Koepka Lumps Patrick Reed's "Building Castles" With Astros Scandal, Says Lie Improvement Going On More Than It Should

Well there’s some synergy for you.

Brooks Koepka, co-architect of revisions to Memorial Park, home to the 2020 Houston Open benefiting the Cheating Astros Foundation, shared his views on Patrick Reed’s Hero World Challenge waste area antics with SiriusXM’s Sway Callaway (full clip below).

After answering in the affirmative to the “cheating” word, Koepka is more than clear on his views about Reed and overall lie improvement practices he sees.

From a GolfChannel.com report:

When asked by host Sway Callaway if Reed was cheating when he improved his lie, Koepka said: “Yeah. I don’t know what he was doing, building sand castles in the sand. But you know where your club is. I took three months off and I can promise you I know if I touch sand. If you look at the video, obviously he grazes the sand twice and then he still chops down on it.”

After making an Astros comparison, Koepka touched on something once sadly controversial and now going on too often in pro golf: mashing the grass down behind a ball.

In fact, during a U.S. Open (he didn’t specify which year), Koepka said that he watched one of his fellow playing competitors blow a drive right, into 6-inch rough. He saw that player take out a 3-wood and pat down the thick rough behind the ball, only to then grab a wedge and hack the ball out 60 yards down the fairway. Koepka looked at the other player in his group and said, “This ain’t right.”

“It goes on a little bit more than people think,” he said, before adding: "I’ve been guilty of it. I haven’t opened my mouth. But now if I saw it, just because of where I’m at in the game, the stature that I have, I would definitely say something.”

The full interview…hope Brooks doesn’t get too big of a fine for this!

A Rough CBS Weekend Should Prompt Questions About Next TV Deal Parameters

Presumably in the coming weeks we’ll finally learn the outcome of the PGA Tour’s negotiations with CBS, NBC, Golf Channel and ESPN+.

Maybe at the Players Championship we’ll learn—just throwing out a number here—that they’re going to get paid $8 billion over ten years. Players will swoon, north Florida BMW dealers will take extra special orders and second homes will be purchased by bonus-receiving executives.

But a very simple question will need to be addressed by Commissioner Jay Monahan: how will taking more money from networks make golf on television better? What guarantees will there be to improve the “product”? Or, to put it B-speak parlance, how will this deal “grow the game” with better productions?

The question is a logical one given that we suffered through another dreadful CBS presentation of the Genesis Invitational. The reactions both public and privately ranged from disgust to outright shock at the inability of the network to tell the PGA Tour story with any coherence.

CBS entered the season still fresh off of buyouts that depleted their team, several new announcers and the usual array of promotional excess interfering with the ability to show a triple bogey by the world No. 1 when he’s contending. Or a topped tee shot by the co-leader only shown after social media griping. Things did not improve when Frank Nobilo questioned a story about the moment and was met by commenters with nearly unanimous disdain for the broadcast.

I was on course most of the day so only saw the Golf Channel replay Monday. What I saw was sad. There was a lack of storytelling, weird mistakes and even more bizarre decisions to ignore several contenders. Then there was the absence of technology to explain why the course was a factor. A telestrator in front of Nick Faldo, anyone?

CBS also devoted a crew to Tiger’s dead-last play on the front nine and didn’t even provide basic audio to give a sense of the atmosphere. The entire thing could not have been flatter or more clearly showing signs of missing all of the institutional crew knowledge that went out the door last year.

And this, for a tournament hosted by Tiger Woods enjoying “elevated status” and dream-sponsor in Genesis.

If you want more, Ryan Ballengee detailed many of the issues here.

No Laying Up’s podcast this week also highlighted many of the problems and then some.

And not to be outdone, the Shotgun Start guys also chimed in at the continued issues doing the basics.

I could go on about how the Genesis CEO’s ill-fitting shirt went live before a too-tight camera shot for a painful 3:17, or point out that it’s too soon to be showing helicopters flying around LA, and just go on and on. But it turns out these are not questions for me to raise.

These are questions for the PGA Tour to answer when announcing a ten year and $8 billion at the Players, hypothetically.

Will there be money left over to invest in a broadcast and a business model that allows networks to show golf instead of merely coming on air to share an excess of commercials and promos interspersed with golf shots?

Does the new deal demonstrate any care for the viewer hoping to savor great golf on a fabulous venue, perhaps even with telecast elements that enhance the experience? Or will everything just look like the what we have now to help pay for a bump in the Bermuda Championship’s purse?

Condensed Schedule Blues: These Guys Are...Pacing Themselves

We’ve been spoiled by a sensational field this week at Riviera, perhaps adding to the attention given to next week’s WGC Mexico City Championship facing some noticeable absences.

It seems absurd to offer this reminder on the fan-unfriendly topic of scheduling dynamics: there are too many options over a season, too many obligations, and too many majors in a short time.

So when Tiger Woods hosting and at an age where majors and family take priority, why is anyone surprised he’s passing on playing back-to-back weeks?

