As part of his initiative to revitalize the PGA Tour, Brian Rolapp was making plans for big changes. The biggest one is the change to the schedule. The plan is to condense the regular season to be a more summer-focused sport. This way, fans won’t have to choose between watching a PGA event or a football game. However, this move is garnering some criticism for how some events would need to be dropped.
PGA Tour Champions Asking Why?
One of the major criticisms is how the schedule just hasn’t been changed like that in decades. The most that has happened is that events have been shifted around the schedule. The typical regular season has yet to fail the PGA. Viewership-wise, the PGA has fairly good numbers, often in the millions of views. Mac Barnhardt expressed this concern with his own statement. Saying that scarcity is the worst thing a league can do to its schedule, saying that when it happens, there is something to worry about. He goes on to say that he doesn’t understand it because the Tours model has not failed.
The Affect On Communities
Another aspect of seeing events cut is how it will affect the communities that they are hosted in. A big part of a PGA Tour event is the money it brings to the area. The Hawaii events see that money go into local charities, which is why it was a big deal that the Sentry was cancelled. After the LA wildfires forced the Genesis to relocate, the players all encouraged fans to donate to the relief efforts. They also made a challenge out of the money that they would personally donate during the Genesis. Former pro Peter Jacobsen expressed his concern about the communities by stating that they always played a bit part in each event. The Tour has always been part of the local charitable efforts, and cutting events could hurt them. Jacobsen goes on to say in an interview with Golfweek:
“I get scared when I hear people saying cutting events. When you look at the individual communities, those events are so important to that community, and the charity money raised is important to those golf fans. I always thought the PGA Tour should expand their reach rather than contract their reach. Count me as someone who thinks we should be growing the tour and having more events rather than contracting.”
The PGA events leaving these communities could leave a hole. They are big events that bring a lot of revenue. The Ryder Cup alone brought a lot of opportunities for the locals. Did they have to deal with the issues that tourism brings? Yes, but plenty took the opportunity for the locals.
What Will Happen To The PGA Tour Events?
The changes to the schedule will see events stricken from the lineup. While some are questioning if this is even necessary, others are concerned with how this will affect the communities that host them. The charities will see a noticeable dip, and they will need to figure out how to make up the difference. There are ideas of these events falling into the smaller circuits under the PGA, like the Korn Ferry or Champions, so it is possible for them to keep going. Until the new schedule is enacted, the events will remain, but their time is limited.
Main Photo Credit: © Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
