PGA Tour, LPGA Tour Media Deal Becomes Official: CBS, NBC, Golf Channel Return, ESPN+ To Take PGA Tour Live

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It’s rare to get a public relations opening like Monday, March 9th. It’s not like the Sunday prior the futures were setting off circuit-breakers, or the price of oil was cratering, or the world was staring down a pandemic.

In the meantime, Ron Green Jr. has most of the next PGA Tour media deal details in this Global Golf Post story.

While the GGP story validates previous reporting (links below), Green confirms the new PGA Tour media deal is for 9 years. He says dollar figures are undisclosed and beginning in 2022, NBC and CBS will alternate early coverage of the FedExCup playoff events. That last bit of news is important to no one.

The LPGA Tour, which turned over its rights deal negotiating to the PGA Tour, picks up some more weekend network finishes and Golf Channel will show more of the Symetra Tour.

More will be revealed Monday of 2020 Players week, with Commissioner Jay Monahan scheduled to make the rounds unless there is bigger news than the new media deal—I know, blasphemy.

Until then, previous posts:

The ESPN+ role in PGA Tour Live reported by AP.

Tour operation of TV compounds/world feed.

The biggie first reported by Sports Business Daily: CBS/NBC/Golf Channel returning.

Hoag Classic Win: Ernie Els Injects Champions Tour With Much Needed Jolt

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Sunday at Newport Beach Country Club played out like an old-style PGA Tour Champions event, with Hall of Famers battling successful ex PGA Tour players and a few journeyman, including a Monday qualifier. And just in time for a Tour that has not gotten support from the legends as much in recent years, Ernie Els appeared rejuvenated by his first pro win in over six years (2013 BMW International).

Andrew Turner with the LA Times story on Els’ Hoag Classic win coming just weeks after a playoff loss in the season opener.

“I didn’t have that free-flowing feeling,” said Els, who shot four-under 67 in the final round. “I had to work hard for it, and that’s a good thing to do, to work hard for something. You don’t want something falling in your lap. I’m glad the first one’s over with, and we can move on now and it gets more comfortable after this.

“After being in a playoff in Hawaii, coming close to winning there, I didn’t want to mess this one up. I had a great opportunity, and I wanted to try and take that.”

Along with Els, having Couples still playing well and maybe a more Davis Love participation, it could be the boost PGA Tour Champions needs.

Els polished off the win with a classy bunker shot at 18:

Tyrrell Hatton Wins First PGA Tour Title, Likely With A Few Paycheck Deductions From The Fines Department

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Then again, as a proud member of That European Tour and special temporary PGA Tour status player, maybe Tyrrell Hatton isn’t eligible for deductions from his Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by Mastercard check. I’d ask, but we know the rules on commenting about such weighty matters.

Either way, another wild API played out over a tough Bay Hill that yielded only one weekend sub-70 round. And for the European Tour world still smarting from last week’s Paul Azinger jab and Rory McIlroy’s PGA Tour fealty pledge, the Hatton win should soothe some bruised egos.

After edging Marc Leishman by one and earning a three-year exemption, the volatile Hatton became a sentimental winner, reports GolfDigest.com’s Dave Shedloski.

“It’s an incredible feeling to win on the PGA Tour and to do it at such an iconic venue,” said Hatton, 28, a four-time winner on the European Tour, who completed 72 holes in four-under 284, the highest winning score in tournament history. “I’ve grown up watching this event as a kid on TV, and to be sitting here next to the trophy now is an amazing feeling and very thankful I managed to hold on at the end.”

Josh Berhow with a nice roundup of Hatton’s various gestures and otherwise entertainingly neurotic activity that included an inordinate amount of hostility expressed toward…a lake.

Not to be outdone in the character department is Mich Donaghy, Hatton’s looper, who Ryan Lavner talked to regarding the working relationship with Hatton.

But now Hatton is ... more controlled of his emotions, if only slightly?

“We’re getting better,” said Hatton’s caddie, Mick Donaghy. “That’s why I think I’m employed – to threaten him and kill him. And I will, and he knows that. I won’t put up with any of his s---. That’s what he needs.”

McIlroy, meanwhile posted a final round 75, his second straight year with a rough API final round. Though 2019 worked out okay for him and he’s banking on a similar bounce heading into the rest of 2020, writes GolfChannel.com’s Rex Hoggard.

Also keeping the Fines Department busy will be Brooks Koepka after a blissfully blunt assessment of his game following weekend rounds of 81-71.