While I agree with Bob Harig’s general point about Woods’ decision to pass up easy points and progress toward an Olympics berth, the four majors preceding Tokyo remain more important. So does enjoyment of the life he’s built for himself.

For World No. 2 Brooks Koepka, also passing on Mexico City, health and majors come first. Especially after admitting that his recently repaired knee is still giving him significant trouble, and the PGA Tour heading to his home state for five weeks, it’s irrational to think that free points and a guaranteed $50,000 would entice him to risk further injury.

There was also this, which Koepka shared with myself and two other writers this week:

“I like the tougher golf courses which I think goes into the whole major thing, that's kind of how I'm trying to build my schedule. Trying to change what courses I play, what tournaments I play based on looking at not just previous year’s scores but the golf courses that are tougher. I'm not going to compete very well if it's eighteen under every week.”

Increasingly, top players are making architecture and setup a priority.

All of this serves as a reminder that the world’s best center their careers around the four majors above all else. With a condensed and sometimes inconvenient schedule, something’s got to give a bit more often than in year’s past.

Five Families Early Polling: Rollback 3, Distance Sells 2

A case could be made for the LPGA Tour and European Tour bringing golf’s power family total to seven, but let’s be realistic: there are still only five families with a prime seat at the table.

The USGA, R&A, Augusta National, PGA Tour and PGA of America all have the power to sway votes and alter the course of history.

Only one of those aforementioned families carries a vote capable of doubling or tripling in times of regulatory crisis, and that’s Augusta National.

So as we assess reactions to the Distance Insights Study and consider the language suggesting action is needed to end expanding distance cycles, maybe we should start caucusing the families.

The USGA and R&A can safely be registered as votes after statements made in the “Conclusions” document.

The PGA Tour and PGA of America have indicated they are opposed to change in recent years, but at least took a slightly less hostile approach in the report’s wake.

And Augusta National, home of the Masters?

When contacted, the club offered no new statement regarding the Distance Insights Study, but instead pointed to past remarks by Chairman Fred Ridley as indicative of their position.

From the Chairman’s press conference in 2019:

“Although we now have options to increase the length of this hole, we intend to wait to see how distance may be addressed by the governing bodies before we take any action.  In doing so, we fully recognize that the issue of distance presents difficult questions with no easy answers.  But please know this:  The USGA and The R&A do have the best interests of the game at heart.  They recognize the importance of their future actions.  You can be assured that we will continue to advocate for industry‑wide collaboration in support of the governing bodies as they resolve this very important topic.”

A year prior:

“We have been consistent in expressing our confidence in the governing bodies, and we will continue to support their efforts.  Although differing views may well, in fact, exist on the subject among golf's major stakeholders, we hope and strongly encourage all who are a part of our sport to work together in the best interest of the game as this important issue evolves.”

Note the jump from advocating togetherness in 2018 to a full endorsement of the USGA/R&A in 2019.

Therefore, Augusta National would appear to support the notion of breaking “the cycle” of increasingly longer hitting distance and of efforts to restore “a broad and balanced set of playing skills” as the primary determinant of success.

I believe that puts things at 3-2, with those three votes representing the three most prestigious championship titles in golf. And while playing those under a different set of equipment rules would not be ideal, a splintered scenario has happened before and could be the outcome should the Tour’s and PGA of America decide to hold their ground.

PGA Tour Spokesman: "We feel today's game is more exciting than ever for our fans"

Rex Hoggard of GolfChannel.com examines the likelihood of the PGA Tour not going quietly on the distance issue, even though their initial statement after the Distance Insights Study exuded peace and prosperity! Silly me for thinking Live Under Par culture could be restrained for long.

Hoggard writes:

However, asked specifically if the Tour considers increasing distance gains a “problem,” a spokesman for the circuit offered a slightly less sanitized version: “The PGA Tour will continue to work with the USGA and the R&A in monitoring trends. At this point, we feel today’s game is more exciting than ever for our fans and the integrity of the competitions are intact – we still see a diverse set of winners on the PGA Tour and our examination of the data reveals that the skills involved in winning a PGA Tour event remain largely unchanged. But we are carefully reviewing the findings in the Distance Insights Report and we will collaborate with all of our industry partners, including the USGA and the R&A, on the next steps in the process.”

Down boy, down!

Is this a bad time to note that Sunday’s Golf Channel’s pre-coverage of the 2020 Waste Management Open lost to Hallmark Channel’s Kittlen Bowl VII and CBS’s final round coverage was way down for this more exciting than ever golf?

Hoggard added this commentary:

Clutch putting will always be a central element of the game – along with ball-striking, the short game and course management – but fans don’t tune in to watch players convert 3-footers for par. Fans want to see long drives and birdies and eagles and excitement. Anything that endangers that simple formula is going to be heavily and understandably scrutinized.

An excess of seeing three-footers is a television issue.

And last I looked, the highest rated, best attended golf tournament featuring the toughest ticket in sports, shows us just a few tee shots. The roars all come at the greens.

