1 JULY, 2022 - SHANK MEDIA, BY MATT HOOPER: THE MOTTO OF THE European Union IS UNITED IN DIVERSITY, AND IT IS SAID THE ONLY THING WHICH CAN DEFEAT WAR IS UNITY, BOTH ARE ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR THE WORLD OF GOLF RIGHT NOW, AND IF ANYTHING GOOD HAS COME OF THIS ENTIRE SAGA IT IS THAT, AT LEAST SOME, TOURS ARE WORKING MORE CLOSELY TOGETHER. WHILST I HAVE DEEP RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE CURRENT FORM OF THE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE BETWEEN THE PGA Tour AND DP WORLD TOUR, I DO BELIEVE WE ARE HEADING TOWARDS WHAT GOLF NEEDS AND HAS NEEDED FOR A VERY LONG TIME - A GENUINE WORLD TOUR.
Greg Norman HAS TAKEN AN OUT OF PROPORTION AMOUNT OF CRITICISM FOR THE CREATION OF LIV GOLF, LARGELY DUE TO THE FINANCIAL BACKING BY THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND OF Saudi Arabia, BUT EVEN THE ALTERNATIVE PROPOSAL FROM THE WORLD GOLF GROUP - THE PREMIER GOLF LEAGUE - HAS BEEN BASHED BY THE ESTABLISHMENT MEDIA AND EXISTING PROFESSIONAL TOURS, DISMISSED OUT OF HAND. THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT THE INTENTION AND IDEA OF CREATING AN ELITE SERIES OF EVENTS WHERE EVERY TOP GOLFER PLAYS, AND PLAYS IN ALL CORNERS OF THE GLOBE, IS SOMETHING WHICH GOLF NEEDS TO CREATE. BUT FOR FAR TOO LONG NARROW SELF-INTEREST HAS GOT IN THE WAY OF THIS HAPPENING, BUT PERHAPS WITH THE CREATION OF LIV GOLF AND ITS EVER-GROWING SUCCESS, THE TOURS WILL FINALLY GET THEIR HOUSE IN ORDER AND COLLABORATE FOR THE GOOD OF THE GAME, NOT FOR THE GOOD OF THEMSELVES.
WHEN THE PGA Tour, European Tour, JAPAN GOLF TOUR, SUNSHINE TOUR AND PGA Tour OF AUSTRALASIA INITIALLY CAME TOGETHER IN 1996 TO EXPLORE THE CREATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF PGA TOURS, AND THE WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS THE GOLFING LANDSCAPE WAS VERY DIFFERENT INDEED. THE CALENDARS OF EACH TOUR GAVE EACH OF THE OTHER TOURS THE CHANCE TO FLOURISH AND ATTRACT THE BEST GOLFERS IN THE WORLD AT A PARTICULAR TIME OF THE YEAR.
IN 1998 THE PGA Tour SCHEDULE RAN FROM JANUARY 8 TO NOVEMBER 1, WITH THE SEASON CONCLUDING WITH THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP AT EAST LAKE; THE European Tour RAN FROM JANUARY 22 TO NOVEMBER 1, WITH THE SEASON CONCLUDING AT THE Volvo Masters AT VALDERRAMA; THE JAPAN GOLF TOUR RAN FROM 12 MARCH TO DECEMBER 13, THE SUNSHINE TOUR RAN FROM NOVEMBER 1998 TO MARCH 1999, AND THE PGA Tour OF AUSTRALASIA FROM OCTOBER 1998 TO MARCH 1999. THESE SCHEDULES GAVE GOLFERS ON THE PGA Tour AND European Tour THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO AND PLAY IN THE LIKES OF THE NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE, THE Johnnie Walker Classic, THE Johnnie Walker WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP, THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN, THE DUNLOP PHOENIX TOURNAMENT, AUSTRALIAN MASTERS AND THE VISA TAIHEIYO MASTERS, NOT TO MENTION THE World Cup OF GOLF, WHICH AT THAT TIME WAS PLAYED EVERY YEAR.
BUT OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS THIS WOULD CHANGE, WITH DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS ON THE PGA Tour OF AUSTRALASIA, SUNSHINE TOUR AND JAPAN GOLF TOUR.
