"Why spend $40 million this way?"

GolfDigest.com’s John Feinstein makes several strong points in trying to understand what a secret $40 million pool for players already doing well and to keep them from fleeing to something that “doesn’t even exist at the moment.”

I continue to marvel at the FedExCup ramifications, some positive and some really make you scratch your head. The positive: it looks like a wonderful merit-based competition compared to the “Player Impact Program”, even with points resets.

But as Feinstein writes…

And so the first question: Where is the tour getting the $40 million? At the moment, there’s no corporate sponsor and there’s not likely to be one, if only because Fred Smith, the CEO of FedEx, which has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the tour dating to 2007, would probably lose his mind if PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan stood up and proudly announced a new multi-million-dollar corporate partnership in order to pay 10 players millions of dollars.

As it is, one wonders how FedEx, whose contract with the tour runs through 2027, is going to react to a new program that rewards players for being popular. Flawed as the FedEx Cup playoff system is, the hundreds of millions the company has invested has gotten the top players to keep playing through the end of the summer after the major championships are over. That was the whole point when then-commissioner Tim Finchem convinced FedEx to sign on in the first place. FedEx and the PGA Tour are now so closely entwined that the FedEx logo is imbedded in the floor of the lobby inside the tour’s new multi-million-dollar headquarters.

"It makes you wonder whether someone told Johnny Miller what was coming so he could get out of television just in time."

In a column titled “TV networks’ lovefest with PGA Tour cheats viewers,” MorningRead.com’s Mike Purkey looks at the increasing chumminess of golf broadcasting, where “the airwaves are thick with collegiality” and “PGA Tour players are called by their first names or nicknames, as if it were the third flight of the club championship.”

He goes deeper into why this is happening and what it means for viewing, and also how the PGA Tour’s control is muting a lot of smart voices. A sampling:

David Feherty’s immense talents are being ignored and wasted. His interview show on Golf Channel was canceled, and he appears to be lying low and trying to stay out of trouble until he retires.

It makes you wonder whether someone told Johnny Miller what was coming so he could get out of television just in time.

If you’ve noticed, it should concern you. If you haven’t noticed, you should. No one ever accused television commentators of being journalists. But there was a time when they at least made an effort to appear objective. No players are critically analyzed. Anything negative is on the penalty side of the white stakes.

Spin Is In On Meltwater: $40 Million Is A Bargain! Independent Contractors Are So Yesterday! Tiger Needed Our Thanks!

The socially distanced chatter around the Global Home’s pizza maker must have been lively today.

Yet despite pretty tepid reactions to having $40 million extra to give to stars based on some kooky algorithm (plus the cost to employ all of the metric services), some fascinating reactions were peddled 24 hours later. And knowing the Tour’s expectations of its media partners or wannabe partners, it sure seemed like folks felt extra compelled to spin and amplify odd details in Eamon Lynch’s reveal of a secret bonus pool for the game’s most engaging players.

(Players who, oddly, generally leave their social media to someone else.)

The most aggressive rebuttal to Lynch’s story was penned by…Eamon Lynch! Some could say it’s odd to write such a strong defense of a secret slush pool less than 24 hours after revealing the scheme with an undercurrent of skepticism. Not all, but some.

Anyway, maybe he revealed the secret fund’s existence because the golf fan will want to root their favorite star home to a secret bonus as determined by a special algorithm of several other algorithms. Lynch defends this as just a fancy way to find out who the cool kids are everyone wants to hang with. His words not mine:

For all its charitable endeavors, the PGA Tour is a business and businesses everywhere incentivize those individuals deemed to deliver value. That value isn’t always easy to define and often harder to quantify. Much of the head-scratching about the Impact Fund centers on the metrics used to determine a player’s impact, a waggish assortment of measurements that achieve what any child in a schoolyard can do with the point of a finger: identify the cool kids people want to hang with.

Given the scale of the Tour’s new TV rights deal, $40 million is a small sum. There is ample left to boost purses in the minor leagues, underwrite the European Tour and otherwise gild the lily.

Wow, that’s a lot of money to tell us the list most of us could guess! And oddly, the Tour had to lay off 50 low-paid employees of a particular vintage just over seven months ago while rolling this out. That was a really small sum if $40 million is couch change to these folks.

Anyway, this from Lynch is fun:

Whatever criticisms are aimed at the Player Impact Program, it incentivizes players to engage more with fans, media and sponsors. That might be an awkward exercise for those ill-equipped for socialization, but it’s a worthy goal.

The 2019 players who would have received bonuses according to Lynch’s original reporting: Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas.

Let’s just say as a nice way of not suggesting someone else runs their accounts, a lot of people have their passwords. Several of them have publicly made clear they have no use for the same engagement stuff the pool supposedly rewards. We’ve even had high profile resignations from social media in this group when the engagement grew to be too much.

Those are your clubhouse leaders!

