To PGA Tour - Some More Opportunities, PLEASE!

[Frank-0-Sport]

Greetings ....

This week (August 4-7) while the big names play at the WGC-Bridgestone tournament, the rest of the tour will tee it up at the "opposite" event, the Reno-Tahoe Open. The purse is only $3.0 million ($540,000 for 1st), the smallest on Tour - in my view it should be at least $3.6 million ($648,000-1st), matching that for some of the other "opposite" events.

The field size is only 132 players, compared to the summertime norm of 156. I can't say exactly why this is. Perhaps the PGA Tour believes that with so many Regular Member players teeing it up at Firestone, there perhaps wouldn't be enough available players to fill a roster of 156. The field size of 132 is also in force at three other "opposite" events - the Viking Mississippi Classic (British Open week), Puerto Rico (Cadillac-Doral Week) and Mayakoba (Accenture Match Play week).

The Viking Classic is like Reno-Tahoe a summertime event, while Mayakoba and Puerto Rico are springtime events. Summertime events normally have 156 player fields, while springtime events normally have 144. What I am saying here? Just this - you can add 12 more very deserving players to the Mayakoba and Puerto Rico fields, and you can add 24 more very deserving players to the Viking and Reno-Tahoe fields. Those extra 12 or 24 can all come from the current Nationwide Tour, which would include any from the last Q-School who didn't qualify for the PGA Tour. I'm certain those guys would love such an opportunity!

Another opportunity for players looking to either retain or earn their PGA Tour cards should be granted by having a Fall Series event in the open week of the Fed Ex Cup Playoffs.

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Sport

[Chilli Dipper]

The Nationwide Tour still holds tournaments during alternate-field weeks. Increasing the field at the alternate events would take away players from Nationwide events, which would both make that tour's sponsors upset and rob those players of an opportunity to earn money towards securing one of the 25 PGA Tour cards at season's end.

[Frank-0-Sport]

Greetings ...

Good point, Chilli Dipper.

Taking what you say into consideration, perhaps the PGA Tour could do some careful scheduling that allows for at least two (if not more) open Nationwide Tour weeks on those occasions where two PGA Tour events (like Bridgestone and Reno-Tahoe) are being held simultaneously. Also, if the scheduling allowed for it, the Tour could fill the open week in the Fed Ex Cups play-offs with a Fall Series tour stop and give the Nationwide Tour a week off there.

Thanx-A-Lot for pointing that out, Frank-0-Sport

[Chilli Dipper]

I'd rather see alternate-field events be done away with entirely, but that's not going to happen. They exist because there are relatively few entries available to PGA Tour members at the WGCs and the Open Championship, and those tournaments are so closely-scheduled (two weeks between the Match Play and Doral, three weeks between the Open and Firestone) that low-priority tour members would otherwise have large gaps between playing opportunities to earn money and hopefully retain their cards for the next season. In reality, there aren't enough golfers with PGA Tour status to fill a 156-man field if the top 50 or so are playing in a exclusive event, and it would cheapen the quality of the alternate-field tournaments (which are bottom-tier events in the first place) to fill the field with a significant number of players with no tour status at all.

[Frank-0-Sport]

Greetings ....

Thought --- On those occasions when a Nationwide Tour event is scheduled the same week as a PGA Tour opposite or Fall Series event, then add only six extra players to the PGA Tour event's field for a total of 138. Those six could be ....

»» Two additional Sponsor Invitations, specificly taken from those among current Nationwide Tour Top 25 and Q-School Top 25+.players.

»» Four additional Open Qualifiers.

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Sport

[Shorty]

Quote:

Originally Pos The purse is only $3.0 million ($540,000 for 1st), the smallest on Tour - in my view it should be at least $3.6 million ($648,000-1st), matching that for some of the other "opposite" events.

Then send them  $600,000.

[darkhunter139]

I really don't think we need to worry about these guys getting paid more money.  I am sure that most of them are doing okay for themselves.

[ThominOH]

Good thread..  I want to toss in my 2 cents if I can..

I grew up here in the Akron area, and always loved "TWSoG" at Firestone, but in recent years I don't care for the direction it has taken, nor do a lot of others in the local area..  The Firestone event has grown in size, and has now become a guarantee bonus money event for the elite.. (no cut).. Back in the 70's and 80's it was no biggy that there was other events at the same time, because Firestone's field wasn't all that big..   I can see now it has become a problem as it has encroached on to the toes of other events..  Should Firestone become "the main event" for that PGA ?  IMO they need to think of either doing exactly that and cancelling the Tahoe event.. (which would be a huge let down to the local charities out west), or cut back the Firestone field to that of what is used to be  (which would give Tahoe more golfers and a stronger field to promote)..

Right now you have a tug of war between Firestone vs Tahoe..   Personally I think these WCG events was a bad move.. but that is just me..

[Frank-0-Sport]

Greetings ....

What's bad about the WGC -AND- Fed EX Cup play-off tournaments is that they are the exact same ones each year (Barclays and BMW are staged on different venues, but each is still the same event). No other PGA Tour events share in the WGC or Fed Ex Cup experience. That means events like Bay Hill (Palmer), Pebble Beach, the Memorial, Quail Hollow, Byron Nelson, as well as events like Tampa Bay (Transitions), Heritage, Texas, San Diego, Memphis, John Deere, and so on.

Hope the PGA Tour doesn't start losing events like the LPGA has.

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Sport

[jamo]

Greetings ....

What's bad about the WGC -AND- Fed EX Cup play-off tournaments is that they are the exact same ones each year (Barclays and BMW are staged on different venues, but each is still the same event). No other PGA Tour events share in the WGC or Fed Ex Cup experience. That means events like Bay Hill (Palmer), Pebble Beach, the Memorial, Quail Hollow, Byron Nelson, as well as events like Tampa Bay (Transitions), Heritage, Texas, San Diego, Memphis, John Deere, and so on.

Hope the PGA Tour doesn't start losing events like the LPGA has.

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Sport

I think the reason for that is partly scheduling. For obvious reasons that FedExCup has to be played at the end of the season, which is the best time to play events in Boston, New York/ New Jersey, and Chicago. East Lake being the obvious exception. The Tour likes to keep the Florida and West Coast swings together, and (i've never lived in Florida but I imagine) it's pretty darn hot in the south in late August. For the WGC, I think scheduling comes in a bit there as well. The WGC events like to play up their strong fields, but it they started mixing up when and where the evens are played, you might run into some issues, like with the Players this year.

[deasy55]

The WGCs aren't PGA Tour events that they can swap around as they please. They are WGCs, as in WORLD Golf Championships. Why don't they play Bay Hill as the British Open next year instead

[Frank-0-Sport]

Greetings ...

With the full understanding that rotation of tour stops for the WGC events or Fed Ex Cup playoffs is not a likely prospect, then how about selecting four to six events a year and have the Fed Ex Cup Points they offer be the same as is offered at the WGC Events. At least you'd be giving such events a little extra notoriety, plus it might attract a few top names who normally would not play in such events.

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Sport