THE European Tour WOULD EXPAND GLOBALLY IN THE COMING YEARS, AND EXTEND THEIR SCHEDULE TO MID-NOVEMBER, AND BEGIN THEIR FOLLOWING SEASON ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. MUCH OF THIS WAS DONE THROUGH CO-SANCTIONING EXISTING EVENTS ON PARTNER TOURS, SUCH AS THROUGH THE CO-SANCTIONING OF EVENTS IN ASIA, AUSTRALIA AND South Africa, THUS ENABLING PLAYERS TO PLAY AROUND THE WORLD THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND STILL EARN MONEY TOWARDS THE European Tour ORDER OF MERIT.
BUT WITHOUT A DOUBT THE FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE TO THE STRUCTURE OF WORLD GOLF CAME IN A THREE-YEAR PERIOD BETWEEN 2006 AND 2009, WITH THE CREATION OF THE PGA Tour FEDEX CUP AND THE European Tour RACE TO DUBAI. NOW THE REST OF THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF PGA TOURS HAD CONTEND WITH TWO TOURS WHICH WERE TRYING TO CONVENE THE WORLD'S BEST PLAYERS IN THEIR EVENTS, IN EVER-EXPANDING SCHEDULES, ALLOWING VERY LITTLE REST TIME, IF NOT COMPLETELY DESTROYING ANY OFF-SEASON WHICH HAD PREVIOUSLY EXISTED FOR THOSE TOURS.
THESE TWO MASSIVE CHANGES TO THE STRUCTURE OF THE PGA Tour AND European Tour UNDOUBTEDLY HURT EVENTS WHICH HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN STANDOUT EVENTS ON THE CALENDAR, AND TODAY THE AUSTRALIAN MASTERS (ONCE A MUST PLAY FOR THE LIKES OF Nick Faldo), Johnnie Walker CLASSIC, HEINEKEN CLASSIC AND World Cup OF GOLF, NO LONGER APPEAR IN THE SCHEDULE OF WORLD GOLF. OTHER EVENTS SUCH AS THE DUNLOP PHOENIX TOURNAMENT, VISA TAIHEIYO MASTERS, JAPAN OPEN AND AUSTRALIAN OPEN ARE GREATLY DIMINISHED, FIGHTING TO ATTRACT STAR PLAYERS, WHEN THEY USED TO BE MAJOR INTERNATIONAL EVENTS THE BEST PLAYERS WANTED TO GO AND PLAY IN.
THE EXPANSION AND STRENGTHENING OF THE PGA Tour SCHEDULE HAS ALSO, DESPITE THE UNWILLINGNESS TO ADMIT IT ON THEIR PART, DAMAGED THE European Tour SCHEDULE. THE LIKES OF THE WORLD MATCH PLAY, LANCOME TROPHY, SEVE TROPHY, EURASIA CUP AND Alfred Dunhill CUP NO LONGER EXIST FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, AND THE LIKES OF THE Alfred Dunhill LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP, BETFRED BRITISH MASTERS, OMEGA EUROPEAN MASTERS, OPEN DE FRANCE, OPEN DE ESPANA, VALDERRAMA MASTERS AND IRISH OPEN ALL HAVE DIMINISHED FIELDS DUE TO THE POWER OF THE PGA Tour.
YES, I KNOW THE PGA Tour CO-SANCTIONING OF THE GENESIS SCOTTISH OPEN HAS GIVEN IT THE STRONGEST FIELD IN European Tour HISTORY, BUT THERE IS A CLEAR CASE TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT I AM TRYING TO MAKE. COLLABORATION ON EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD CAN AND SHOULD RESULT IN THE FORMATION OF A GENUINE, ELITE WORLD TOUR FOR THE SPORT.
SO WHAT COULD A PROPER WORLD TOUR, AS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE MAJOR TOURS, LOOK LIKE? AND WHICH OF THE ASPECTS OF LIV GOLF COULD WE INTEGRATE INTO THE SERIES TO MAKE IT TRULY IMPACTFUL, DIFFERENT AND TRANSFORMATIONAL FOR THE SPORT?
WITH THE PROSPECT OF A FULL MERGER BETWEEN THE PGA Tour AND DP WORLD TOUR SEEMINGLY SOME WAY OFF DUE TO TV CONTRACTS AND SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENTS, I SEE THE ONLY WAY FORWARD TOWARDS A World Series IS TO CO-SANCTION EVENTS BETWEEN ALL TOURS - KIND OF GOING BACK TO THE CREATION OF THE WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS AND GETTING IT RIGHT.