At least we have Billy Horschel to tell us all of the above is just nonsense and this was a way to pay Tiger some more money. From Rex Hoggard at GolfChannel.com:

“If we look at over a few years the guys who really drive the Tour, the guys who bring in the money to the PGA Tour, in my opinion, I think we should thank them,” Horschel said. “I look at as we’re thanking them, we’re thanking one guy [Woods] and now multiple guys because of what they’re going to do in the future. We have an amazing TV contract now that is going to be beneficial for all Tour players. If Tour players actually look at this, they’re going to be rewarded in a lot of different ways.”

We’re thanking and placing future bets? And giving TV deal bonus money? Is he saying they’re a non-profit organization is so flush with cash that they have to lose the money somewhere? Huh!

The whole layoff thing kind of messes up the financial fairy tale.

Kyle Porter at CBSSports.com offered seven thoughts defending this as a common sense investment.

The Tour has been (probably unintentionally) taking advantage of the fact that its "franchises" are just individuals who maybe did not think of themselves as revenue-generating entities. However, the power in golf rests not with the PGA Tour but with the Jordan Spieths and Justin Thomases of the world just as it rests with the Lakers, Knicks and Heat in the NBA. The PGL shined a light on that, and now there's a $40 million purse to prove it.

The PGL concept had people praising the Tour’s independent contractor ideal. Yet this no-longer-secret pool will pay people for being famous, with a few conflicts on the side. But that’s the Tour and players business to deal with. The fan should be more saddened by what both the program and the spin job means: the Tour’s vision for growing their product involves marketing morons manufacturing a mirage of meaningless media under the guise of player accounts.

That’s not a worthy goal.

Meanwhile, a man who insists he’s never going to be pool eligible—dream big Billy Horschel!—the hissy-fit thrower himself posted this today:

As a @Zurich ambassador, it's only right that my partner @Samburns66 and I are So Fresh, So Clean this week @ZurichClassic @Outkast pic.twitter.com/4CgRByKBZD

— Billy Horschel (@BillyHo_Golf) April 21, 2021

The “engagement” after the Tweet is superb.

I wonder if the Meltwater Method knows the Jonah Hill throat slash GIF is a negative reply?

Moving along, it seems the big secret reveal did not stop MVPIndex from some Twitter humblebragging: “Our partners, @PGATOUR, are revolutionizing their sport and player compensation based on fan and sponsor engagement. We're excited to announce that MVP's performance ratings will be the social measurement tool for this new Player Impact Program!”

New AND one they didn’t tell the public about.

The company also Tweeted this, captured since the Tour or Golf Channel should issue a take-down notice for lifting copyright video. Heck, it should be deleted merely for “quantifies intangible metrics.”

Lesser known players who are actually the Tour’s authentic social media stars did their thing in reaction to the news, as Coleman Bentley notes here with Twitter evidence.

Gents, good luck getting your intangible humor noticed by the quantifiers.

Finally, Mark Calcaveccia was the rare player willing to go on the record with his views:

Utterly ridiculous! How bout taking that 40 mil and give 20 mil to the @KornFerryTour and the other 20 mil to help grow the game. https://t.co/q9vYvkkojj

— Mark Calcavecchia (@MarkCalc) April 21, 2021

PGA Tour Seeks Dismissal Of Haney Lawsuit, Cites "Supervisory Interest" In SiriusXM Programming

Back in February the judge in Hank Haney’s lawsuit sealed the docket as mediation and discovery were ongoing, suggesting the sides might be talking.

Now Rex Hoggard reports for GolfChannel.com that the PGA Tour is back in court asking to dismiss the suit that cost Haney his popular SiriusXM radio show.

Stopping short of confirming its Radio Sawgrass status, lawyers for the Tour argued it had the right to censor the channel as part of a licensing agreement. Did I say censor? I mean, took a “supervisory interest” in Sirius XM.

From Hoggard’s report:

Haney’s contention that the Tour interfered with his contract stems at least partly from a call from Tour commissioner Jay Monahan to Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM president and chief content officer, the day after the incident.

Monahan told Greenstein that Haney’s comments were “completely unacceptable, indefensible.” In his testimony Greenstein said Monahan “was clearly upset” but that he “did not threaten Greenstein.”

The Tour also argued in its motion for summary judgement that the circuit has a “supervisory interest” in SiriusXM as a result of the license agreement between the two organizations and that “programming was required to be agreed upon by the parties in advance of distribution.”

They don’t call it state media for nothin!

Meltwater: Biggest Losers After PGA Tour’s Secret Bonus Pool Is Revealed

Politics had Watergate and Whitewater. Now golf has Meltwater. You know, for that marketing metric you’d never heard of until now and still can’t believe a brand tracker put melt in the title.

It’s hard to know how to start unpacking the bombshell dropped by Golfweek and Golf Channel contributor Eamon Lynch. He revealed a Player Impact Program funneling $40 million in bonus money to stars based on a bunch of doubtable, crackable and corruptable marketing metrics. Lynch’s reporting may end up permanently branding the Monahan era as nothing more than a marketing operation offended it has to be associated with golf.

Now, I realize the post title said “Losers”. But longtime readers know of my faith and devotion to the power of positive thinking. So some the Winners first.

Winners

—FedExCup/WhateverTheyCallTheWyndhamRewards Now. You both look so cool now as almost-legitimate points races requiring players to play golf and perform for cash. It’s all so sportsy and above-board compared to the “PIP”. Still, not interesting at all, but definitely merit-based.