PGA Tour Entertainment’s round four highlights:

Video: Brandel’s For Bifurcation…Of Rules On Marijuana Use In Golf

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We had him for a time on bifurcation of equipment rules, but as Brandel Chamblee his ownself eloquently explains there is one b word he’s for: the complicated issue of marijuana as a performance enhancer. Noting that “science says the medical efficacy of marijuana is undeniable” Chamblee pointed out that “cannabinoid receptors that control behavior and mood” could make it easy to “argue it’s a better place to perform” when under the influence.

And he points out the big picture issue of whether we want golfers to "come “to an ideal athletic state through a chemical metamorphosis” or “through natural processes, discipline, self discovery”.

The full discussion on Golf Central was very interesting. Also noteworthy, in the wake of Matt Every’s post round comments that prompted the discussion embedded below: the PGA Tour had no comment.

R.I.P. The Hinkle Tree

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An unbylined AP story reports on the demise of golf’s most infamous spruce.

The Black Hills spruce known as "The Hinkle Tree" was partially uprooted by a gust of wind this week at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio, and was cut down.

It was to celebrate its 41st year at Inverness this June.

You know the story by now most likely: Hinkle found a short cut and the USGA commissioned an overnight planting, not that it stopped Lon Hinkle or Chi Chi.

But during the next round, Hinkle and his playing partner, Chi Chi Rodriguez, decided to hit their tee shots over the tree.

"There was maybe a couple hundred people at the tee, waiting to see what I would do,'' Hinkle told The Associated Press in 2003. "I used the full size of the teeing ground and went to the left corner of the tee box. The tree wasn't really even in the way. This time, I used a driver and flew it over the tree and had only a 6 iron to the green.''

Again, he made birdie.

Here was a feature on the tree re-posted by the USGA.

Phil Could Go "On And On" About How To Improve The PGA Tour

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Expecting to delay his opinion of the proposed Premier Golf League after projecting to do so Players week, Phil Mickelson did question why the PGL’s primary opponent, Rory McIlroy, would give up leverage.

From Bob Harig’s ESPN.com report following Mickelson’s missed API cut:

Asked whether he believes the Premier Golf League could possibly influence the PGA Tour to make some improvements, as Rory McIlroy has suggested, Mickelson said: "Well, I wouldn't come out and say I'm not going to do it right away. .. and lose all your leverage.''

But more intriguing: add Mickelson to the list of players suggesting the current PGA Tour model needs work.

Asked for his ideas on enhancements to the PGA Tour, Mickelson said: "I could go on and on. And I really don't want to talk about that right now.''

WGC Dell Match Play A Go: You Can Bring Your Very Own Hand Sanitizer, Just Don't Expect Autographs

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With Friday’s SXSW cancellation in Austin, Texas, Steve DiMeglio gets answers on questions about the WGC Dell Match Play.

The event, which brings the top 64 or so golfers from around the world, is three weeks away but forging ahead despite a Coronavirus “local disaster” declaration by Mayor Steve Adler.

From DiMeglio’s story:

The Tour has established protocols for the safety of fans, volunteers and players, including equipping the event with extra hand-sanitizing stations at all restroom locations, along with stations positioned in high-traffic fan zones and in the volunteer headquarters.

Fans will be permitted to bring hand sanitizer into the tournament. Also, heightened cleaning practices with disinfectant in restrooms and food-vending areas will take place each night.

Further, the Tour said out of an overabundance of precaution, “some players may decline to sign autographs at the event. This is out of respect for the health and well-being of all involved, and the PGA Tour and its players greatly appreciate your understanding.”

Is Tiger On A Hogan-In-'53 Schedule, Or Is It Something More?

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He did warn us he would be playing a lot less. We just didn’t know his schedule would look like Hogan’s in 1953.

Tiger Woods’ decision to skip the 2020 Players after looking seemingly healthy the last we saw him, suggests there is reason to be concerned about his back, writes ESPN.com’s Bob Harig.

Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, offered nothing more than a text that read: "Back just not ready. Not concerning long term, just not ready.''

Given the chance to ask -- a simple question: How could this not be concerning?

Is there more to it than just a stiff back? Is another part of the back compromised? Could it be some other injury not being disclosed -- like the knee troubles that plagued him last year that nobody had a clue about until Woods announced he had surgery?

Given Notah Begay’s comments earlier this week about a 2019 “ripple effect”, Daniel Rapoport’s conclusion makes sense even though Woods swung the club beautifully at January’s Farmers Insurance Open.

