Anyone following the PGA Tour knows that 2007 will bring significant changes to the season’s schedule. A shorter season, playoffs, and what is being called “The Quest for the Card” are all a around the corner. The man steering the ship into new waters is PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem.
Born on April 19, 1947 in Ottawa, Illinois, Finchem grew up enjoying golf. In a 2003 Golf Digest interview, Finchem recalls what cured him of his golf course temper tantrums. When golfing with his dad at age 15, he hit a 5-iron thin on a par-3 and started cussing the second the ball left the clubface. He was still cussing when as it flew over the pond, kicked onto the green, and rolled into the cup. “I shut up immediately,” said Finchem, “And looked over at my dad. The look he gave me was not one of congratulation. I was tremendously embarrassed and never lost my temper again.”
After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Richmond and then the University of Virginia Law School he practiced law for three years. He went on to serve in the White House as Deputy Advisor to the President in the Office of Economic Affairs in 1978 and 1979. After his White House job he co-founded the National Marketing and Strategies Group. Finchem joined the PGA Tour staff as Vice President of Business Affairs in 1987. Having taken the helm of the PGA Tour on June 1, 1994, Finchem has overseen some important years in professional golf.
The First Tee program has been one of Finchem’s favorite projects. First Tee strives to involve young people in the game of golf by including them in instructional programs. It is great to have a commissioner that has put so much effort into golf for kids as this will ensure an ongoing appreciation of the game.
A great deal of the Tour’s success under Finchem can be credited to being in the right place at the right time. The paths of newly appointed Commissioner Tim Finchem and a certain Tiger Woods happened to meet in 1996 and Finchem cashed in. I don’t mean to minimize the accomplishment of other touring professionals nor would I take away from Finchem’s work, but the “Tiger effect” took the Tour further than any one man could take it. History will be kind to Finchem as a result. Participation and interest in golf went through the roof as Woods joined the Tour. He is a commissioner’s dream come true.
Navigating the mine field of leadership is a daunting task for anyone. One of the gripes some viewers have had is the amount of colorful language heard televised on Tour events. When Couples, Vijay, and Woods drop an “F” bomb on national television Finchem squirms. So far there hasn’t been much of an uproar. John Daly’s use of colorful language can’t be compared to Janet Jackson’s theatrics at the Super Bowl. At least the FCC doesn’t think so. But I digress.
If Finchem thought his job was to keep everyone happy he would have quit a long time ago. His task has been to sustain and grow the PGA Tour by using name recognition to expand audiences of PGA Tour events and PGA television. A wider television audience means more advertising which translates into increased revenues.
At a press conference on November 2nd Tim Finchem outlined several significant changes that will come to the Tour. In late October we reported that 2007 would bring a new PGA Tour and Erik Barzeski blogged Finchem’s press conference just a few days later. A shorter season leading up to a late-season playoff is the first proposal. The FedEx Cup would be the culmination of the previous week’s playoff series. Finally, players trying to qualify for next season’s Cards would participate in “The Quest for the Card.” Pretty basic.
I have a couple of observations about Finchem’s proposed Tour schedule. First of all, there are many questions left unanswered in the wake of his recent press conference. How the points system culminating in the FedEx Cup works is anyone’s guess. What happens when a no-name wins against Tiger, Vijay, Retief, Mickelson (should he play in September), and Els at the FedEx Cup? They’ll get the trophy, the $10 million first prize, and some serious bragging rights. Remember Todd Hamilton at the British Open? Yes? He did well. Remember him this year? No? Me neither. I’ll conceded that Finchem and his PGA Tour minions have something up their sleeve, or will by the time the 2007 season rolls around, but we have yet to find out what that will be.
The playoffs and FedEx Cup will give PGA Tour fans a bigger event to look forward to at the end of the year. If the rumors are true and $10 million is the prize awaiting the one who comes out on top this event clearly could be worth watching. While there is no way to match the tradition surrounding The Masters, The British Open, The U.S. Open, and The PGA Championships, the FedEx Cup could become a significant event.