—The Premier Golf League. You sought to make the rich richer AND make pro golf more interesting to watch. Nice contrast to relying on Meltwater Mentions and a company founded by el padre de Jordan Spieth. Plus, nothing you did failed as miserably as the Super League.

—Bots. Think of the prices they can charge players in pursuit of PIP Top 10 money? “So if you finish 8th it’s a $3 million bonus? Okay, at that price we can do 800k searches that’ll set off alarm bells at The Google. Spell your last name again? Is it R-E-E-D like the things in the swamp, or R-E-A-D like a book?”

—PGA Tour Coffers. A new $65 million Global Home. Kicking in millions in purse money each week during the pandemic as revenues decline? Then spending more than all of that combined on the new TPC Sawgrass entrance drive? I guess what’s another $40 million for ten special franchise-worthy guys who never cause any headaches? Take that rainy day fund, fellow non-profits!

—The One VP Muttering To Himself. “I told them the social media mavericks would mock the Meltwater Method!”

Losers

—Fans. This is what the PGA Tour brass came up with as a response to the PGL’s existential threat? This is what they’ve been spending time on to make players likable and get them to play more? Oh, and betting.

—Jay Monahan. This is what you came up with as a response to the PGL’s existential threat?

—FedExCup. You were included in the initial draft obtained by Golfweek, but a correction later in the day revealed you were dropped as the PIP success barometer came into focus. So all that money you pay and still not good enough for the Player Impact Program?

—Sponsors. The PGA Tour creates a bonus pool to reward stars but the reporting suggests sponsor-relations took a back seat to metrics. Players get points for Meltwater Mentions but not for showing up at the Pro-Am party and remembering the CEO’s name?

—Media Partners. A bonus pool without a single mention of outreach to big rights-paying TV partners or something rewarding a star for playing more often? This is how they use your rights money? To pay for Phil’s Jupiter home theater system and backyard coffee bar?

—Rory McIlroy. So that new Policy Board seat, does that earn you PIP Rewards? Because we know you’ll surely abstain from any votes on its future status or the bonuses of folks who devised a way to pay you for that shiny Q rating.

—Jordan Spieth. I’m sure Tour peers have no opinions about your vote on this matter and the invocation of your sire’s “MVPIndex”.

—Almost stars. Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay barely know about the program, suggesting the pool was directed at a very select group. Sounds like the PIP futures are bleak for these ones. That’s okay, we writers like you both for being good quotes and different dudes.

—Agents. I don’t know how the ten-percenters structure their deals these days, but I can’t imagine many had a clause for something as bizarre as the Player Impact Program. But if the client would like the office interns to spend all day Google searching “Billy Horschel Players Championship Food Drive”, the client will need to pay the appropriate commission.

—The 50 PGA Tour Employees Laid Off During The Pandemic. If you accounted for $5 million in salary I’d be surprised. That’s like third place money in this pool no one was supposed to know about. Those lame pandemic layoffs get even lamer.

—The PGL. They see you as a threat and can’t even rip-off one of your many smart ideas.

—Athleticism. Not one metric rewards players for bicep size, how fast they run the 40, their bench press max, or even ESPN Body Issue appearances. Sad.

Report: PGA Tour Creates Impact Bonus Fund Based On Players "Who Positively Move The Needle"

Just did another calendar check. Yep, it’s April 20th. Not the first.

Now, we’ve heard rumors of the “impact fund” to fend off players thinking of joining the Premier Golf League and a little extra bonus money for pimping product, sponsors or ad campaigns isn’t the end of the world.

But the $40 million program outlined by Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch and also creatively undercut in the same piece, seems like an odd solution to the issues raised by the PGL. Namely: none of this will make stars play more, deal with calendar oversaturation, or improve “the product” for sponsors, fans and TV. (Unless you come from a marketing mindset looking at spreadsheets instead of watching golf.)

As always I urge you to read the piece on the “Player Impact Program” for full context. But a few parts with limited snarky interruptions:

A PGA Tour spokesperson confirmed to Golfweek that the Player Impact Program began January 1 to “recognize and reward players who positively move the needle.” At the end of the year, a pool of $40 million will be distributed among 10 players, with the player deemed most valuable receiving $8 million.

The 10 beneficiaries will be determined based on their “Impact Score,” a number generated from six separate metrics that are designed to quantify that individual’s added value. 

The metrics are scoring average, starts, wins and maybe some fancy thing showing an increase in ratings or something right?

Cue agents calling Russian bots to figure out how to search the daylights out of their player 24/7…

(1) Their position on the season-ending FedEx Cup points list.**

**The story was updated to omit this: “While FedEx Cup rank was included among criterion in the document players received, the tour tells Golfweek that it will not be used as a metric to determine bonus payments.”

Well okay then! Let’s start at the new top…

(2) Their popularity in Google Search.

(3) Their Nielsen Brand Exposure rating, which places a value on the exposure a player delivers to sponsors though the minutes they are featured on broadcasts.