FIRSTLY THE MAJOR TOURS NEED TO COLLABORATE ON THEIR INDIVIDUAL SCHEDULES WITHIN THE OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING CALENDAR, SO THE PGA Tour SHOULD RUN JANUARY TO SEPTEMBER, DP WORLD TOUR JANUARY TO OCTOBER, JAPAN GOLF TOUR MARCH TO NOVEMBER, SUNSHINE TOUR OCTOBER TO MARCH, PGA Tour OF AUSTRALASIA OCTOBER TO MARCH AND THE Asian Tour FEBRUARY TO NOVEMBER. THIS GIVES EACH TOUR ITS 'MOMENT IN THE SUNSHINE' AND THE ABILITY TO CO-ORDINATE A PROPER World Series.
THE World Series, WHICH WOULD BE KNOWN AS World Series GOLF, SHOULD RUN DURING A CALENDAR YEAR, AND WHILST SOME OF THE EVENTS WOULD COUNT FOR PARTICULAR TOURS, THEY WOULD HAVE THEIR OWN OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING-BASED LEAGUE TABLE.
ONE ELEMENT I WOULD TAKE FROM LIV GOLF IS THE TEAM CONCEPT, EXCEPT I WOULD ADAPT IT TO BECOME NATIONAL TEAMS, WITH THE TOP TWO SCORES FROM PLAYERS FROM EACH NATION IN THE FIELD TO COUNT EACH DAY, WITH THE TOP THREE TO COUNT ON SUNDAY. THERE WOULD BE A TEAM LEADERBOARD AT EACH EVENT AND THIS WOULD BE PART OF THE NATIONS LEAGUE ELEMENT WHICH WOULD RUN CONCURRENTLY AND LEAD TO SEEDING TEAMS FOR THE World Cup OF GOLF, WHICH WOULD BE THE CONCLUDING EVENT OF World Series GOLF EACH YEAR.
WE ARE ALREADY STARTING TO SEE THIS EMERGE IN LIV GOLF WITH TEAMS FEATURING ALL JAPANESE, ALL ENGLISH, ALL South African AND ALL AMERICAN ROSTERS, AND I SUSPECT THERE IS A CHANCE IN THE FUTURE, IF LIV GOLF CONTINUES, IT IS SOMETHING THEY MAY ADOPT.
FOR FAR TOO LONG THE World Cup OF GOLF HAS BEEN UNDERVALUED IN THE SPORT, DESPITE HAVING A QUITE STUNNING HISTORY, SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IT BACK AND OVER TIME MAKE IT THE BIGGEST TEAM EVENT IN GOLF. I SAY THIS BECAUSE I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT THE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE WILL ONLY HELP TO DILUTE THE RYDER CUP, WITH THE EDGE GONE FROM A EUROPEAN POINT OF VIEW DUE TO THE CLOSE RELATIONS THEY NOW HAVE WITH THE PGA Tour AND AMERICAN GOLF. A World Cup FEATURING NATIONS FROM EVERY PART OF THE WORLD CAN, IN TIME, BECOME EVEN BIGGER THAN THE SPECTACLE WE SEE AT THE RYDER CUP, AND MORE MEANINGFUL IN TERMS THAT IT DECIDES A WORLD CHAMPION.
SO HOW MANY EVENTS WOULD BE PART OF World Series GOLF?
I FEEL THE 14 THAT LIV GOLF HAS PROPOSED IS JUST ABOUT RIGHT, BUT I WOULD ADD THE World Cup AND A NATIONAL OPEN SOUTH AMERICA TO THAT TO MAKE A 16-EVENT SERIES, HOWEVER, ALMOST ALL THESE EVENTS ARE EXISTING EVENTS ON THE MAJOR TOURS, AND EVENTS WHICH MANY OF THE TOP PLAYERS PLAY REGULARLY ANYWAY, SO NOT ADDING SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE NUMBER OF TOURNAMENTS PLAYED IN ANY ONE CALENDAR YEAR.
WHICH EVENTS WOULD BE PART OF THE SERIES?
