Do PGA Tour Brass Even Care About Opening Week?
/Of course not. Why should they?
It's only in Napa, home to some of the world's best winemakers and mosty dreamy October days. But when the golf season never ends, even the 7-Series set from Ponte Vedra has to put down their leather folios, power down their Blackberry's, un-roll their Oxford sleeves and give the expense tab a break.
Still, to pick the opening event on the 2015-16 PGA Tour schedule to go incognito was bizarre, especially as a title sponsor exits and a new one enters.
While every sport celebrates their opening day(s) with some fanfare, the PGA Tour treated the Frys.com as just another fall event despite the tempting wine options.
AP's Doug Ferguson noted the oddball no-show from the @pgatourhq.com set.
Announcement of new title sponsor. Opening event on PGA Tour season. And haven't seen anyone here all week from PGA Tour HQ.
— Doug Ferguson (@dougferguson405) October 18, 2015
It's a shame the tour couldn't muster much passion for the new season even though most of us share the same view that it's too soon to start a new year. But the Frys.com Open folks wanted to make this a great kickoff and Johnny Miller/Silverado/Safeway hope to do the same for the next five years.
Still, the fans just aren't watching as the first two days of ratings show. Even with Friday east coast primetime coverage, the live PGA Tour just barely beat Champions Tour coverage in non-prime time hours despite solid production values and a decent field. The fans are just not that interested in the PGA Tour this time of year, no matter how many FedExCup points are at stake.
The numbers for Frys.com Open Thursday:
0.0 193,000 viewer average over 3:02
The numbers for Friday:
PGA Tour 0.0 185,000 viewer average over 3:20 (east coast primetime)
Champions Tour 0.0 164,000 viewer average over 3:02