Alright, not bad. Go on…

(4) Their Q Rating, which measures the familiarity and appeal of a player’s brand.

Oh dear here comes more faux authenticity and “engagement”.

(5) Their MVP Index rating, which calibrates the value of the engagement a player drives across social and digital channels.

The e word!

(6) Their Meltwater Mentions, or the frequency with which a player generates coverage across a range of media platforms.

Meltwater Mentions. Is that, like, to tell me what the kids are watching on TikTok and Twitch instead of execs just relying on their kids to do that heavy lifting?

Heck, I’d rather see points for meltdowns on the course that generate fun memes. Maybe call them Horschel Hallucinations?

Anyway, Lynch reports there is (of course) an algorithm involved to convert scores into metrics and metrics into money. Basically Tiger and Rickie will see a check for years to come.

Lynch quotes Brooks Koepka, who loves the thing is just fine if Tiger leads it annually, and some journeyman who aren’t so happy. But, there are buts.

A PGA Tour spokesperson said that as part of the program the Tour is providing extra resources to help all players manage their social media and branding, including charitable foundations, and to maximize their off-the-course business opportunities.

I have a feeling those in the coveted demo are likely to get their calls to the Global Home will be returned sooner.

It’s believed the formula used to calculate Impact Scores will distinguish between positive and negative coverage a player generates. 

That should prevent anyone from robbing a bank or intentionally crashing their car to crack the top 10.

There is also the awkwardness of the MVP Index inclusion.

One metric being used—the MVP Index—is generated by a company founded by Jordan Spieth’s father, Shawn Spieth.

“It’s a substantial source of revenue,” one player agent said of the proposed bonuses, adding that the amounts involved are equivalent to another one or two sponsorship deals annually for some stars. “It’s a smart way to reward stars and it’s no time commitment from the players.”

And that last sentiment is exactly why this will be good for bank accounts and bad for the product. All of this will be secret too, so it’s not like we can follow along and wager on the outcome.

COVID-19 Vaccine: PGA Tour Assures Players They Won't Get Microchipped

This Frenchie has Been microchipped but for different reasons

Hey it’s still April. Just not the 1st.

But it seems the PGA Tour’s finest are more vaccine resistant than we could have imagined. Bob Harig reports for ESPN.com story on the PGA Tour wrapping up its incredibly successful on-site COVID-19 testing this June. Parts of a memo to players reveal that those choosing not to be vaccinated will be responsible for the cost and burden of getting tested if they want to chase points.

• "The COVID 19 vaccine has been administered to over 700 million people worldwide. There have been very few significant side effects reported. Once a vaccine is authorized for use, monitoring continues with systems in place to track problems or side effects that were not detected in clinical trials.''


Apparently enough have shared crackpot theories to the Global Home that the brass addressed them. In writing.

• "There are common misconceptions and concerns about infertility, altering DNA, microchipping, becoming infected with COVID as a result of the COVID 19 vaccine. These misconceptions and concerns are false.''


The microchip conspiracy theory. Common? Only in some circles. At one time 28% of Americans thought the vaccine would come (free of charge!) with the Bill Gates microchip. The origins of the theory—brace for shocking plot twist—appear to be Russian.

Besides highlighting the conspiratorial tendencies of the PGA Tour membership, let’s not underestimate the role of staggering ignorance. Harig quotes an anonymous player who probably isn’t reading much:

"I've had 60-plus tests, all negative,'' said one veteran PGA Tour player who wished not to be identified. "My caddie and I have been through every airport, public transportation, you name it, without getting COVID. But the tour is going to make it a pain for us if we don't take it. They are not forcing you, but it will be a pain if you don't.''

Also, it would be a pain to finally get the virus after all that time and give it to someone you love. Or anyone.

The player said he would be more receptive to getting a shot if it is the Johnson & Johnson version, which has been put on hold by the Centers for Disease Control. The vaccine requires just one shot, and some players are leery of potential side effects associated with two doses and how that might impact their playing schedule.

Now that’s devotion to one’s self on a spectacular level. But FedExCup points will do funny things to people.

Si Woo's Penalty And Signs That Slow Play Might Be Wearing Thin With Officials

Now that a twosome of American pro golf takes north of four hours to get around any course—even short and well-synced Harbour Town—there are signs the PGA Tour might be recognizing the absurdity of it all.

Since the Florida swing when the Tour has played twosomes on weekends (unless forced by weather to go out in three), their network partners at NBC and CBS have routinely missed their scheduled sign-off on time. This means the rules staff projects a pace hoping to have the round finish just before the network sign-off time. Yet fields are still missing the time par.

Besides being tedious to watch, the extra 45-60 minutes costs “partners” money. And every sport is trying to prevent bloat in fear of the coveted demo going back to their Playstations (if they ever left them to watch golf).

I realize we’ve known this is a problem for a decade or more going back to the Finchem era when the idea of handing out penalties was physically repulsive to Commish Moonbeam. But there were signs last weekend that the act has grown old. CBS noted when Stewart Cink or the group in front of him was put on the clock and without any defense of the slowpokes. The announcers repeatedly questioned the amount of information discussed with caddie/son Reagan. Hint, hint: there was not a lot of admiration for the extent of chit-chat. (Though I’d argue the banter and “process” has helped Cink re-focus to pull off an incredible resurgence.)

