsuit by Norman’s upstart league, the players, or even federal antitrust enforcers who have made it a priority to protect workers’ ability to ply their trade for whomever they please without interference from corporate giants.”
NORMAN IS WELL-VERSED ON THIS MATTER AND HE IS CLEARLY NOT BACKING DOWN, DESPITE THE NEGATIVE PRESS AND THE PUBLIC DENUNCIATION OF HIS PLAN BY SEVERAL PROMINENT GOLFERS INCLUDING ALL THE WORLD'S TOP 10.
"Competition in all aspects of life, sport, and business is healthy and the players deserve to be well compensated, which is why so many players have expressed an interest in playing in a new league. But when you threaten to end players’ careers and when you engage in unfair labor practices with your web of player restrictions, you demonstrate exactly why players are open minded about joining a league that treats players well, respects them, and compensates them according to their true worth."
NORMAN ENDED HIS MEMO WITH A DIRECT POINT:
NORMAN IS WELL-VERSED ON THIS MATTER AND HE IS CLEARLY NOT BACKING DOWN, DESPITE THE NEGATIVE PRESS AND THE PUBLIC DENUNCIATION OF HIS PLAN BY SEVERAL PROMINENT GOLFERS INCLUDING ALL THE WORLD'S TOP 10.
"Competition in all aspects of life, sport, and business is healthy and the players deserve to be well compensated, which is why so many players have expressed an interest in playing in a new league. But when you threaten to end players’ careers and when you engage in unfair labor practices with your web of player restrictions, you demonstrate exactly why players are open minded about joining a league that treats players well, respects them, and compensates them according to their true worth."
NORMAN ENDED HIS MEMO WITH A DIRECT POINT:
"Commissioner – this is just the beginning. It certainly is not the end.
Sincerely, GREG NORMAN"
TO RELEASE THIS FULL MEMO TO THE MEDIA IS QUITE EXTRAORDINARY, BUT A CLEAR TACTIC TO SHOW HIS COMMITMENT TO THE PROJECT AND THAT HE IS NOT GOING TO BACK DOWN AND THE 'SUPER GOLF LEAGUE' IS GOING NOWHERE, IT IS HERE TO STAY.
THE PGA TOUR IS YET TO RESPOND.
SHANK MEDIA WILL HAVE THE VERY LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE BATTLE FOR THE FUTURE OF GOLF AS AND WHEN WE GET THEM.
TO RELEASE THIS FULL MEMO TO THE MEDIA IS QUITE EXTRAORDINARY, BUT A CLEAR TACTIC TO SHOW HIS COMMITMENT TO THE PROJECT AND THAT HE IS NOT GOING TO BACK DOWN AND THE 'SUPER GOLF LEAGUE' IS GOING NOWHERE, IT IS HERE TO STAY.
THE PGA TOUR IS YET TO RESPOND.
SHANK MEDIA WILL HAVE THE VERY LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE BATTLE FOR THE FUTURE OF GOLF AS AND WHEN WE GET THEM.