Guardian: World Cup Eyed As Possible $10 Million Mixed Event

The Guardian’s Ewan Murray says the biennial World Cup may get a purse bump and female professionals joining the event. It’s not clear if they would compete as a mixed partners event, though that seems likely.

Origin Sports Group, where the multimillionaire Sir Keith Mills is a director, has been integral to the World Cup project. Australia hosted it last November but even the event’s place in the golfing calendar may be subject to change, with venues in Europe and the Middle East expressing interest in the World Cup under a fresh guise.

Nothing is expected to be in place by the time the World Cup tees off this year – with Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry to defend the trophy on behalf of Belgium – but alterations for 2022 are entirely plausible.

With this week’s Vic Open and the European Tour’s mixed event hosted by Stenson and Sorenstam, it would seem only a matter of time before a big purse and established name such as the World Cup makes this long overdue move.

Agent On Current PGA Tour Structure: "Tiger Woods can sell a million dollars' worth of tickets...and he has to shoot scores to get paid"

Bob Harig of ESPN.com provides an “everything you need to know about the league trying to challenge the PGA Tour” perspective. Of note, he focuses in on the building sense that top players and their agents see the stars in golf as severely underpaid, something the Premier Golf League appears to have tapped into.

Said an agent who wished not to be identified: "How can an organization negotiate hundreds of millions of dollars of TV contracts and someone like Tiger or Rory goes out and has the same chance of making the same money as some guy who has come off the Korn Ferry Tour? There is no arbitration panel. And no judge would say that is a fair economic model."

Right or wrong, that has always been a successful model of the PGA Tour. Golf fans have enjoyed the democratic nature of the sport, including the occasional unknown taking down a star. In return, the star has benefited from the opportunity to play via endorsement income that the Tour does not see one penny of after giving them a platform.

But in recent years a few things have changed. The schedule is now year-round and the stars are increasingly asked to tee it up more, including “playoffs” after major season when they would like to be recharging their batteries. The top players are called up every year to play a Cup event. In return? A small donation to their pet cause and free merch they’ll never wear again.

With this added “inventory,” the sense of obligation to play has swollen to untenable levels in the eyes of the elite. Which is how we’ve gotten to this messy place where the Premier Golf League can come along and look attractive to top players by countering the current model.

PGA Tour, PGA of America Sing Fresh Tunes After Distance Report Release

The PGA of America had no comment on the USGA/R&A distance report opening the door to rules bifurcation, while the PGA Tour issued this statement, as reported by ESPN.com’s Bob Harig:

"Since 2003, we have been working closely with the USGA and The R&A to closely monitor distance, and this latest report is an expanded and thorough review of the topic, and others, which are all important to the game," the PGA Tour said in a statement. "The R&A and the USGA are our partners, and the PGA Tour will continue to collaborate with them, along with all of our other industry partners, on the next steps in this process.

"We believe the game is best served when all are working in a unified way, and we intend to continue to approach this issue in that manner. The PGA Tour is committed to ensuring any future solutions identified benefit the game as a whole without negatively impacting the Tour, its players or our fans' enjoyment of our sport."

While hardly endorsements, it’s noteworthy that both organizations have shifted from the recent stances of distance-is-everything, to saying nothing (PGA), or sounding quite respectful of the process ahead of us (PGA Tour).

Ultimately both organizations may revert to recent form and battle the governing bodies. But as has been noted here and elsewhere, their cases that distance helps sell golfers on taking up the game to the benefit of PGA of America teaching pros, or puts people in the seats at PGA Tour events, seems worthy of deeper consideration.

Golf Saudi CEO Confirms Interest In Premier Golf League, Past Discussions With PGA Tour

Martin Dempster reports from the first ever Saudi Golf Summit in King Abdullah Economic City where CEO Majed Al Sorour revealed several intriguing nuggets.

After just wrapping up the hosting of the European Tour, the CEO suggested a second Euro event is on the agenda as are hopes for visits from the Asian Tour, the LPGA Tour and even the PGA Tour where discussions involved a World Cup.

"We have the Ladies European Tour and they merged together with the LPGA, so hopefully we get to the point where we have an LPGA event.

"And, of course, we’d love to have a PGA Tour event. One and a half years ago, I sat with Ty [Votaw, the PGA Tour's chief marketing officer) and had a great conversation on having an idea of putting a PGA Tour event in Saudi Arabia.

"One of the things that we also want to discuss with him is a World Cup and how we’re going to do that in Saudi Arabia, if that’s possible."

You may recall it was just last week that PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan emailed players about the hostile Tour siphoning players away and highlighted that funding was coming from Saudi Arabia, home to public beheadings, among other human rights violations. A more cynical person than I might suspect he was suggesting the money was, uh, not clean.

As for rumored backing of the Premier Golf League from the Crown Prince and his Kingdom-backed Golf Saudi, Al Sorour sounds excited.

“We can address it in multiple ways," he said. "Is it good for the game or not? This is what we’re thinking. If something is good for the game, we should just listen to the people who are leading it, sit down with the PGA Tour if the time permits.