Perhaps Woods' hectic end of 2019 is still taking a toll. After winning the Zozo Championship in Japan to tie Sam Snead's record of 82 PGA Tour victories, Woods finished T-4 at the Hero World Challenge, then made a 26-hour trip to Australia for the Presidents Cup, where he went 3-0-0 as a player-captain of the winning American side. He said after that trip that he would put the clubs away for a while to rest.

In a pre-Masters conference call, Woods had said his upcoming tournament decisions would be “weather dependent.” The Players forecast calls for sunny, mid-70s days.

Third Missed Event: European Tour Postpones Kenya Open

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The Magical Kenya Open is already off the schedule

The Magical Kenya Open is already off the schedule

Next week’s Magical Kenya Open has been postponed by the European Tour after a Coronavirus-fueled government advisory, meaning the Hero Indian Open is the next scheduled European Tour event.

The Kenya postponement/cancellation joins the Maybank Championship in Malaysia and the Volvo China Open as events lost this year.

The European Tour statement on the Kenya Open:

Due to the threat posed by the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Government of Kenya has this morning advised of their decision to postpone all meetings and conferences in the country of an international nature, a suspension which will be reviewed in a month’s time.

This means the Magical Kenya Open Presented by Absa on the European Tour, scheduled for the Karen Country Club in Nairobi next week from March 12-15, will now not take place.

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour said: “We understand and totally respect the decision made by the Government of Kenya in these difficult times.

“We are looking into the possibility of rescheduling the tournament at some point later in the season, but that remains simply a possibility right now – we have no definitive plans at this stage.

“I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank President Uhuru Kenyatta and the Kenyan Government for their unwavering support, alongside Kenya Open Golf Limited Chairman Peter Kanyago and Tournament Director Patrick Obath for their strenuous efforts and commitment. We look forward to returning to Kenya in due course.”

Justin Rose And Honma Appear To Be On The Rocks

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During his World No. 1 reign, Justin Rose’s contract at Taylor Made expired and in 2019 he opened the season with a Honma bag and clubs. The lucrative deal did not require Rose to adopt Honma’s driver, but he did anyway and won his first week using the clubs in PGA Tour action.

Way back in mid-February all seemed well, even as Rose has slipped to No. 13 in the world and failed to capture the glory of his first PGA Tour event with Honma (a 2019 win at Torrey Pines). From the chat a few weeks ago with Golf.com’s Jonathan Wall.

And the team has just been so excited to respond to the challenges that I’ve been throwing at them. Every rendition of the product just seems to be getting better and better and better. And obviously to win pretty much first time out with them at Torrey was awesome last year. And I’ve got admit I didn’t have my best year last year from a mechanics and a swing point of view, and sometimes you’ve got to blame the Indian not the arrows, but I feel like I’m really beginning to get back on track here. The whole team’s been just so responsive and the new, I’m sure we’ll get to it, but the new TR20 stuff is even better.

“Responsive” popped throughout the interview, almost as if there has been more back and forth than normal.

Then last week Rose was spotted with a Taylor Made driver and this week at Bay Hill, the bag has seen a total turnover from Honma to mostly Taylor Made, reported Wall.

And now this…

Poor Europe, Files: Rory Says "PGA Tour has given me a platform...to turn me into this golfer and athlete than I am"

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Following an opening 66 in the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational, Rory McIlroy joined the Golf Channel set to discuss his day.

Rich Lerner opened with a question about the Premier Golf League. (Rory said he was “out” on in Mexico City, yet validated a good portion of the proposed league’s ideas yesterday.)

Thursday at Bay Hill, McIlroy was emphatic about what the PGA Tour has done for him over winning majors or his early years on the European Tour.

The full clip is below, the text:

I’d like to think I’m quite a loyal person, and I think the PGA Tour has given me a platform to showcase my skills, to build my brand, to turn me into this golfer and athlete than I am. I think Jay Monahan and his team do a wonderful job with the tour.

Someone else got his Limited Edition Live Under Par puzzle from the Commissioner!

And look, the reason I said what I said was because, we were in Mexico and some people decided not to go. But that was their choice. That was the freedom that they had. They have autonomy over their schedule and they can pick and choose when and where they want to play. Where if we go to this new way, that’s not going to be the case. You’re going to play 18 events. They’re going to tell you where and when you should be there. As a golfer and an independent contractor, I didn’t like the sound of that.

McIlroy then made clear the league’s Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund money did not sit well, even though the Premier Golf League backers say they have 60 investors.

Didn’t really like where the money was coming from, either. I wanted to be the first one to speak out against it and I’m glad that I have.

And he has, though few others have been as forcefully opposed as McIlroy.

