Finchem Loves Rory's Image And Juxtaposition Capabilities

Bernie McGuire quotes Commissioner Crawley at length talking about Rory McIlroy and you can just see the dollar signs in his eyes as the PGA Tour's big bonus giver speaks.

Because after all, he and his VP's need cash to pay the rules staff.

"Last year, the PGA Tour had an incredibly strong year," said Finchem. "It was as if everything just came together and the fact that Rory advanced a couple of levels in his career and continued demonstrating he's got the capability to this juxtaposition that he can mix it with the better players like Tiger was the key factor in helping the PGA Tour have the great season we had.When a guy takes on the mantle, or identity level, Rory's taken on, it has a ripple effect heading into the future."

Forgive me, but I think that's a fancy way of saying: he's now a legitimate world No. 1 and we are going milk him for every penny we can.

"As an individual, Rory stirs the imagination of people and the amazing thing is that he's like Tiger in a sense in that we saw in the [FedEx Cup] Play-offs, he clearly did not play well as he had on the Saturday, but he can absorb a bad round and bounce back and win. Not many players can do that.

Uh, pssst...Lord Tim, Rory didn't win the FedExCup. He should have but well, you reset the points twice on him!

"From an image standpoint, I like the way Rory handles himself off the golf course," said Finchem. "I notice also when he is asked questions by the media that he is clearly focused on who's listening.

I'm going to give Tim the benefit there and assume he said "focused on who's talking." I hope that's what he said.

"He's complimentary; he's polite and when he speaks there is always a message in there that has real impact. He's smart. Very smart.

Rory's messaging is impactful! He activates and energizes his core audience!

Comments

[KLG]

What in God's name is Tim Finchem's native language?

[greg c]

For a person in such a position of ultimate power (commissioner) Tim sure is naive. He also loved the way Tiger handled himself off the course, until the whole bangin tons of ho's thing came out.

[digsouth]

going down.

[digsouth]

per DTF's investigative stuff, that is.

The numbers are not within allowable guidelines, unless of course, the table has an underside.

[DTF]

Ror's better get himself a "foundation" started real soon ;o)

[Colin MacGillivray]

He mentions Rory and Tiger in the same sentence. Excluding majors and WGC events how many of the same PGATour events did they compete in in 2012? Arnold and Jack's and the Players and the Fedex finals- any others?
The talking point for 2013 will be those two when they compete at the same time.

[Elf]

@colin Honda, quail, players, Jack's event, all 4 play-off events + the majors & the three wgc's in the US. That's fairly substantial

[DTF]

Colin I was curious about your question so looked...Palm Beach, Quail Hollow and Memorial. Rory did not play Bay Hill.

Match Play
Palm Beach Gardens
Doral
Masters
Quail Hollow
Players
Memorial
US Open
The Open
Bridgestone
PGA
Bethpage
Boston
Crooked Stick
East Lake

That's 15 events and Tiger only played 19 so it's a pretty good hit rate. Rory did not play Bay Hill and Arnold made a stink about it, be interesting to see what happens this year with that event!

[DTF]

...and Players.

[Blackballed Vijay]

How come 'Rory should have won' the F-edUpCup but, when Vijay played won the first two events, something 'had to be done' to keep the playoffs interesting?

[digsouth]

Good point BBVJ---- there is not a perfect way to do it, and IMO, it still is not done right....close, but some more weight should be given to wins in the playoff events, instead of all the reloads. Too much math, too early.

[Charlie]

@digsouth

if Finchem wants to reset the points every week to ensure the last tournament is interesting, why have 4 weeks. just have a one week playoff and be done with it. The whole fedex cup system is messed up but is labeled a success based on ratings. if you get the top players in world to play any tournament is going to get ratings. that doesn't mean it correctly labels a season champion

if ratings are what is being used to determine fedex cup success then real quality changes to the point system will never take place.

[Ghillie]

"...if ratings are what is being used to determine fedex cup success then real quality changes to the point system will never take place."

One of the truest things ever posted in this space.

[elf]

It's not a season long competition, the end events matter more - and they want the last event to matter or it's silly, see Dubai last year, or Vijay in 08. The issue isn't the system - it's pretending it's something it's not. It's not a true play-off, and it's not a reward for a season's performance.

[Ghillie]

In what respect was Dubai "silly?" It was what the Volvo Masters always was, the top 60 (one dropout, if I recall correctly) of the European Tour in competition, won as it happens by the World #1, who also effectively if not officially won the Fed Ex. Given ET rankings, there was a pretty good competition. What's your elfin issue? It makes the US "Tour Championship" look like a monthly medal.

[Mrs. Mashie]

Does this mean that Tim Finchem and Tiger no longer have daily telephone conversations?

[Double Or Nothing Cup]

Tiger wins: Bay Hill, Memorial, AT&T
Rory wins: PGA, and two Double Or Nothing Cup playoff events

No scoreboards showing position of points during playoff events means players are playing in the dark, they never know where they stand.

Who won the Double Or Nothing Cup, I've forgotten.