Since pace rules have not been enforced with penalties the Cink’s and other slower players have no incentive to change. Throw in green books, all par-5’s within reach in two, a drivable par-4 wait, and it’s hard to break four hours.

The weekend also produced Si Woo Kim’s one-stroke penalty for exceeding the ten-second rule. Noteworthy here is not the enforcement of the rule, but the Tour posting so much controversy on their Twitter feed and the wild sight of Matt Kuchar coming to Kim’s defense. This, as official Stephen Cox calmly explains the rule without highlighting that no ball, dangling on the edge, can move for a minute and not fall in the cup!

Cliffhanger.

Si Woo Kim's birdie putt hung on the edge for over a minute. 😮

Per the rules, a stroke will be added and it will be counted as par since it took longer than 10 seconds to drop. pic.twitter.com/jU3ayv9Mu2

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 17, 2021

PGA TOUR Rules Official Stephen Cox further explains the ruling. pic.twitter.com/mCj8hl7Uzj

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 17, 2021

Predictably, Tour players whined about this travesty, as Nick Piatkowski documented. (You’ll be shocked to learn Grade A whiner Charley Hoffman once again blames the USGA.)

The sad reality? The entitlement factor is strong in these ones.

Without any enforcement of rules, players have come to believe they should be able to do as they see fit as long as it’s cool with their bros on Tour. You look the other way when I take 3 minutes to hit a shot and I’ll be real slow to mark my ball behind the cup. You know, to speed up play.

No entertainment vehicle today can afford to take its sweet time or to not enforce its rules. With betting getting a hard push from the Tour, slow play penalties or backscratching behavior will only scare off wagerers. So even if the stars believe in talking out every element of a shot on Thursday, or believe it’s their right to watch a ball hanging on the edge for a minute, the business of golf cannot support the pace.

But I leave you with good news!

Over in Hawaii the leaders whizzed around the LPGA Tour’s Lotte Championship final round in just over 3:30, as Twitter noticed in celebrating Lydia Ko’s first win in three years. And check out the speed of that Golf Channel cameraman running to get to the notoriously speedy Nelly Korda in time. We need more of this…

was that a 3:36 final round pace?

— Brendan Porath (@BrendanPorath) April 18, 2021

Shoutout to this Golf Channel cameraman who absolutely BOOKED IT after Lydia Ko's shot to get to Nelly Korda in time for her shot. pic.twitter.com/vvhUeVrtth

— Ryan Ballengee (@RyanBallengee) April 17, 2021

Arizona: PGA Tour And DraftKings Can't Wait To Start Taking Your Money

The ink isn’t dry yet because Arizona Governor Doug Ducey has yet to sign the bill, but that didn’t stop the PGA Tour and DraftKings from announcing a new TPC Scottsdale-based year-round sportsbook.

Why this needed to be announced before the sports betting bill was signed is beyond me, but the appearance of desperation is kind of embarrassing. This couldn’t wait a week?

Anyway, start planning your budget now Scottsdalians. Though don’t expect any fun prop bets that might upset the players.

For Immediate Release:

PGA TOUR and DraftKings expand relationship with Arizona market access and plans for one-of-a-kind retail sportsbook at TPC Scottsdale  

Premium sportsbook planned at TPC Scottsdale as part of 
mutual commitment to fan engagement and innovation 

 SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – April 14, 2021 — Following the Arizona Legislature’s passage of HB 2772, which would authorize fantasy sports and sports betting in the state pending action from Governor Doug Ducey, the PGA TOUR and DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) today announced that they will expand their existing commercial relationship to provide DraftKings market access for retail and mobile sports betting in Arizona, pending regulatory approvals. As part of this agreement, the PGA TOUR and DraftKings have also announced plans to operate a premium retail sportsbook at TPC Scottsdale.

“When DraftKings became the first Official Betting Operator of the PGA TOUR last summer, a number of possibilities opened up to innovate together,” said Ezra Kucharz, chief business officer at DraftKings. “This momentous effort to pursue a first-of-its-kind sportsbook with the PGA TOUR is a testament to the vision of both organizations that we believe will ultimately benefit Arizona sports fans who want to legally bet on sports.”

The vision…to take your money.

The PGA TOUR and DraftKings plan to create a visually stunning “19th hole” experience at TPC Scottsdale where fans can gather year-round to place wagers, watch sports and enjoy quality food and beverage options. The PGA TOUR and DraftKings are working closely with the City of Scottsdale and the Thunderbirds, the host organization of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, to develop the project and maximize economic, tourism and charitable benefits to the local community. Several locations are being considered at TPC Scottsdale for the retail sportsbook, with details to be announced at a later date.   

“The PGA TOUR commends the State of Arizona and Governor Ducey for their forward-thinking approach to legal sports betting.” said Norb Gambuzza, Senior Vice President of Media and Gaming at the PGA TOUR. “We are thrilled to work with DraftKings – along with the City of Scottsdale and the Thunderbirds – to explore a one-of-a-kind sportsbook experience at TPC Scottsdale and the world-class Waste Management Phoenix Open. ‘The People’s Open’ is one of the most attended events in golf and with this announcement we look forward to taking the fan experience to another level.”

