Ogilvy Getting Into Politics, PGA Tour Style

Doug Ferguson's weekly AP notes include items on Bill Clinton getting the best political advice he's ever gotten from Tom Watson, a note on the retirement of Augusta National's Jim Armstrong and this insider item on Geoff Ogilvy's nomination to be a chairman of the Players Advisory Council. If elected he'd be elevated to the Policy Board.

The election would be historic because no international player has ever been on the policy board, even though one-third of the players are not U.S.-born.

“It would be interesting to be on the board. This is an interesting time for the tour,” Ogilvy said. “I’m not inclined that way, but I am interest in the operations of the tour.”

The former U.S. Open champion, who also has three World Golf Championships to his credit, is not about to campaign for votes.

He’s not even sure what players want in a chairman and future board member.

“I would have said at least 50 percent of the players don’t mind who the board members are and really don’t care about the operating of events. As long as they get $6 million to play for 30 times a year, they’re happy _ and they like the way the courses are set up. That’s pretty much the interest of half the tour. They don’t go much further than that. They vote for their friends, I would think. That’s how politics work in general, isn’t it?”

Comments

[Bobby D]

"As long as they get $6 million to play for 30 times a year, they’re happy _ "

Couldn't have said it better myself...Ogilvy for Commish!

[Adam Clayman]

Geoff, Suggest to Geoff, taking a page from the film "Lincoln". F2F is the best way to ask for a vote.

[Amen Coroner]

Geoff Ogilvy seems like an obvious choice. I wish Phil would run. Could FIGJAM win an election among his peers right now?

[Ghillie]

To me, the most interesting snippet in DOug Ferguson's article was this:" This will be the final year the U.S. team for the Presidents Cup is decided by PGA Tour earnings. The 2015 team will be determined by FedEx Cup points. …"

Will that make any difference?

And it looks as if the Tour has decided the FedEx Cup is here to stay.

[DTF]

I wonder why Ogilvy would want to be on that board? Current player directors are Stricker, Goydos, Frazar and Furyk. Davis Love is the most recent director to depart, and Zach Johnson before him.

With the possible exception of Goydos that's about as plain vanilla a group as you could cull from the PGA Tour ranks and relative to Finchem I don't feel like it would be a stretch to describe them all as compliant, and frankly, butt buddies (with Finchem).

Is Geoff Ogilvy cut from that same cloth? I was under the impression he isn't....