PGA Championship Contemplating A Permanent Move To May?

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There has been increased chatter about the Players Championship moving back to March, but the various headlines working off of Rex Hoggard's story suggesting a 2020 PGA Championship move to May missed the buried lede: golf's fourth major may be considering moving from August to May. Permanently.

Check out the key quotes from PGA of America CEO Pete Bevacqua, quoted by Golf Channel's Rex Hoggard about what we already knew (the 2020 event may be played in May to avoid the Tokyo Olympic Games), and what we hadn't expected:

“We are huge proponents of the Olympics. We are all about the Olympics, but we also have to protect the PGA Championship and we can’t just bounce the PGA Championship around every four years,” Bevacqua said.

Can't bounce around.

And...

“To truly make it work, to make it succeed and to make sure golf is in the Olympics for the next century, the whole schedule needs to be adjusted,” he said.

Bevacqua may be testing the waters to see how television and fans feels about the change, but I'd guess he and new PGA Tour Commish Jay Monahan have sketched out a new schedule post-2019 that moves the Players to March, the PGA to May and the "playoffs" to a conclusion before or on Labor Day.

This would be an enormous boost to the PGA Tour's moribund playoff product where ratings stink, the format does not resonate and players seem uninspired following the PGA Championship. But put the playoffs back a few weeks after The Open, inject just a little life in the format (play-off), and suddenly a few of those issues go away.

So it would make sense for the PGA Tour to move the Players back to March, allowing the PGA Championship to move permanently to May. Except that...

The PGA of America's PGA Championship currently owns an August date when there are few other major sporting events, giving it the opportunity to regularly register the second highest rated golf telecast of the year behind the Masters.

Furthermore, as difficult as August can be agronomically, May might be even more of a headache for northern venues that experience a long winter. Places like Rochester, Long Island, Whistling Straits and Minneapolis are all very tricky to get peak conditions in May, impossible in a freak year.

So thinking of this as a trade, I'm feeling like the PGA Tour gets the better end of the bargain, solving two huge issues. There has to be one piece for the PGA of America missing. Maybe a player to be named later or some cash sent along as a courtesy?

With a television contract due to expire after the 2019 PGA, it's clear the PGA of America CEO is testing the waters for a permanent move.

Video: Mongoose Attack In Sun City!

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Attack might be strong.

How about, "creating a glorious blur of space grey as they cross the green, mercifully leaving a golf ball alone"?

Oh, and how about "the most exciting moment so far of the Race To Dubai!"

 

What Happens When PGA Tour Pros Swing And Hit Their Bag, Smart Phone Edition

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Ian Poulter says he's not the culprit and given his ability to photograph and Tweet, he has a strong case. But he's wisely not identifying the Mayakoba Classic contestant who slammed his bag with a club and took out TWO phones. After all, that would earn the player a fine on top of the cost to replace his phone and that of his bagman.

The Tweet:

Impressive: '21 Solheim Cup Going To Inverness

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Few gems have served the game better than Inverness. Even having grown too short for the modern ball and having seen a few holes badly defaced by the Fazio's, Donald Ross's design retains a character that few other inland courses enjoy. The joint first tee, the walkability factor, the character-rich holes and the golf-first approach of the membership makes it a such an important course for all to see.

Yet Inverness has had trouble luring a significant event, so news of it getting the 2021 Solheim Cup is both tremendous for fans and for the cup. Of the upcoming Solheim Cup courses--Des Moines Golf & CC, Gleneagles--it's easily the best. In fact, of all professsional Cup courses currently scheduled, this is the best architecturally. It's just a shame we have to wait so long.

Randell Mell with all the details at GolfChannel.com.

Ran Morrissett filed this review in 2014 while also previewing some improvements to the course.

Zurich Classic To Restore Two-Man Team Even, Details Exciting

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Will Gray with the details first reported by Golf Channel's George Savaricas: the Zurich Classic will become a two-man team event in 2017, with 80 teams and at least one round of foursomes play.

Miracles do happen.

How the players select their partner isn't clear, but certainly will add some complexity, but the novelty factor makes any issues well worth whatever headaches are caused.

Wisely, the event will not scrimp on any of the winning perks, except for a Masters invite.

The top 80 qualifiers will be allowed to choose their own teammate, with the caveat that their partner must have at least some PGA Tour status this season. If not, the selection will require the use of a sponsor invite.

Savaricas reports that play will include one round of foursomes (alternate shot) and one round of fourballs (best ball) before the 36-hole cut to the low 35 teams.

Final tour confirmation and details are pending until Policy Board approval, etc... Most fun will be finding out who initiated this and what role new Commissioner Jay Monahan played, as well as Zurich influence.

New Tour Commish Jay Monahan's Four Most Pressing Issues

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Tim Finchem leaves Jay Monahan a robust PGA Tour, maybe even a bloated one that presents too many management issues. Still, Finchem's now-official retirement on December 31st comes a few months sooner faster than some expected based on his comments, and while there is time for Finchem to wrap up whatever projects he has been telegraphing as priorities, the schedule would seem to indicate time is running out for him to accomplish much.

Jeff Babineau at Golfweek.com outlined his thoughts on what Monahan faces, and here are the priorities in my view:

--Television future. Expect the PGA Tour to exercise an early opt-out of its CBS and NBC deals soon, with a renegotiation of terms that would kick in for the start of next fall's 2017-18 start. The current Golf Channel cable deal is locked in until 2021, but some changes in weekend coverage of PGA Tour events may be possible in this renegotiation. Such an opt-out would be risky considering that the sports rights fee bubble has burst, golf is expensive and cumbersome to cover (ask Fox), and golf's largely older demographic is not ready to log onto Twitter, YouTube or even PGA Tour Live to watch a live feed of the Shriner's final round. Monahan can use the opportunity to consider another partner besides the two he has and ask for telecast upgrades in technology, but he also risks upsetting two very powerful media companies. Maybe Monahan has been ushered into the Commissionership to play good cop to Finchem's final-move, bad cop opt-out cop? Big bonuses are at stake, but with Finchem having stocked the Policy Board with cronies and PGA Tour employee/PGA of America President Derek Sprague, his exit will be a well-compensated one and Finchem won't need to be signing up for Obamacare anytime soon.

--Schedule. PGA Tour players are asked to compete all summer, then show up in the playoffs before "enjoying" maybe a week or two off before returning to a full schedule (or risk falling way behind in Cup points, ranking points, or re-shuffle status). In 2017, the late season schedule may have only one week off up to Thanksgiving. So while the Commissioner's job is to provide playing opportunities, the long term pacing of the schedule makes little sense for players, fans, sponsors or TV partners.

--FedExCup. There still has been no renewal with the playoff sponsor. This was assumed to be (one of) Finchem's final pet projects. Perhaps the FedEx deal is done and terms will be delivered to the networks on opt-out day. Or maybe a FedEx renewal is not done and this will dictate a more-comprehensive-than-expected re-thinking of items one (TV deal) and two (schedule).

--European Tour. As partners in the PGA Tour's WGC events, will Monahan let them have their moments or turn up the heat with an eye to squelching Europe's tour? Chief Exec Keith Pelley and Finchem have very different views of the game, with Pelley thinking about things like night golf, while Finchem still thinks the PGA Tour's greatest charm is the sight of players taking off hats to shake hands. Monahan seems like he falls somewhere in between the two extremes. Will he take his eye off the core, most highly-rated product--domestic PGA Tour golf in the winter and spring--to expand internationally, all just to squelch European Tour power? Will it lead to him not dealing with a different rival few saw coming, say, a Formula One-style team concept?