NATIONAL OPENS - RBC CANADIAN OPEN, GENESIS SCOTTISH OPEN, HORIZON IRISH OPEN, CAZOO OPEN DE FRANCE, South African OPEN, AUSTRALIAN OPEN, BRAZIL OPEN
INVITATIONAL EVENTS ON THE PGA TOUR - GENESIS INVITATIONAL, ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL, THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT
LEADING INTERNATIONAL EVENTS ON MAJOR TOURS - Abu Dhabi HSBC CHAMPIONSHIP, SLYNC.IO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC, DUNLOP PHOENIX TOURNAMENT, HSBC CHAMPIONS
A MATCH PLAY EVENT - WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
TEAM EVENT - World Cup OF GOLF
WHICH COURSES WOULD THESE EVENTS BE PLAYED ON?
I FEEL IT IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT THE COURSES WHICH HOST THE BIGGEST EVENTS IN THE SPORT SHOULD NOT ONLY BE A TEST OF EVERY FACET OF THE GAME, THEY SHOULD BE A VARIETY OF COURSES IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND BE INSPIRATIONAL TO THE GOLFER AND THE AUDIENCE. THE MASTERS IS SO SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE OF AUGUSTA NATIONAL, IT CERTAINLY WOULDN'T HAVE THE SAME WORLDWIDE AFFECTION IF IT WAS PLAYED AT THE ATLANTA ATHLETIC CLUB OR EAST LAKE, AND THAT IS NOT BEING CRITICAL OF THOSE COURSES, ITS JUST THAT AUGUSTA NATIONAL IS VISUALLY IMPACTFUL EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
SO THESE ARE THE COURSES I WOULD USE FOR THE 15 EVENTS PRECEDING THE World Cup OF GOLF - SOME OF COURSE ARE THE SAME AS THEY ARE CURRENTLY DUE TO THEM BEING PERMANENT HOSTS FOR PGA OR European Tour EVENTS.
SUN CITY
ABU DHABI NATIONAL GOLF CLUB
RIVIERA COUNTRY CLUB
RIO OLYMPIC GOLF COURSE
LE GOLF NATIONAL
MUIRFIELD VILLAGE
FAIRMONT BANFF SPRINGS
GLENEAGLES
BALLYBUNION
WENTWORTH
SHESHAN INTERNATIONAL GOLF CLUB
PHOENIX SEAGIA
ROYAL MELBOURNE
WHO WOULD PLAY IN World Series GOLF?
FOR ANY WORLDWIDE SERIES TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND CREATE A TRULY ENGAGED FOLLOWING IT NEEDS TO HAVE THE STARS OF THE SPORT AND, BY AND LARGE, THE SAME NAMES PLAYING IN EACH EVENT. GOLF IS ALSO BASED ON A MERITOCRACY, LIKE OTHER SPORTS, AND PART OF ITS CHARM IS A MONDAY QUALIFIER OR OPEN QUALIFIER DOING WELL, OR AN AMATEUR, AND THOSE ELEMENTS WOULD BE KEPT FOR MOST OF THIS SERIES.
ANOTHER ELEMENT OF LIV GOLF WHICH I WOULD KEEP, BECAUSE IT WORKS, IS THE SHOTGUN START. IT LIMITS THE TIMEFRAME THE PLAYERS ARE PLAYING IN AND THIS UNDOUBTEDLY WILL ENERGISE THESE HUGE EVENTS WITH THE BIGGEST NAMES IN THE WORLD PLAYING. I WOULD HOWEVER EXPAND THE FIELDS FROM 48 TO 72, WITH FOURBALLS ON EACH TEE.