Key word: taking.

Pursuant to the expanded agreement, DraftKings will also become the exclusive sports betting partner of the Waste Management Phoenix Open hosted annually at TPC Scottsdale. Additionally, the PGA TOUR and DraftKings will collaborate on co-marketing initiatives and exclusive hospitality experiences to position TPC Scottsdale as a premier global destination for sports bettors and avid golf fans. 

Look, I’m pro betting but good golly, let’s make sure it’s legal first and as a charitable non-profit organization, try ease into the accelerator. Yowsers.

PGA Tour, PGA of America Issue Statements On Georgia Voting Law, Stand By Upcoming Events

G.C. Digital has the statements from the PGA Tour (Tour Championship, RSM Classic) and PGA of America (KPMG Women’s PGA) standing by their upcoming events in Georgia after MLB pulled its All-Star Game over the state Senate’s move to change voting laws.

The PGA Tour statement rightfully leans heavily on East Lake’s mission as the basis to stay put:

At the heart of the PGA Tour’s charitable mission is a commitment to serving and supporting communities where we play, across the country and around the world. In Georgia, this commitment has resulted in more than $38 million generated for local charitable organizations since the Tour Championship – our season-ending event – moved to Atlanta in 1998. The Tour Championship’s commitment to East Lake has helped our partners transform distressed neighborhoods into healthy and thriving ones, which is a key to ending the cycle of intergenerational poverty.

The charitable and economic benefits that have led to these substantial changes would not continue if we simply walked away from those in need. We intend to maintain our commitment to the East Lake Foundation, Grove Park Foundation, Purpose Built Schools Atlanta and First Tee of Metro Atlanta by staging the Tour Championship at the East Lake Golf Club in September. We love these partners, and we will work with them to continue to deliver much-needed support and influence positive change.

Our intention to stage an event in a particular market should not be construed as indifference to the current national conversation around voting rights. The PGA Tour fully supports efforts to protect the right of all Americans to vote and to eliminate any barriers that may prevent citizens’ voices from being heard and counted. It is the foundation of our great country and a critical national priority to listen to the concerns about voter suppression – especially from communities of color that have been marginalized in the past – and work together to make voting easier for all citizens.

The PGA of America is "monitoring developments”:

The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is a partnership between three organizations committed to diversity, equity and inclusion: PGA of America, LPGA and KPMG. Like many entities, we are monitoring developments related to the new state legislation on voting access. We believe elections should be accessible, fair and secure, and support broad voter participation.

Rose Warns Of Shorter Careers Due To Distance Obsession

Talking to James Corrigan about this fall’s Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Golf Championship at Walton Heath, Rose said his back has improved ahead of the Masters and that he could have played the Players and Match Play.

The 2017 runner-up at Augusta is instead going in off a five week break and was asked by Corrigan what he’ll tell the juniors who qualify for his championship.

“If you look at my generation — say me, Adam Scott and Sergio [Garcia] — we are probably the first wave that’s grown up with the fitness and physio side and I kind of feel we're in the sweet spot, the way we approached the game in the last 20 years, focusing on our mobility and flexibility and looking at the big picture. And I think our best golf could well be in front of us, as weird as that is to say with us all in our 40s. 

“Whereas I feel like that the generation coming up behind us is pushing the limit much harder than than we did from a physical point of view and even though science is improving and we are understanding more and more about the body, eventually those aggressive motions have to take their impact.”

This wisdom should be appreciated by the various ageist Tour types…

"If it carries on like this and if everyone coming out here is looking for the power game, then maybe careers will get shorter and there won’t be players in their 40s still able to compete at the top of the sport. 

“Apart from the physical issues that might be suffered, I think that would be a huge shame. Watching Westy [Lee Westwood] and Bryson going at it at Bay Hill [last month] was great because you had a 48-year-old taking on a 27-year-old. That sort of battle between the generations is unique to golf. 

“Westy and what he has done in the last year and a half is a huge inspiration. It’s a great part of what I love about golf. Lee is playing with wisdom and experience and gratitude. They are powerful words, but there is something so noble about it.  That longevity and endless hunger should be celebrated and it is. That is my concern with this drive for length — the professional male game could lose all that.”

Yes but people in their forties are not what the advertisers want Justin! Please, think of the brands!

PGA Tour Issues New On-Course Microphone Rules After Player Complaints

Justin Thomas uttering a homophobic slur was not the final straw. Nor were the many other salty language moments picked up by television microphones. 

Multiple sources have shared Commissioner Jay Monahan’s email to players outlining restrictive measures designed to reduce the PGA Tour’s overheard conversations and obscenities. High-quality audio became a focus of player ire in recent weeks when NBC microphones captured balls hitting the water.

“It seemed like it was louder this year and we got agents complaining about player brand damage due to the ker-plunk sound,” said a source.

