Golf World's Top 100 Newsmakers of 2005

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Lots of year end review stories to pass on because Golf World's comprehensive look is the best. Some of their top 100 "newsmakers" can now be viewed online.

This will take you to the top 10 as well as links to slots 11-15, 16-20 and 21-25. 

I'm not sure about the Presidents Cup making the top 5 (landing ahead of breakout stars Jason Gore and Paula Creamer), or the "streaks" listing at No. 9 (citing Dana Quigley's Champions Tour streak of events played!?). But the rest seem like solid choices and the write ups are good.

Tim Finchem will want to frame his recognition, as penned by John Hawkins:

Fifty years from now, the PGA Tour's 2007 schedule realignment might be considered a structural benchmark in the history of pro golf.

Or, maybe in fifty years few will remember Tim Finchem and his impactful schedule realignments.  

This was the year Finchem addressed several of the tour's most relevant issues: mediocre television ratings, a 10-month season and the glaring shortage of significant tournaments at the end of every long campaign.

Well, let's get those deals inked first before we nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize, or proclaim that the numbers are going up. Maybe if the actual, uh, product (Lord, please forgive me) becomes more interesting to watch by playing faster and hitting something besides a wedge into a long par-4.

For the avid golf fan, there is no downside to the schedule revision.

Tell that to the people in Chicago, Westchester, Milwaukee, upstate New York and other locations where events are moving off of longtime dates, or becoming second-tier events at best.

Tiger Money

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From Doug Ferguson's notes column:

 STAT OF THE WEEK: Tiger Woods would have finished at No. 8 on the PGA Tour money list based on his earnings from the four major championships. 

And at this pace, next year the majors will be the only...ah you know where I'm going with that. 

Hey, but a power game with stars only playing select events worked so well for tennis.

Golf Magazine Sets Multimedia Push

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Thanks to reader Kevin for the heads up on this WSJ story (subscription req.) about Golf Magazine's attempts to diversify.

Basically, they've generated $163.9 million in ad revenue for the first 11 months of the year according to Publishers Information Bureau, but ad pages are off 11.7% while the rest of the industry is down 0.4%. So they are coming up with a $250,000 contest culminating in in two one-hour shows where advertisers will get to push their stuff on TV too. You know, a reverse cross-pollination of synchronized multi-pushbacked brand repurposing initiative.

But here's the interesting part, courtesy of TNS Media Intelligence:

Golf Magazine's top five advertisers of 2005, in millions

Callaway Golf: $8.62

Fortune Brands: $6.11

Honda Motor: $4.0

Nissan Motor: $3.93

Adidas-Salomen: $3.85 
 

More On Tiger's Break

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Doug Ferguson writes:

Tiger Woods is so serious about wanting a shorter season on the PGA Tour that he is skipping the season-opening Mercedes Championships at Kapalua next month.

Uh...eh, but if he wanted a shorter season wouldn't he skip playing in...oh forget it.

Ferguson goes on break down the likely Mercedes Championship field. It's not pretty. 

R&A Hires Phillips

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Colin Phillips, the Tom Meeks of the southern hemisphere, was hired by the R&A to be their new head of something having to do with Australia and Asian golf. Phillips recently retired from the Australian Golf Union after masterminding yet another Australian Open setup boondoggle. You may recall that Phillips and good buddy Wayne Grady recently exchanged loving words, as Mike Clayton wrote in this Golfobserver column.

Clayton on "Championship" Issues

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Mike Clayton, writing for The Age (thanks to reader Graeme):

In Australia, we have nearly always played our best events on our best courses, but in America and Europe, commercial considerations usually win out over the quality of the golf course.

How dare he! Of course, it's true.  And my favorite line:

Rough is a curse that clever design should be able to do without and we should take no notice of what we see from America on our televisions. It is moronic and one-dimensional to think the game is better when it is played from long green grass.