Pelley's First Move: No Euro Tour Sanctioning Of WGC Bridgestone

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New European Tour Chief Executive Keith Pelley is off and running at headquarters in a move somewhat expected but still refreshing to see in the swiftness of the decision/announcement: pulling European Tour sanctioning of the 2016 WGC Bridgestone because the Olympic-year edition conflicts with the Alstom Open de France (the French).

The event is one of the tour's oldest and most important, as it leads into The Open and is played at the 2018 Ryder Cup site, Le Golf National.

Here is the full release. From the text:

“The Alstom Open de France has been a staple on our Tour since 1972 and we are confident that next year’s event, with an increased prize fund alongside the current renovations to the golf course, will properly reflect the importance of the tournament alongside the 100th anniversary celebrations.”

The WGC Bridgestone moves to June 27-July 3rd in 2016 due to the Olympic Games in Rio's schedule-wreaking havoc.

Follow Up: Snapchat, The PGA Tour & Social Media's Future

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You may recall the debate over the use of social media at PGA Tour events and my view that there was a trace of hypocrisy in the tour's disdain for Periscope as it was encouraging the use of Snapchat at The Players.

Well, I watched the "Stories" compilation of fan videos posted to Snapchat today. (Once I remembered how to navigate the app's horrible interface.)

The Monday "story" posted by the tour consisting of fan videos was mostly excellent because it relied on fan footage of late final round action along with behind the scenes clips not seen on NBC's telecast. As a media member, if I had shot any of the clips showing players or shots, I'd be in violation of the agreement signed when getting my credential. A few of those violations and I'd suffer the same fate as Stephanie Wei.

So it's with great reluctance that I praise the paid "Stories" posting by the tour since it was compelling and seemingly impressive to a young fan who missed the excitement. However, the content accumulated was in direct violation of signage throughout the Players property reminding fans not to shoot video.

There was no question the piece was well done and encapsulated the special nature of the 2015 Players. But now it's gone--Snapchat contend vanishes after you watch it once--but the issue of media and fans shooting video at PGA Tour events remains a total mess.

U.S. Anti Doping CEO: Tour Drug Policy Has Loopholes

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As the world's top golfers are about to be subjected to more stringent drug testing in the lead-up to the Rio 2016 Games, Rex Hoggard takes a comprehensive look at what players will experience.

The biggest changes: "Whereabouts Testing" that requires players to inform the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency where they will be for one hour a day, seven days a week.

USADA officials say a smartphone app will allow competitors to report their locations instantly, but the penalty for a missed test can be severe – three whereabouts testing “failures” will count as a positive test.

Also of note: blood testing. The only way to test HGH, the most likely substance that would be abused.

But regarding the PGA Tour's policy to date, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's Travis Tygart suggests the tour policy has loopholes.

“If you have the obligation to not give a sanction or to stick the file in the drawer and not go forward, I’m not in any way suggesting that’s what [the Tour] have done, but the policy allows for that. Without any accountability elsewhere it’s hard to know for sure,” Tygart told GolfChannel.com.

“We’ve certainly seen other high-profile sports, cycling in the past, where in ’99 with Lance Armstrong’s corticosteroid positive, that’s exactly what the sport did. After the report that just came out detailing that sad saga it was clear they did it because it was going to be harmful to them and to the sport.

“That’s the pressure and the tension that you have going back to the fox guarding the henhouse. It’s awfully difficult and in our experience impossible to both promote and police your sport because you have this inherent duty to make the brand look good and not have any bad news out there.”

Oh not our fox!