The news all but dashes hopes of players wearing microphones or placement of mic’s in cups. Players have publicly pushed back at recent broadcaster efforts to share more of on-course conversations and have defied requests for on-course interviews.

Just last week at the WGC Dell Match Play, Jon Rahm told writers it was a privacy issue.

When asked for comment, the PGA Tour deferred all questions to their network partners. However, GeoffShackelford.com obtained the email sent to players by Commissioner Jay Monahan: 

Contain Your Excitement! The Comcast Business Tour Top 10

What will be more interesting about the Wyndham Rewards replacement: the top 10 battle heading to the Wyndham Championship or watching Viacom’s CBS promote a Comcast sponsorship during their final three non-playoff telecasts?

Ok dumb question. Of course it’s the latter.

Maybe. For Immediate Release and please, contain your excitement at this $10 million bonus pool that failed to capture player or fan attention before.

Comcast Business Sponsors TOUR TOP 10

“Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10” highlights FedExCup Regular Season performance on the PGA TOUR

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – The PGA TOUR announced today that Comcast Business signed a multi-year deal to sponsor the Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10 starting with the current 2020-21 PGA TOUR Season.

The Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10 emphasizes player performance by rewarding the top players in the FedExCup standings at the end of the FedExCup Regular Season. The current ‘super season’ schedule, which features 50 official FedExCup tournaments, the most in a season since 1975 (51), promises to deliver an incredibly compelling finish.

“We appreciate the support of Comcast Business in highlighting the PGA TOUR’s top 10 performers from the FedExCup Regular Season and recognizing the hard work players put into every PGA TOUR season to play their best,” said Andy Pazder, PGA TOUR Chief Tournaments and Competitions Officer. “Navigating the FedExCup Regular Season is extremely challenging as players get into the best position possible for the FedExCup Playoffs. Our ‘super season’ of 50 events features more FedExCup points than ever before, which raises the importance of every event and every shot. Finishing within the Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10 means you were able to rise to the top as a result of exceptional performance throughout the Regular Season.”

Wait, so the whole season is the Super Season? I’m so confused.

Finishing among the top 10 entering the FedExCup Playoffs is an important goal for players looking to position themselves for a run at the coveted FedExCup. At the end of the FedExCup Regular Season, as part of the Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10, a $10 million bonus is shared among the top 10 finishers in the FedExCup standings.

“We could not be more excited to partner with the PGA TOUR to sponsor the new Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10,” said Bill Stemper, President, Comcast Business. “Our shared commitment to delivering premier experiences and enabling the highest levels of performance make this partnership a natural fit. We look forward to the continued growth of the Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10 and to an exciting finish to this year’s FedExCup Regular Season. Best of luck to all the players!”

The inaugural Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10 will be determined at the conclusion of the 2021 Wyndham Championship, the final event of the FedExCup Regular Season prior to the kickoff of the FedExCup Playoffs at THE NORTHERN TRUST. The leader in FedExCup points through the Wyndham Championship will earn the top spot in the Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10 in addition to a $2 million prize, followed by $1.5 million for the runner-up with the 10th-place finisher earning $500,000.

“Comcast Business is proud to kick off this exciting, strategic partnership with the PGA TOUR and to recognize the incredible accomplishments of this year’s FedExCup Regular Season winners,” said Eileen Diskin, CMO, Comcast Business. “We value being part of the PGA TOUR and our ability to help spotlight the best players in the game. This partnership provides us with the most distinguished golf platform to engage, support and influence our customers and prospects.”    

Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10 updates will be integrated into NBC Sports’ PGA TOUR tournament coverage on GOLF Channel and NBC, as well as studio coverage on Golf Today and Golf Central Presented by Callaway Golf on GOLF Channel in the buildup to the final event of the FedExCup Regular Season.

“As a foundational media partner of the PGA TOUR and a part of the Comcast family, we’re thrilled to amplify the Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10 on NBC and GOLF Channel throughout the FedExCup Regular Season, emphasizing season-long performances by the world’s top golfers each week as they battle for position in the FedExCup Playoffs,” said Tom Knapp, executive vice president, partnerships and programming, NBC Sports.

Uh yeah, right Tom.

"Historic Milestone Unfolds": Jay Monahan Attends First European Tour Board Meeting

Begin the countdown clock to the end of the European Tour…I mean, revel in the historic milestone that unfolded as the European Tour welcomed PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan to his first European Tour board meeting.

For Immediate Release and Consternation in Europe:

An historic milestone in the evolution of the Strategic Alliance between the European Tour and the PGA TOUR unfolded today when PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan attended his first European Tour Board Meeting.

Commissioner Monahan’s position on the Board came as part of the partnership – announced last November – which saw the PGA TOUR acquire a minority investment stake in European Tour Productions (ETP), the European Tour’s Media Production company, which produces and distributes content internationally.

David Williams, Chair of the European Tour, welcomed Commissioner Monahan to the virtual meeting from the PGA TOUR’s Florida base, where he is currently involved in a series of meetings with European Tour CEO Keith Pelley.

“I am delighted to welcome Jay Monahan, representing the PGA TOUR, to the Board of the PGA European Tour at this important and historic time for the Tour and for golf development worldwide,” he said. “This illustrates how closely we are aligned now and how closely we will be aligned moving forwards.”

