Question of the week [March 16-22]: Though PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp did not provide specifics, what is your opinion of the plan he proposed prior to The Players Championship?
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As mentioned, more specific details to evaluate. However, the overview so far feels positive. The player’s responses to date seem to be cautiously optimistic.
Wes Morrill
Oracle, Arizona
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I’ve only seen a few items regarding his plans. One that I find lacking is that he actually wants to add more of the so-called signature events. Apparently in an attempt to attract more top-tier players, tournaments now have to not only increase the purse (over $20,000,000) but shrink the field, often with no cut to be signature.
Obviously this increases the odds of the elites cashing in. Separately, though, shouldn’t the smaller field affect world rankings?
Other than that, I don’t know many specifics with his plans.
Vinny Mooney
Poughkeepsie, New York
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Just talk, like a politician. To be able to give an opinion, I would need to know what the specifics are.
George Shutt
Orlando, Florida
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I believe that he’s on the right track. The need for meritocracy to get even stronger is important to the PGA Tour’s credibility. The details will be necessary to determine how credible the Tour will become. How players can be promoted or relegated is very important.
Edwin J. Kozlowski
Raleigh, North Carolina
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Leaves the door wide open to stifle many communities that have been a part of the PGA Tour and their respective charitable foundations for generations.
Robert Denney
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
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I am enthusiastically and yet cautiously optimistic. From reports early in his tenure, I assumed it would just be a continuation of trash leadership at the PGA Tour. But the presser was pretty good. Still, the whole "scarcity is about making all of our events matter" word salad is utter, incoherent nonsense. So I'll sit and wait to see whether he's an improvement over Judas [Jay] Monahan.
Andrew Turnbull
Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
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This was an outline, not a plan. I believe he is on the right path, but much more detail needs to be added in order to say whether I like it or not. I definitely agree with his plan for more full-field tournaments. As to tiering of tournaments, what does this do to the Korn Ferry Tour? As you can see, a good start but so much more info needed in order to digest his plan.
Art Williams
Luzerne, Pennsylvania
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Cannot answer as I have not seen the plan.
Luke O’Brien
Foster City, California
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Too vague, which is also understandable given preliminary status. I am not a supporter of the premier player fan favorite as priority. The priority is competitive golf and increase viewership.
What I didn't hear matters.
He didn't say my goal is to display or present the most competitive golf for the fan's enjoyment. That is what an abundance of fans want. Five different paths make that happen. Personally, i think Monday-Tuesday qualifiers create excitement and competition.
He didn't say grow total viewership, which funds almost all of the system. The more visits to large markets matters in football where you need half a million people to show up across eight home games in all 32 markets. I will defer to media minds if a once-a-year Chicago market golf event improves national viewership.
Going to more big markets only matters if the product is better.
Other sports systems erroneously migrated to entertainment as priority and winning is not required. Playoff systems expose that average is a good enough system, which explains why the Tour Championship has had mixed reviews and marginal interest lot of years.
Ryder Cup has head-to-head matchups. Something to learn there.
Mike Powers
Powder Springs, Georgia
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He needs to add a plan to eliminate slow play. The PGA Tour should implement a shot clock for each player and has the resources to do so. A firm standard of one warning and then a stroke penalty without exception would be easy to implement. It would be a well received, positive change for players and fans. The result of his plans sound good.
Pat Rice
Atlanta, Georgia
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His six-point plan seems well thought out. Clearly his focus is elevating the perception of the PGA Tour and its events. Only issue was doubling the signature events to 16. That's almost all the events, as he is looking to reduce their number of stops to lower 20s. So what's left may die on the vine. Most interested in changes to the playoff format. While match play sounds exciting, if Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy get knocked out early ratings plummet. Stay tuned.
Dwight Hendrickson
Tucson, Arizona
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We need answers, but it seems risky to the entire golf business to me. The overall golf business benefits from golf on TV in January and February. Those scenes excite golfers all over the world.
Take those away and there has to be an effect. Balancing the exposure to the money available is the key. These moves may give LIV a chance. Plus, I don’t feel you will get the top 20 players in the world to play that often in a short period.
Bill House
Amesbury, Massachusetts
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Front: Brian Rolapp.
Photo: Tracy Wilcox / PGA Tour.