Either way, feel for the European Tour today. McIlroy’s view of what the PGA Tour has meant for his career had to sting.

What Would Arnie Do After An Opening 65? Probably Not Lobby For Cannibis!

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That was Matt Every (65), unlikely Bobby Jones Award winner in this or any lifetime, gunning for his third Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by Mastercard win. And using his platform as first round leader to make a case for scrubbing marijuana off the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned substance list.

Evin Priest with this in his report from Bay Hill where Every, after serving a 12-week suspension for prescribed marijuana use, lobbied the few writers who hadn’t moved their game to Rocco’s for a margarita.

"I think it would be cool if we were proactive about it and made some changes," he said.

"Anxiety is a real thing and the way I treat it is the healthiest way possible for my body.

A case could be made for yoga.

"It bothers me that (cannabis) is even an issue (and) on the list of banned substances," he said on Thursday.

"You could fail for heroin and marijuana and the penalty is the same. If anyone wants to make the argument that that is performance enhancing, they have never done it before."

These guys are good!

PGA Tour University: Policy Board Approves Plan To Reward Top College Seniors With Korn Ferry Tour Access

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Of all the ideas hatched at Camp Ponte Vedra over the last decade, I’m not sure there is one that appeals more than the PGA Tour University concept, reportedly approved by the Policy Board this week.

It’s forward-thinking both in extending the Korn Ferry Tour’s reach, while addressing signs that college players increasingly turn pro before they are ready. The idea of incentivizing top seniors to finish their eligibility via access to the PGA Tour’s top feeder tour should ensure players get a degree (or at least take all Concepts of Coaching classes offered). And should produce a more mature, polished player at 22 or 23. In theory, anyway.

From Ryan Herrington’s Golf World story explaining the concept:

The plan allows for the top five players on a new created collegiate player ranking, which will include only golfers playing in their fourth year of college eligibility, to gain immediate membership on the Korn Ferry Tour after the NCAA Championship in late May, allowing them to compete in the final eight or nine KFT events as full members. If these college players earn enough points in those tournaments to crack the top 25 on the KFT’s year-long points list, they will earn a PGA Tour card for the following season. They can also play their way into the top 75 on the points list and gain entry in the KFT final series. If a player doesn’t crack either threshold, they will still get direct entry into the final stage of KFT Q school later in the year.

Golfers ranking Nos. 6-15, meanwhile, will get to move directly to either the PGA Tour Latinoamérica or Mackenzie Tours, according to sources, and will also be given automatic entry into the second stage of KFT Q school. There will be no direct access to PGA Tour membership.

The program will not impact generational talents either.

NASCAR, XFL Stealing Eyeballs? 2020 Honda Classic Ratings Down

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NASCAR’s Auto Club 400’s 2.9 Nielsen average easily beat out the Honda Classic won by Sunjae Im. According to Showbuzzdaily.com, the 2020 Honda on NBC drew a 1.67 overnight rating, down nearly 30% from last year’s 2.4, also on NBC.

The slide continues a tough start to 2020 for golf ratings, which have now seen ten straight broadcast television windows down. Most recently, the WGC Mexico City saw weekend ratings drop 37% Saturday and 18% Sunday despite an excellent leaderboard and finish.

Possible influences? NASCAR’s renaissance built on improving race intrigue and even the XFL’s sliding ratings still make a dent. (Sports Media Watch’s Paulsen on the XFL’s ratings).

The fall is noticeable because both events featured compelling final rounds and did not feature Tiger Woods to influence ratings.

Other notes:

-Saturday’s third round 1.17 rating on NBC was down from a 1.4 (2.1 million avg viewers).

-Sunday lead-in coverage on Golf Channel fell from a .8 in 2019 to a .47 in 2020

Bevacqua: Golf Channel Move From Orlando Long In The Making

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NBC Sports President Pete Bevacqua talked to Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand about Golf Channel’s move to Stamford, Connecticut. He said the move “started well before” he began with NBC in September 2018.

“It’s the continued evolution of the media landscape and something that started well before I got here if you think about how we brought all the different components of NBC Sports primarily under one roof in Stamford. This was the next step in that process.” NBC Sports HQ moved from Manhattan to Connecticut in 2013.

Bevacqua also said the move is intended to improve the final product with production teams interacting with NBC Sports Network executives.

“Nothing can take the place of talented people interacting with one another. When you can have the great people of the Golf Channel interacting with the Sam Floods of the world and the Fred Gaudellis and the Rob Hylands and all the people that bring our other sports alive, we’re all going to be better. We’re all going to be more creative.”