"We’re just here to listen. We love the game and our love for the game will do whatever it takes to make the game great."

That is, if the time permits.

If the CEO were to speak to Monahan this week, he’d have to do it in between rounds of the AT&T National Pro-Am where the Commish is taking a working vacation.

PGA Tour Digs In To Ward Off "Team Golf Concept" With Threats

I’m picturing a quaint scene down in Ponte Vedra Beach. Former Commissioner Tim Finchem, his reddish-brown-blond hair having turned grey in retirement, sitting in a wicker chair, sipping vino as his replacement Jay Monahan stops by one afternoon. The mentor knows what’s up: Monahan needs advice on how to handle the Premier Golf League.

“How’re your girls?” Finchem asks.

“They’re smarter than I am,” Monahan says. “They would have seen that adding more and more tournaments, even if it meant begging Guy Boros to play despite being retired for ten years, was a terrible idea.”

“What about this Premier Golf League business?”

“I’ll handle it.”

“I never wanted this for you,” Finchem says, weepy. Now remember, ''Whoever comes to you with this Premier Golf League meeting, he's the traitor, don't forget that.”

If only the current predicament were so cinematic.

Actually, Monahan is maintaining the hard line approach his predecessor took against subversives, according to reporters who have seen the PGA Tour Commissioner’s email to players and first reported on yesterday: the PGL is a hostile bid and releases will not be granted.

Rex Hoggard quotes from the email to players in this GolfChannel.com item.

Although funding information for the Premier Golf League has been vague, Monahan’s letter references “funding from Saudi interests” and adds, “We understand that Team Golf Concept is focused on securing player commitments first as they have no sponsorship or media offerings or rights.”

At last week’s player meeting, Monahan outlined “significant increases in prize money and comprehensive earnings over the next decade [on the PGA Tour]” as a result of new media rights deals and other revenue streams. He also appeared to draw a tough line for any players who may be interested in the Premier Golf League.

“If the Team Golf Concept or another iteration of this structure becomes a reality in 2022 or at any time before or after, our members will have to decide whether they want to continue to be a member of the PGA Tour or play on a new series,” Monahan wrote.

Well ok then, no releases will be coming and once you go, there is no coming back.

Noteworthy: Monahan citing the PGL’s lack of media “offerings or rights” to the players, just as news of ESPN+’s PGA Tour deal would soon and magically get out. And this on top of early news of the Players purse increase soon after news of the hostile Premier league was revealed here.

Golf Gods work in mysterious ways!

But most incredible of all is Brian Wacker’s GolfDigest.com story about the release issue and Premier Golf League, where he quotes a Player Advisory Council member not seeing it happening. But it’s deep in the piece where a line that will make all sponsors, TV executives and non-top 50 players stop in their tracks.

And yet changes could be on the horizon. According to one source, Monahan had a conversation last week with McIlroy and Rickie Fowler about the potential new league, during which he expressed his concerns about the sustainability of the status quo for the PGA Tour in the long term.

As the tour has stockpiled events, built a wraparound schedule—despite warnings that it was oversaturating the product—and created playoffs doling out big cash and mediocre ratings, the Commissioner may be acknowledging the status quo is not sustainable on the cusp of signing new media deals to fund…the status quo.

Rory On World Tour: "It might be a catalyst for some changes on this tour"

Following his Farmers Insurance Open third round 67, Rory McIlroy joked with us assembled scribblers about the world tour concept upon taking the microphone. Eventually, he was asked about his thoughts on the Premier Golf League concept.

McIlroy’s entire answer:

Q. Rory, can you say what you know about that World Tour? Have you been approached or where 

RORY McILROY: Those guys have been talking to a few of us for six years. They approached me at the end of 2014.

You know, it's a hard one. I think it's…like I love the PGA TOUR, but they definitely, these guys have exploited a couple of holes in the system the way that  the way golf at the highest level is nowadays and how it's sort of transitioned from, you know, a competition tour to entertainment, right? It's on TV, it's people coming out to watch. It's definitely a different time than what it was before.

But I love the PGA TOUR, I love the way golf is set up right now, so it might be that  it might be the catalyst for something a little bit different out here as well, who knows.

But I certainly wouldn't want to lose what's been built in the last 40 or 50 years, tournaments like this, tournaments like Riviera in a couple weeks' time, everything that we have gotten to know and love over the years. I'm still quite a traditionalist, so to have that much of an upheaval in the game I don't think is the right step forward. But I think, as I said, it might be a catalyst for some changes on this tour that can help it grow and move forward and, you know, reward the top players the way they should be, I guess.

It’s noteworthy that he’s expressing a sense of top players that they are underpaid. And that the “product” needs work. And he’s not wrong.

"Premier Golf League” Answers Many Questions In Extensive Q&A About Their Goals, Intentions And Vision

Long post here folks, but the vision is fascinating and as you know from my original post that broke this news, the World Golf Group is not messing around with their effort to start a new Tour. In that post, I promised to delve deeper into their concept over the next week, but a new document released to all media outlets today outlines nearly everything I’ve seen and had planned to cover.