Jay Monahan said: “When we announced the Strategic Alliance last year, I said I was looking forward to working even more closely with the European Tour for the benefit of the men’s professional game and for golf fans around the world. Today was an important step in that journey.”

Veering dangerously to Lepetomane territory with these quotes. And the capitalization…

The Strategic Alliance will see golf’s two major Tours explore all facets of collaboration, working together on strategic commercial opportunities including collaborating on global media rights, as well as in areas such as global scheduling, content, prize funds and playing opportunities for the respective memberships.

Because nothing gets the fan more excited than hearing about playing opportunities.                                                                

The NFL's New Deal And Ramifications For Golf

With the NFL having secured $100 billion and change over the next decade from its major media conglomerate partners, the PGA Tour knows who is boss. Especially on Sundays.

But golf’s cable and linear-TV heavy audience got great news: the rush to streaming may slow down a bit. And that’s fine for a viewing audience that still values large screen viewing, easy channel flipping and only paying once for the “product”.

While the NFL has out clauses if the “platforms” change, the parties agreed to let people to watch wherever they like.

You like streaming? You’ll be able to watch on your preferred app. Enjoy no crashes and easy channel flipping? You’re good.

This is welcome news for those who prefer something that works versus the latest thing that needs work. As Kevin Draper wrote for the New York Times, the NFL has solidified “linear” television’s place for another decade:

Streaming is the present of movies and TV series and the future of sports, and growth in that sector is what is currently rewarded by Wall Street. But the number of people who pay to stream sports, and the amounts they pay, are dwarfed by the tens of millions of American households that still spend $50, $100 or even $150 each month for a television package.

The agreements cement the N.F.L.’s status as the richest sports league in the world and once again demonstrate that its programming is the keystone that keeps the crumbling traditional television ecosystem from falling apart completely.

The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch saw the deal as a victory for streaming with increased “inventory” but—and there’s always a but—say goodbye to low rates:

Let’s start with the bottom line for you as a fan: If you want to watch every NFL game, it’s going to cost you additional money. That’s the reality of the NFL extending its game inventory to streaming properties. The league attempted to navigate the new digital landscape by providing game inventory for its traditional over-the-air partners (CBS, NBC and Fox), extending inventory for its longtime cable partner (ESPN), and opening up a new landscape in the streaming space.

So if you are going all in on cord-cutting to watch golf, expect similar inventory expansion under the next TV deal. But also expect to pay more that the current prices for Peacock, Disney+, ESPN+ and Paramount+.

A bigger headache for the Tour: scheduling. All signs point to the NFL cutting into the PGA Tour’s west coast swing. That’s depressing news as we come off another strong west coast and Florida swing. This is the PGA Tour’s meat and potatoes. I mean, Super Season.

Peter King has reported on a likely move to 17-games in 2021 and certainly by the start of the new deal. The expansion translates to at least another week in the NFL season and a February 13th, 2022 Super Bowl in Los Angeles.

• The league calendar gets pushed back one week, with a likely Feb. 13 Super Bowl in Los Angeles. No extra bye—17 games in 18 weekends. Super Bowl LVI, originally scheduled for Feb. 6, 2022 and airing on NBC, has not been officially moved yet. The league hasn’t said a word about moving the game to officials in Los Angeles. But the NFL won’t start the season on the ratings-quashing Labor Day Weekend, and the league doesn’t want to add an extra regular-season bye week. So that adds up to Feb. 13, which would be the latest Super Bowl in history.

Unresolved is the possibility of another bye week and an even later Super Bowl. Also, another clause opens up the possibility of an 18-game schedule at some point in the deal, almost assuredly turning all but on February Sunday over to the NFL.

The PGA Tour has been unwilling to move off of playoff Sundays with Hawaii’s final rounds or NFC/AFC Championship Sunday during the American Express. The events lure minuscule audiences. Saturday or Monday finishes seem obvious but have been resisted. And now that dilemma may expand by several key weeks during some of the season’s highest rated telecasts.

As for how all of this works for the networks, NBC Universal’s Mark Lazarus summed up one network perspective.

In an email to the NBC “Team” about the NFL deal, he writes:

This deal also exemplifies one of the ways that the strength and breadth of our portfolio gives us a distinct advantage over our competitors. In the short time we’ve existed as a unified group, we have already seen the collective power of our brands when we function as a unit. Individually, each of our networks and platforms may have fierce competition in the marketplace, but together, our combined portfolio provides a value proposition to creators, partners and audiences that is unparalleled.    

NBC and Telemundo are powerful engines that reach mass audiences giving us broad scale that we can leverage; our cable networks have fandom like no other, providing passionate and engaged audiences; and Peacock is the home of curated live and on-demand content giving us access to new audiences that have adapted to streaming. As we work together to tap into the strengths of each element of our portfolio, we’re creating what we like to call an “infinity loop” that cycles viewers through our ecosystem, driving audiences from one platform to the next and building viewership across them all.

I’m old enough to remember the days when they said all of this in one word: synergy.