Tim Finchem should be worried

[Joeyvee]

I don't think that's really the case. Frankly, both suck. Euro coverage puts you to sleep and U.S. coverage annoys.

Good example. Did anyone WATCH Harringtons double eagle? No. They showed him hit the ball then they showed what looked like a generic clip of a ball rolling in a hole and then showed him smile. It actually looked fake. i dont think it was but it looked fake.

I'll tell you what screws me up with National golf coverage. Too many damned leagues. I just dont get it. Nationwide tour, PGA. Whats a Masters and whats an open? I dont know. I just watch whats on. And if you're on the PGA tour you should be REQUIRED to play 12 or 13 or whatever tournaments there are. Just like every other professional athlete is required to be at practice and at his or her games. And you cant go down and kick ass in some rinky dink tournament either. Did Wayne Gretzky ever say "I feel like playing as well as I can in an over 30 mens beer league game next week instead of the stanley cup playoffs", or playing ONE GAME in Europe. No. Cuz it would be ufcked up. Surfing does that sometimes too and it's not right. IF youre in the top 144 or whatever STAY there. Tiger and Phil should be in every god damned sanctioned PGA tournament there is simple as that. And if you're NOT in the PGA you dont play the tournaments. Stay on the european tour and NO you cant play Augusta this year Rory. Sorry. Maybe allot 10 or 12 wildcard entries for locals or something but thats it. I dunno. Maybe it would be boring watching the same 88 guys or whatever it is battle every weekend but some continuity would help me A) Pick some favorite players and TUNE IN TO SEE THEM ($$$$$) and B) make the sport easier to follow for more people. C) MAybe God forbid start some sort of rivalries? The Tiger Phil thing got as hot as it was gonna get and it wouldn't have melted ice cubes. but if the same guys are battling for 1st then maybe. I think they caved a ltitle bit WAY back and now they just let the golfers run all over them. *RANT OVER* Sorry I tool this in such a weird direction and a lot of my post may even be wrong but I thought we weer writing an open letter to Finchem. I'm really pissed at the way the surfing tour and scoring and membership is configured too.

[Chas]

Bristolian (Acropo),
A very knowedgeable post I'm sure. Have you played Torrey btw?

But you fail to mention meteorological and other considerations affecting tour play. In Wales or England you're liable to get an inch a day if you're lucky (ask me how I know); in France, your flight may be diverted due to a sudden strike or farm vehicles may block access to the course, resulting in a missed tee time; in Ireland the course may have been closed due to bankrupcy, ditto for Spain; in Germany ..... well, you get the idea.

For these reasons alone, news of the death of the PGA tour is greatly exaggerated.

[Joeyvee]

Bristolian (Acropo),

Dont forget the volcanic clouds

[Chas]

I didn't, just picked a few things at random. But thanks for the reminder.

I mean, what's a few tornadoes and the odd firestorm by comparison?

[imtomtomim]

I love to watch both tours, but it's really easy to skip over the Euro tour. My one reason, it's not in HD! A pretty picture makes a huge difference

[Tiger Spuds]

I love to watch both tours, but it's really easy to skip over the Euro tour. My one reason, it's not in HD! A pretty picture makes a huge difference

Depends where you're watching I suppose. It's in HD here. Actually it's in 3D too.

[Acropo]

I'll tell you what screws me up with National golf coverage. Too many damned leagues. I just dont get it. Nationwide tour, PGA. Whats a Masters and whats an open? I dont know. I just watch whats on. And if you're on the PGA tour you should be REQUIRED to play 12 or 13 or whatever tournaments there are.

I could spend some time here...but no, I have work to do. Just take a weekend to read up a little and find out what the structure is.

Stay on the european tour and NO you cant play Augusta this year Rory. Sorry. Maybe allot 10 or 12 wildcard entries for locals or something but thats it. I dunno.

So - you don't want The Masters to be a Major any more? You're not interested in seeing the best in the world play each other? You'd rather it was just some hick tournament in 'good-old-boys' ville?

I'm really pissed at the way the surfing tour and scoring and membership is configured too.

Sorry, can't help you there. I try not to pontificate on things I know next-to-nothing about.

[mjtoal]

Bristolian (Acropo),

A collection of cliches and myths. The only reason the RC was in October was due to the FedEx Trough that the golfer's snouts had been in for several weeks before in a desperate attempt to bolster the post-PGA TV ratings. If Jim Furyk wins it again, they should cancel it altogether.