So, besides the third name change since they’ve been envisioning the league, the primary shift in this document is one of tone. Perhaps realizing that to sustain a “league” they must have feeder tours, there appears to be an effort to work with the PGA Tour and European Tour. However, an 18-event schedule stealing top players is still very much a hostile act, one that leaves the U.S. and European tours as feeder operations in the best case scenario.

Anyhow, I hate a long post but there is just so much to chew on in this well-conceived concept, clearly massaged over six years of stealth meetings. So here goes the copy, paste and occasional interruption.

PREMIER GOLF LEAGUE LIMITED (PGL) INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

Q: What is the League?

PGL: It’s a new, improved format, devised in consultation with those who fund the sport at the highest professional level – designed, simply, to be the best product golf is capable of producing.

An individual and team league format – only the best, playing against the best each week.

Forty-eight players competing to win the individual world championship. Twelve teams of 4 competing to win the team world championship – in a compelling league format that will generate the strongest possible seasonal narrative.

Each 8-month season will begin in January and be comprised of 18 events; 10 of which will be played in the US, with others airing during US primetime.

Rather than the traditional 4, there will be 3 days of stroke play competition (54 holes) per tournament, with no cut – you don’t send the world’s best players home early.

The first 2 days will have a shotgun start, to fit within a 5-hour broadcast window, so no slow air. And each final day will go to a 2-tee start, to maintain the traditional back-9 climax.

The world champion will be crowned after 17 weeks and the 18th event will be a team play- off, utilizing a seeded, match play format, to decide the league winners – one of sport’s ultimate, annual, spectacles.

The League will generate the most entertaining and enthralling content the sport is capable of producing. The best field guaranteed – the best fan and player experience guaranteed.

Note how they are addressing the silly length a pro golf day takes in a smart way. Shotgun starts the first two days, 54 holes and two-tees the last day.

Q: What makes you think the game needs a new format?

PGL: We care passionately about the game and believe that, to thrive, it has to evolve. We want to ensure that as many people as possible learn to love and play golf. To do that you have to encourage as many people as possible to watch golf. That is our motivation.

If you want the world to watch, you have to showcase your best product, week-in-week-out. Golf doesn’t do that currently.

If you had the chance to start again you wouldn’t create professional golf as it exists today. The League is that chance.

That’s a profound statement about starting from scratch and not using the general structure we have now. I’m not sure I entirely agree, but then again no one would say 72-holes of stroke play, 5:30 rounds and little match play makes sense.

Q: You plan to launch the League in January 2022, will you succeed?

PGL: We were told you can’t take on the establishment and win, but we aren’t taking on the establishment – we intend to work with it – and 6 years on we believe we’ll succeed because the League is what fans, sponsors and broadcasters want – and the best players deserve. It will revitalize the sport for this and future generations.

Fans want to watch the best players competing in the best format. A truly prestigious world championship that is worth winning and worth watching.

They want condensed, world-class action, from start to finish, hence the shotgun-start and 5- hour broadcast window. Action, all over the course, when you switch on – the ability to tune in to the main broadcast, or choose your own shots and style of production, via streaming.

Watch who you want to watch, knowing that the team element means that every shot counts. The ability to get behind a team and closer to the players, with unprecedented access to the most entertaining content. And, of course, for those who attend, the best staging and facilities.

Wish we had a mention of going after architecturally interesting venues too, but you can’t have everything. Yet.

And importantly, we’ll give fans a break from the game, with a 4-month off-season. The chance to miss world-class golf and look forward to its return. They don’t get that opportunity at the moment, owing to the overlapping, wrap-around seasons of existing tours, designed to maximize the playing opportunities for hundreds of professional golfers. It’s confusing and leads to fan fatigue.

Amen.

And the fans are vital to those who fund the sport – the sponsors who pay the purses, buy the ads and pay the endorsement fees. They fund the professional sport to reach the golf demographic – they want the best possible format, capable of drawing the largest possible audience.

Multinational blue-chip brands want to reach golf’s valuable fanbase, but some have walked away, and others have failed to engage, unable to justify the return on investment. These brands want to be associated with the best but, too often, struggle to work out where the best will play.

We believe the League represents a superior model for sponsors – offering category exclusivity, global activation and better value. And for sponsors, read broadcasters – they want what the sponsors want – the best possible ratings.

And note this does confirm that events will also have sponsors.

Q: Will the top players really leave their existing tours to join?

PGL: There are a number of reasons we believe they will – the first being money. The world’s best players will have the opportunity to earn more by competing in the League; both in terms of prize money and endorsements.

So much for everyone working together!

We’ll pay $240m in prize money each season, rising over time. Shared between 48 players, that’s an average of $5m. Forty-eight players will compete for a share of $10m every weekend, 17 times per season. The winner will earn $2m each week and the individual world champion will receive a $10m bonus.

