Who Cares About the Champions Tour?

[StuM]

I have not watched much of the CT and have a question for those that may watch it more.  Yesterday watching Phil play the course appeared to have fairly wide open fairways.  I'd have to look closer at the course to confirm if this this impression is correct.  My question is, are the courses on the CT generally more open than on the PGA Tour or is it just this course?

 

[burr]

10 minutes ago, Onin2 said:

Kenny Perry is a great golfer and a very nice person, but I can not watch him swing. It gets in my head...no....look away. 

He definitely shows there is more than one way to swing a hammer.  And he can hammer the ball.

[Double Mocha Man]

8 minutes ago, Archie Bunker said:

It used to be called the SENIOR TOUR. Changed it to "Champions" to try to make it more exciting sounding to the public. But a lot of these guys playing aren't "champions", and I've followed golf since the 60's. In fact, some of these guys I've never heard of before. I voted no, but I will tune in if I'm in the mood for watching some golf scenery and nothing else is on. Hogan quit when he could no longer compete and I doubt if he'd be playing the "Champions Tour" if it existed back then.

I still want to see if Tiger will play on the Champions Tour.  Or will he just hang up his competitive spikes?

4 minutes ago, StuM said:

I have not watched much of the CT and have a question for those that may watch it more.  Yesterday watching Phil play the course appeared to have fairly wide open fairways.  I'd have to look closer at the course to confirm if this this impression is correct.  My question is, are the courses on the CT generally more open than on the PGA Tour or is it just this course?

 

Well, they are shorter.  More open, not sure.

[burr]

Seniors play on courses that pga does not.  Still very nice top notch usually resort type courses.

 

Tigers' got a yacht to take care of when he turns 50.  And he already has to cut back for physical problems.  That full turn is a challenge when things tighten up.

And I almost forgot about jr. (CharleyWoods)

Edited August 25, 2020 by burr

[Vinsk]

I may entertain watching Phil win on the Bernhard/McCarron anchoring bonanza tour. 

[mdl]

I watch sports to watch the best in the world do something I have interest in (sports in general and golf in particular). I don't have any interest in watching old guys who aren't as much worse than they used to be than other old guys. PGA and LPGA are great. Couldn't care less about CT.

[Vespidae]

I love to watch golf. But the CT has almost no value to me. I’d rather go hit balls than watch it on TV. 

I think I there is value in the US Senior Open. But the CT? No.

[Shindig]

Okay, small evidence from today and yesterday.  I'm interested that Phil is playing and I enjoyed watching his highlights.  Especially a 61 that included a bogey on a par-5.

[TourSpoon]

23 hours ago, StuM said:

I have not watched much of the CT and have a question for those that may watch it more.  Yesterday watching Phil play the course appeared to have fairly wide open fairways.  I'd have to look closer at the course to confirm if this this impression is correct.  My question is, are the courses on the CT generally more open than on the PGA Tour or is it just this course?

 

They played Firestone a few weeks ago and that's a great track to say the least. I think the Ozark course was described as the Ozarks meet Kapalua or something to the effect to signify the wide open venue. 

Phil is bringing some excitement to the old nostalgia tour and that's what people want to see. We hardly want to watch some great 50 something, we want Freddy, Stricker, Els, Jimenez, and Phil. 

[PhilsFanDrew]

I normally don't watch it but I tuned in to watch this last tournament at Ozark's National.  Mostly because Phil was teeing it up and I was intrigued to see how he would fare.  I have to say I enjoyed the M-T-W format.  Between the PGA Tour and Euro Tour events T-F-Sat-Sun I just don't have the time or interest to follow the CT.  Pretty much the only time I watch a couple mins of CT is when Fred Couples is in one of the featured groups.  I just love watching Freddie swing a club.

[Shindig]

I said this in the other thread, but I realized this morning that I do, in fact, care about CT when Phil is playing and I'm mildly disappointed it wasn't live on TV (I didn't check if this was weather related). 

Fun fact:  pgatour.com/s takes you to the Champions Tour page but /c does not.  /h takes you to the Korn-Ferry Consulting Tour, but /k does not.  If memory serves, those two tours were initially the Senior and Hogan tours, respectively, which may explain the choice of redirection. 

[Braivo]

I enjoy watching the CT. The M-W format was great as it filled the early week golf void on TV. What Bernhard Langer has been able to do into his 60s is a great story. Sure, it's not the same as the PGA Tour, but these guys compete nonetheless. And they often visit areas that don't get regular Tour events, so it's a chance to see professional golf for thousands of fans that otherwise would not. 

[Darkfrog]

I don't care about the CT, but I would watch it if it were available on one of the streaming services I subscribe to.

[turtleback]

On 8/25/2020 at 10:46 AM, Onin2 said:

Kenny Perry is a great golfer and a very nice person, but I can not watch him swing. It gets in my head...no....look away. 

I had the good fortune to visit and play the golf course the Kenny created near Bowling Green KY for the everyday folks who could not afford to join the CC.  It was very reasonably priced and a nice course to play.

https://www.kpcountrycreek.com/

As I was finishing up and loading my car I could see a guy on the practice tee with a funky swing.  It was the man himself.  He must have been finishing up, because a little while later we went into the pro shop and there he was, sitting at a card table hanging out and chatting with a couple of his cronies.  I got to meet him and chat a bit and he was very friendly, like almost everyone we met in Western Kentucky.  I've been a fan and rooted for him ever since.

Edited August 27, 2020 by turtleback
left out word

[MaskedRacer]

I always liked the Champions tour. It was best in the 1990's with Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, Lee Trevino, etc. I think the next couple years it could really get good with a lull in middle but then come back at the end of the decade when Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood, Paul Casey, etc get close to 50 y.o.

There are way to make it better it think 

1. Needs to have World Golf Ranking points.....this is BIG one. And long overdue I think. Top players on Champions tour are very much in same league with Korn Ferry tour and PGA Euro tour

  2. Return the Warburg Cup. Today you could have players in their 40's like Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia, Tiger Woods, and Justin Rose compete now.  Phil would be in the 50's half of the USA team now.

  3. Could allow eligilbity to start in the 50th birth year..so 49 year olds can compete.  Most pros when they are 49 don't do much anyway. Exceptions being Phil, Kenny Perry, Fred Funk, and a couple others. 

4. Better online streaming coverage. 2 hour broadcasts on golf channel alone don't cut it.

[MaskedRacer]

On ‎8‎/‎27‎/‎2020 at 2:34 PM, Braivo said:

I enjoy watching the CT. The M-W format was great as it filled the early week golf void on TV. What Bernhard Langer has been able to do into his 60s is a great story. Sure, it's not the same as the PGA Tour, but these guys compete nonetheless. And they often visit areas that don't get regular Tour events, so it's a chance to see professional golf for thousands of fans that otherwise would not. 

Good point. Additional things I think the tour should do

4. I think the M-T-W format is something the CT should do more for their 54 hole events. 

5. Bring back the combined Pga Tour/Champions tour Tournament of Champions in January.

6. More bids to compete in PGA tour events for winning specific champions tour events. 

--There is a lot of creativity that can be done in Pro golf..the CT is a great place to do this.