THE FIELD CRITERIA WOULD BE AS FOLLOWS FOR EACH EVENT AS SHOWN BELOW:
THE TOP 50 PLAYERS ON THE OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING ON DECEMBER 31 WOULD BE EXEMPT TO 14 OF THE 15 INDIVIDUAL EVENTS IN World Series GOLF IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR
WINNERS OF ANY OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING EVENT IN THE 12 MONTHS SINCE THE LAST PLAYING OF EACH World Series GOLF EVENT WHICH OFFERS 32 OWGR POINTS OR MORE TO THE WINNER
4 QUALIFIERS EITHER FROM NATIONAL OPEN QUALIFYING OR A MONDAY QUALIFIER
OLYMPIC GOLD, SILVER AND BRONZE MEDAL WINNERS FROM THE MOST RECENT OLYMPIC GAMES
US AMATEUR, THE AMATEUR, ASIAN AMATEUR AND Latin American AMATEUR CHAMPIONS
THE LEADING 50 PLAYERS ON THE OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING PRIOR TO EACH INDIVIDUAL EVENT DURING World Series GOLF WOULD ALSO BE EXEMPT, THIS ENABLES PLAYERS TO QUALIFY BY PLAYING WELL DURING THE SEASON ON THEIR RESPECTIVE TOURS
TO FINALISE A FIELD OF 72 THE LEADING CURRENT PLAYERS FROM THE HOST TOUR WOULD BE ADDED TO THE FIELD
WOULD THERE BE A CUT?
NO. WHILST I LOVE THE DRAMA THE CUT LINE CAN MAKE IN THE MAJORS, I FEEL FOR A SERIES WHICH IS SHOWCASING THE BEST OF THIS GREAT GAME ON A GLOBAL STAGE WE NEED OUR STARS PRESENT ON THE FINAL DAY, SO THERE WOULDN'T BE A CUT IN ANY OF THE EVENTS. ESSENTIALLY IF A PLAYER MAKES IT TO World Series GOLF THEY HAVE MADE THE CUT TO BE ONE OF THE BEST 72 GOLFERS ON THE PLANET AT THAT POINT.
WHERE WOULD IT BE ON TV?
World Series GOLF NEEDS TO STAND OUT FROM THE OTHER EVENTS ON THE PGA TOUR AND OTHER TOURS AROUND THE WORLD, SO IT NEEDS ITS OWN TV DEAL, DESPITE SEVERAL OF THESE EVENTS BEING WITHIN TOURS WHICH ALREADY HAVE A TELEVISION DEAL.
World Series GOLF COULD BE ON ESPN/ABC OR FS1/FOX IN THE USA, SKY SPORTS/CHANNEL 4 IN THE UK, AND THE PRESENTATION AND BROADCAST WOULD HAVE TO STAND OUT, JUST LIKE LIV GOLF DOES, BUT MAYBE WITH MORE ESTABLISHED COMMENTATORS AND FAMOUS FACES.
WHAT WOULD THE SCHEDULE BE?
South African OPEN, SUN CITY JANUARY 11-14
Abu Dhabi HSBC CHAMPIONSHIP, ABU DHABI NATIONAL GOLF CLUB JANUARY 25-28
SLYNC.IO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC, EMIRATES GOLF CLUB FEBRUARY 1-4
GENESIS INVITATIONAL, RIVIERA COUNTRY CLUB FEBRUARY 15-18
ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL, BAY HILL CLUB AND LODGE MARCH 1-4
BRAZIL OPEN, Rio de Janeiro OLYMPIC GOLF COURSE MARCH 25-28
CAZOO OPEN DE FRANCE, LE GOLF NATIONAL MAY 2-5
THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT, MUIRFIELD VILLAGE MAY 30-JUNE 2
RBC CANADIAN OPEN, FAIRMONT BANFF SPRINGS JUNE 6-9
GENESIS SCOTTISH OPEN, GLENEAGLES JULY 4-7
HORIZON IRISH OPEN, BALLYBUNION JULY 25-28
WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP, WENTWORTH SEPTEMBER 5-8
HSBC CHAMPIONS, TOURS ASIA OCTOBER 3-6
DUNLOP PHOENIX TOURNAMENT, PHOENIX SEAGIA OCTOBER 10-13
AUSTRALIAN OPEN, ROYAL MELBOURNE OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 3
World Cup OF GOLF, TOURS THE WORLD NOVEMBER 14-17
THE PGA TOUR AND DP WORLD TOUR HAS IT WITHIN ITS GRASP TO CREATE SOMETHING GENUINELY IMPACTFUL FOR THE SPORT, BUT IT WILL TAKE COMPROMISE AND COLLABORATION, DOING WHAT IS BEST FOR THE SPORT, NOT WHAT IS BEST FOR THEMSELVES.
SADLY I AM NOT SURE THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP HAS THAT IN THEMSELVES, BUT ONLY TIME WILL TELL.