There will also be a $40m team purse, with $14m to the winning team ($3.5m per team member) – and we’ll pay a bonus to the winning team each week.

An individual will have the chance to win over $50m per season – more than on any other format, on a like-for-like basis (including bonuses), with major purses on top.

And here’s thinking elements of appearance fee structure to get agent buy-in and superstars to move to the concept.

Q: Isn’t that too much?

PGL: It’s what they’re worth. At the moment, the best – the true global stars – subsidise the rest. The League will rebalance the economics. The best player needs to compete, but not against 150 other guys every week – 47 will suffice.

Their off-course earnings should also rise. League players will have a higher, global profile; 48 stars, with higher endorsement values. A global format, comprised of only the best, will maximize the appeal of each player to major brands.

Our players should also benefit from the sponsorship premium to be generated by the collective team model. We will enable players and teams to offer sponsors greater value by, for example, providing money-can’t-buy access on and off the course. They will also be able to stream their own content – to maximize the value of their personalities, on and off the course.

Plus, selected players will have an opportunity to generate unprecedented value beyond their playing careers. We’ll give them part ownership of a team franchise and the chance to share in the significant equity value, created jointly, over time. The teams will generate revenue streams established in other sports but not previously achievable in golf. They will also enable players to remain relevant to the game beyond their competitive best – providing them with the opportunity to win the League as an owner and operator, secure investment, and both retain existing and attract new sponsors.

There will also be lifestyle benefits – for players.

Eh em…wraparound no more.

Q: What do you mean by “lifestyle”?

PGL: Our players will only be required to play 18 events per season and will get 4 months off – without the pressure of knowing that others are accumulating points while they recharge.
They’ll play 3 days not 4 – putting less strain on their bodies – and will be part of a team, with team benefits. They will, of course, be required to travel, but on a sensible schedule; and we’ll place them in situ before each of the majors.

The quality of the competition and the format should also appeal. The League will provide the best players with the opportunity to play the best, week-in-week-out, on different types of courses and in different climatic conditions. It will be the ultimate test, worthy of a true world champion.

You’ve got to play the best to be the best, and a 5-hour window, delivered by a shotgun start, will mean a level playing field; no more being at the wrong end of the draw when the weather turns.
Fans intuitively understand leagues; win the League to become the indisputable, world champion.

And then there’s the good of the game – possibly the best reason to join.

Ok, let’s not get carried away.

Q: What do you mean by “good of the game”?

PGL: We’re a commercial enterprise, but our interests are entirely aligned with those of the sport. In other words, our value will be determined by our ability to get people to watch golf. And the more that watch – the more that will play.

The rest of the professional sport – men’s and women’s – is also very important to us, so we plan to contribute $45m a year to other professional formats – for example, the charities that operate existing events – to support their purses.

And our foundation, which will own 20% of the League, should generate approximately $300m in dividends and a lump sum of $2bn by 2028. Part of this will go back into the amateur game and the rest will support charitable causes – in perpetuity. We’ve liaised and intend to work closely with the guardians of the game – the foundation should provide that opportunity. No one who cares about the future of the game should object to the League.

And for some players, this is the chance to create a lasting legacy. We believe the structure of the sport needs to be streamlined and strengthened. As proposed, the League will form the top of the pyramid, providing greater structural integrity and strength to the whole sport; supporting its other professional and amateur limbs.

This is also an opportunity for some players to make history, just like those who broke away from the PGA of America – to form the PGA Tour – in the late Sixties. They faced resistance and the restructuring wasn’t straightforward, but it strengthened the sport – and, 50 years on, it’s this generation’s turn – the same principles apply.

The League represents the most natural, next evolutionary step for professional golf and there are plenty of other sporting precedents – 22 clubs walked away from the Football League to create the EPL and English football got stronger. The sponsor-driven Car Park Agreement secured the commitment of the world’s best tennis players, guaranteeing the strength of field – week-in-week-out – to create the ATP 1000 Series and increase the appeal of tennis to fans and sponsors. In cricket, Kerry Packer broke the mould by establishing World Series Cricket. He took on the game’s administrators and revitalised the sport.

And, via the first Concorde Agreement, Bernie Ecclestone wrestled control away from the FIA and dramatically improved the F1 model for fans, sponsors, teams and drivers. He guaranteed the strength of field and the highest standards of event staging and broadcast – converting a past-time for enthusiasts into a global showcase, drawing 500m viewers per year.

Golf is structured today as motorsport was structured before the Concorde Agreement.

Q: Have you spoken to the players? Are they supportive?


PGL: Apologies, we aren’t in a position to discuss any players.


Q: So, no players have committed?


PGL: Unfortunately, we cannot discuss at this stage.


All signs in my reporting and the work of those acknowledging the story suggest players are actively listening. Not one has gone on the record yet declining the possibility of joining “The League”.

Q: What can you tell us about Premier Golf League Limited?

PGL It’s a new company, established by World Golf Group to own and operate the League. The group’s existing shareholder base has assets worth over $20bn and includes The Raine Group – one of the leading sports, media and entertainment investors in the world. We estimate that it won’t cost more than $1bn to launch the League.