It does rain in the UK and Ireland, but this season gone, I have not had to put on waterproofs once this season. In France you get occasional delays due to strikes, but I have flown through O'Hare and Dulles. I know what delays are all about. I also know how bizarrely accepting the US travelling public is of being mucked around by domestic carriers. Courses getting closed in Ireland? I have never ever heard of anyone I know in Ireland (and I am from there) having a golf game cancelled due to a course being closed by bankruptcy. Few events during the proper season get rained off in Europe. Rain and lightning delays are much more common on the PGA Tour. And I have played Torrey, both courses. That is 11 hours of my life I won't get back. I much prefer Maderas.

[Bigtank]

Good thing about the Master's...it is a PGA sanctioned event, However, They are not governened by the PGA and can do what they want.

Minus Tiger most of the top players competer in roughly 25-30 tournaments. I know some of you are saying that you wish you could only work half the year, but think about it this way. How would you like to leave your family for 3,4,5 maybe 6 weeks at a time. I can tell you from personal experience, it SUCKS!

The tour has tried to push rivialries, now they are pushing the "under 30" crew with the real Tiger being MIA, Phil's family and health issues..they are looking to change the gaurd. Odly enough, I think they trying to push an America vs. the world agenda....just a thought?

[sean_miller]

How would you like to leave your family for 3,4,5 maybe 6 weeks at a time. I can tell you from personal experience, it SUCKS!

A lot of people have to do that. A lot of them aren't even millionaires. Weird huh?

I have more sympathy for the caddies than the players.

[Bigtank]

A lot of people have to do that. A lot of them aren't even millionaires. Weird huh?

99% of the public do not have to pack up and leave their families for extended periods of time (4 and 5 weeks at a time). Contrary to popular belief, not all touring pros are millionaires!

[Valleygolfer]

A lot of people have to do that. A lot of them aren't even millionaires. Weird huh?

Why have sympathy for caddies, they have a cush job. One that has a full time gig is generally working in a warm place, lots of sponsor kick backs. More than likely loves golf and gets to play at some really nice courses here and there. It is not like they are truckers living in a semi truck with any sleep. Being a pro is a dream few can attain but even if you aren't a millionaire you are still playing golf for a living, no matter how meager it is.

[sean_miller]

Why have sympathy for caddies, they have a cush job. One that has a full time gig is generally working in a warm place, lots of sponsor kick backs. More than likely loves golf and gets to play at some really nice courses here and there. It is not like they are truckers living in a semi truck with any sleep. Being a pro is a dream few can attain but even if you aren't a millionaire you are still playing golf for a living, no matter how meager it is.

Caddies don't play golf for a living. Even a trucker sleeping in his truck knows he's gonna get paid. But even so, you can add Monsieur Le Camion to my implied list of people who aren't millionaires, yet work away from home for weeks at a time, with nobody feigning sympathy for their plight.

[Chas]

mkjtoal,
Thanks for the spirited defence. I was being mostly facetious of course. I lived in Germany and England for >30 years before returning to the land of my birth so I know a bit about the weather over there and other matters - I was exaggerating to keep this thread interesting.

It does rain a lot in Wales. You will not convince me otherwise. ;)

I'm hoping to play Maderas one day myself. Guess I'll have to put up with TP and other local tracks for now.
The passport says I'm a yank, but I'm a brit at heart in many ways.
Cheers, Charles.

[shades9323]

Tiger and Phil should be in every god damned sanctioned PGA tournament there is simple as that.

That is just silly. Do you know how much those guys are worth? You do that and you say bye bye to Tiger and Phil. They don't need the tour.

[sean_miller]

Do you know how much those guys are worth?

No, how much?

[Stretch]

No, how much?

All that, and a bag of chips.

[bwdial]

The European Tour coverage is made for people who want to watch golf, not for ADHD cases who get antsy if 2 minutes doesn't pass without an insert brought to you by some corporate sponsor or a tearful piece of nostalgia about the unforgettable 1993 Greater Hartford Classic when Tim Simpson won a tense battle with Dan Pohl, complete with bagpipe music wafting over it.

Are you saying Americans - ooh, something shiny - have short - oh, that's catchy - um... what were we talking about?