How long before the PGA offers pref. Tee Times to the elite ?

[Quadhole]

Joke - Let Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose and Rickie Fowler pick their own Tee Times and playing partners.... Or let's just always give the top ranked players the choice early on Thursday after they check the weather pattern....

Not Joke - Today's 2:30 - 3:00 PM Tee Times are filled with guys TRYING to make it. Why is it they get stuck week in and week out playing so late in the day ? Or very early. Either way, they are bookended on times and have a much greater chance at catching weather vs a middle group. Even if the middle groups catch the weather, it is assured the early and late players will too at either the start or end of their rounds.

I have heard the argument of (early tee time better) I agree, as long as the greens are not moist, or does that help... All of the arguments aside, it is just a Blatant attempt at TV, marketing money vs "fair play" Let Dustin Justin deal with a late shower at 5 pm and heavy wind the next morning....

I love Golf, I also love fair and equal oppurtunity. This is not it....

[Rick Martin]

Interesting concept. Almost like the advantage tennis gives to top players by having them play qualifiers or unseeded players and/or byes.  Tougher for the low man on the totem pole to make it to the top. King of the Hill kind of thing......let the top players pick what time of day they play and with whom they're paired with. Not going to happen -

[Spitfisher]

Interesting concept. Almost like the advantage tennis gives to top players by having them play qualifiers or unseeded players and/or byes.  Tougher for the low man on the totem pole to make it to the top. King of the Hill kind of thing......let the top players pick what time of day they play and with whom they're paired with. Not going to happen -

Tennis does give better ( location) courts to the better players, you never sharapova playing on an outside court. I believe the top seeds earn that right to play closer to or in center court on seeding days and not have to play at 2:00 in the afternoon in high sun. I don't see it happening in golf, pairings are considered and decided upon sometimes by the physical location of the tourney or with help from the host/sponsor Last year wasn't there a threesome paired and they all averaged over 250 lbs...or something like that.

[Chilli Dipper]

There's a spectator element to tennis that golf doesn't have to deal with. The top seeds get prime time matches on the show courts because they're the players fans want to see. I don't see what the equivalent is for golf, besides having "marquee groups" that line up with the TV broadcast window on either of the first two days.

[dkolo]

There's a spectator element to tennis that golf doesn't have to deal with. The top seeds get prime time matches on the show courts because they're the players fans want to see. I don't see what the equivalent is for golf, besides having "marquee groups" that line up with the TV broadcast window on either of the first two days.

That ain't nothin. Keeping Tiger and Phil on the exact opposite sides of the draw for ratings is a tradition like none other.

[iacas]

They already get preferred tee times.

Tournament winners are in a different "group" than others, etc.

[kpaulhus]

Just goes to show ya, if u want to be the best you have to scrape n claw your way to the top.

[dkolo]

Just goes to show ya, if u want to be the best you have to scrape n claw your way to the top.

In fairness, it's a marginal advantage for those who get the better tee times. And they have to deal with the huge galleries and all the nonsense that goes with it. So it's probably a wash at best.

[Rick Martin]

Not sure what everyone is talking about - they flip flop on Thursdays and Fridays (early, late)...then Sat and Sun goes by position on leaderboard.  Really other than green conditions favor morning groups, what's the advantage either way?  The weather conditions are a crap shoot, except maybe in the south where we usually get pm t-storms.   Big names definitely are at a disadvantage though with crowd movement, noise, etc.

[dkolo]

Not sure what everyone is talking about - they flip flop on Thursdays and Fridays (early, late)...then Sat and Sun goes by position on leaderboard.  Really other than green conditions favor morning groups, what's the advantage either way?  The weather conditions are a crap shoot, except maybe in the south where we usually get pm t-storms.   Big names definitely are at a disadvantage though with crowd movement, noise, etc.

They don't get extremely early or extremely late tee times is the issue people have. They get what are generally considered the best morning and afternoon times.

[Aguirre]

The weather causes too much variance in golf to allow somebody to get preferred tee times both Thursday and Friday.  It's done the right way.  Let luck decide.