The group has spent 6 years listening and learning; establishing relationships with key stakeholders and refining both the format and the business model – we’re now ready to offer fans, players, sponsors and broadcasters a choice.

And their timing is noteworthy given the unsettled state of TV negotiations.

But there’s more!

APPENDIX A – ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

Q: The PGA Tour generates huge sums for charity. Will you deprive charities of income?

PGL: No. The PGA Tour has had, and should continue to have, a tremendous charitable impact. As you know, most of its events are owned and operated by charitable entities, many of which generate healthy profits that flow through to deserving causes.

…should continue to have? Even without stars?

We’ll have just as positive an impact on society but will take a slightly different approach. For a start, we’ll pay tax – we believe government is better placed than us to distribute a portion of our profits, fairly, to the communities that need it.

We’ve also created a foundation that should generate approximately $300m in dividends and a lump sum of $2bn by 2028. Part of this will go back into the game, the rest will support charitable causes – in perpetuity.

Suffice to say, we’ll seek to support the PGA Tour’s commendable charitable endeavours. Indeed, we’re keen to work with them to understand exactly how much money reaches which beneficiaries and to ensure that those in need continue to benefit.

Good luck with that.

Q: What will happen to the PGA Tour if you succeed?

PGL: Golf’s entire ecosystem is important to us. We want every level of the game to be as healthy and robust as possible. Accordingly, we’ll protect the members of other tours by cooperating and providing financial support.

Interesting that they are addressing the PGA Tour, which becomes a feeder tour in this scenario, but not the European Tour.

Q: What if those who control the official world rankings refuse to grant league players world ranking points?

PGL: We expect any player who participates in the League to continue to earn ranking points. A system that refused to recognize the best players in the world would cease to have legitimacy. And a system influenced by existing leading tours, that refused to grant eligible tour status to a competitive new format might be deemed anti-competitive.

Yes it would.

Q: Will players who join the League lose their PGA Tour pensions?

PGL: We don’t believe so. Even if the PGA Tour refuses to cooperate, our understanding is that the pension is structured as a deferred salary scheme – so the benefits have already been earned and belong to the relevant players.

Q: Is this not just a corporate takeover of golf?

PGL: We aren’t taking over. Our primary objective is to get as many people as possible to watch and play the game, so our interests are aligned entirely with the long-term interests of the sport. First and foremost, we are ordinary fans of the game, keen to ensure the health of the sport we love, for decades to come.

Q: Didn’t Greg Norman attempt something similar and fail?

PGL: According to reports from the time, the attempt to establish the World Golf Tour in 1994 resulted in a threat to ban its participants and the creation of 4 World Golf Championships – all in the US. The world is now a different place, restraint of trade laws have changed, and the League is a very different proposition.

Yes it is.

Coincidence? News Of Players Championship Purse Increase Lands As Lucrative World Tour Competitor Emerges

Big news! The Players cut makers will play for $2.5 million more than last year’s $12.5 million. The AP report.

Not big news to most fans or even top players, right?

Unless, of course, there is a competing vision out there colliding with the PGA Tour and European Tour.

Potential World Tour Takes Aim At PGA Tour With Lucrative Individual And Team Concept

A multi-year effort to create a star-driven global golf tour has gained momentum again.


Multiple sources have confirmed to GeoffShackelford.com that after years of attempting to commence the World Golf Group’s vision with a 2020 start date, organizers are making another fervent bid to lure top players away from the PGA and European Tours with plans to start in 2022 or 2023. The concept, first revealed by Reuters in 2018, has been alternatively known as the World Golf Series or “Tour de Force.”

“It seems to resurface at different times,” said Mark Steinberg, the only agent willing to go on the record about the concept. “It’s obviously resurfacing right now. We’ll see if they take it to the next level.”

Two other well-known player representatives confirmed that the concept had serious legitimacy and that players were considering the proposal. Three other agents contacted declined to comment, while four players with knowledge of the proposal would only confirm details, fearful of fines for discussing a potential PGA Tour competitor.

The original concept presented by the group featured an 18-event schedule from January to September with 48-player fields vying for $10 million each week, highlighted by a season-ending team championship.

The World Golf Group’s current proposal has since been adjusted after feedback from players and agents now aiming for ten events. The group is retaining a Formula One-style team component, complete with managers and potential drama surrounding players who are signed, benched or released from franchises. Those franchises, offered to a group of megastar players who could retain ownership past their playing days, would be capable of generating an “equity value between $350 and 750 million” along with a 4% of annual net profit.

With the PGA Tour currently wrapping up media rights negotiations for 2022 and beyond, the group is attempting to lure players, sponsors and media companies by highlighting what it sees as deficiencies in the current professional golf model. Besides a view that top players do not face off enough, documents spell out ways to improve television production values, shorten the tournament day with shotgun starts, and end the season with a Ryder Cup-style team event appealing to a younger audience. Tour de Force also seeks to “increase participation” and “generate greater cohesion and cooperation within the sport.”