The majors are not going anywhere. There is so much history and hype surrounding the majors that Finchem won’t touch them. If anything, the changes will give the majors more weight as they tend to get watered down a bit with a PGA Tour season that often feels like it never ends.
I like the fact that we’ll get to watch the pros hovering around 125th on the money list fight it out in “The Quest for the Card.” This is going to give September through November more weight and punch. By the time the PGA Championship is over most fan excitement is spent and the Tour season just sputters to a close prior to the Tour Championship. Marketing “The Quest for the Card” will be much easier than marketing minor events intended to help people we’ve never heard about keep playing golf on the PGA Tour.
A shorter season is going to be good for the PGA Tour. As much as I love to follow the Tour from January ’til November, the Tour will benefit by having a three month break. It’ll reward players who retain their Tour Cards with a much needed break and give others the opportunity to play again the following year.
The years Finchem presides over the PGA Tour have given him the chance to make an impression on one of the world’s greatest sports. His years as Commissioner have been good ones, easy in some respects, as golf has enjoyed a resurgence in the last several years. with the Tour’s proposed changes, Tim Finchem has the opportunity to do his part.
Photo Credits: © Gregory Smith/AP.
Jeff: The modified schedule you speak of in this November 2005 article will go a long way to saving golf on television and general interest in TV golf on the part of the average golfer (viewer). I’ve played golf for over 50 years and used to stay glued to the TV for(at least) the more popular tournaments. NO MORE! I’m golfed out by the “endless” commercials and the back and forth movement to play. Yes, it’s clear that commercials pay the bills but at the serious risk of quality viewing. My position is that Finchem has to modify the schedule for the reasons you mention but also so that TV viewer interest is maintained and his ability to negotiate big purses. Frankly, Finchem is on a slippery slope and the negotiations and trimmings for the contract years starting in 2007 could make or break the public interest in golf –ratings are everything and low ratings could badly damage the entertainment aspect and related moneys it offers.
No doubt, this is a crucial period of time for TV golf. Finchem and the PGA is in a bind when they lose people like ABC as carriers of tournament coverage.
I’d like to see some creativity from golf broadcasters. By all accounts “The Golf Channel” is underwhelminig and we don’t have convincing commentators much of the time.
I’m hoping the latest developments will light a fire under tour officials to do something positive about it.
I want to send Tim Finchem an email to discuss the switch next year to the Golf Channel for the tour early rounds. This has proved to be a disaster for the champions tour, what with canned taped shows and terrible commentators. Can you provide his email address? thanks
I also want to send Tim Finchem an email to discuss the switch to the Golf Channel. I thought I was going to be able to see Saturday and Sunday rounds on ABC or ESPN. As it stands I will not get to see any rounds because this past week in Hawaii it was all on the Golf Channel which I don’t get unless I pay more and switch to digital TV. I loved to watch the Senior Tour events but saw nothing but the majors last year. I am dumbfounded as to what Tim Finchem is thinking if he continures to want to get viewers.
I think TGC is going to offer quality coverage. But yeah, exclusive rights to TGC was a bonehead move if attracting casual fans is a worthy objective. 15 years is a long time and I can’t see TGC becoming as common as NBC, ABC, USA, or CBS.
I hope that the move to complete and early round coverage to The Golf Channel turns out to be a diaster. If The Golf Channel was part of any carriers standard package it would be one thing, but to have to pay an extra monthly charge to see mostly worthless programming just to see televised golf is stupid. I urge everyone that sees this to not subscribe to The Golf Channel. It is not worth what they charge and doing so only encourages this “pay per view” mentality.
Tim Finchem needs to smile. He seems miserable and grumpy when interviewed on TV. He needs to be reminded he is in the entertainment industry. As the ambassador of golf he should show some enthusiasm or else step aside. He looks like a worn-out corporate executive that needs to retire.