The World Series group’s lobbying effort was a major topic during this week’s PGA Tour player meeting at the Farmers Insurance Open. Commissioner Jay Monahan flew in from Ponte Vedra Beach headquarters and engaged in substantial discussion with players about the pitfalls of the concept. Sources say defectors would face complications related to the releases necessary to play in non-PGA Tour events and loss of eligibility in the Tour’s lucrative pension program, among other matters. Two players present but not expecting to be invited to play in the group’s tour characterized the meeting as somewhat tense. Each sensed a legitimacy to the new group’s proposal with the potential to inflict damage to both the U.S. and European Tours.

The PGA Tour and European Tour both declined to comment for this story.


Steinberg, while potentially reaping huge added income for his Excel agency thanks to appearance fees, made clear that he still values the stability of the PGA Tour.

“It’s more than a wonderful product that the PGA Tour puts in front of its members, and it seems to get better each year with sponsors like FedEx, Charles Schwab, whoever it may be,” said Steinberg, who represents Tiger Woods, Justin Rose and Gary Woodland. “It’s very stable, it’s becoming more innovative all the time, so I can’t answer if [Tour de Force] is real or not real.

“But, like anything else you have to listen to everyone and all options.”


Since Steinberg made those comments at the Hero World Challenge when the group’s representatives made an updated pitch to player agents, the talks have accelerated and prompted Monahan’s advisory at the players meeting.

So how would this new global tour work?

The original concept featured 54-hole, no-cut events to would be spread around the world while allowing players to still earn world ranking points needed to qualify for major championships and earn endorsement money. Purses were originally pegged to be in the $10 million range, but those numbers may climb while retaining backdoor appearance fees that would add to player and agent coffers.

Beyond the huge money, the lengthy, well-formulated pro-forma passed around to golf industry figures lobs several jabs at the current state of the professional golf “product.” Financing is believed to come from a combination of sources, including Tokyo-based Softbank, and private equity investment from several regions including the United States and the Middle East.

Efforts to receive comment from executives detailed in documents have been unsuccessful, in part because the group’s extensive team have taken a highly secretive approach. 


Asked whether he had discussed the concept in detail with his influential stable of players, Steinberg confirmed that he had.

“As long as there is talk this grand, what it might be, you have to at least tell your players what you’re hearing because you don’t want them to hear it on the first tee or in the media. To me, its just been a comment I’ve made to the players we work with, and that’s literally all that’s been so far.”

In the coming days I will detail how the proposed formats will work and why the concept could be of interest to golf viewers.

A Window Into Golf's Gambling Future: How Tuesday Observations Might Go Over With PGA Tour Players

I’ve heard from a few folks not understanding my views expressed on recent podcast about pro golf gambling. They have not seen me turn a Daily Racing Form into a whip or turn to my Bovada app as a PGA Tour Sunday unfolds and a 20-1 shot sitting three back has an eagle putt.

Gambling could be a great thing for PGA Tour coffers, their media partners and fan interest. With “fantasy” stakes invested in players, fans will find a way to sit through the tedium that is the five-hour round (and growing). But even if the focus is building a lineup each week and rooting for your selections based on research, today’s players seem unlikely to handle the scrutiny well. All too many have come to believe that their every move is a private matter where the exercise of playing in front of fans and media is nothing but an annoyance. And this is without legalized gambling.

Say, in 2021, many states have legalized sports bettering and you can wager on PGA Tour golf, consider what fans will want to know and what media will be obligated to report: every observable pre-tournament detail that will be of interest to fantasy players and gamblers.

Today, during the closed-to-the-public practice round at the Farmers Insurance Open, I observed things that would be of interest to those making a lineup this week. Names will not be included, but imagine how upsetting these observations would be if names were involved and social media employed to help gamblers make a wagering decision. A sampling:

—________, who was once addicted to his Trackman, was seen hitting balls without it and talking to someone who is not the instructor he has been officially linked to.

—_______ cancelled a planned nine-hole practice round to keep working with the new driver he’s trying to put in his bag. Tour team members were busy making adjustments and trying to find him a gamer.

—_______looked lost on the practice putting green, using alignment tools, instructing his caddie to record every putt for video review, and appearing utterly confused.

—________came to the course today but appeared under the weather and instead went to the fitness trailer for medical aid.

—Because of a balky back, ________ was heard saying he can practice his putting for more than 30 minutes and hasn’t been able to hit balls how he’d like as he prepares to kick off his 2020 season on a course he’s played well at.

I could go on and on but you get the drift: players will face a new kind of scrutiny. It’s hard to see them liking any of this shared by a media member, or worse, through private channels by insiders observing facts of interest of handicappers.

Maybe the riches that come with the PGA Tour’s stake in gambling will offset the new invasion of their privacy. But given the decline of media, the potential for non-media to cash in on insider information, and the thirst for insight into any wagering edge, I remain doubtful that players are ready for what is yet to come.