Skins Game Finger Pointing Proves More Entertaining Than The Event Itself

Larry Bohannan looks at the demise of the Skins Game and even though the event has been dead for years, the blame game floodgates are just now opening.

ESPN's Tony Renaud does most of the pointing and it's directed at the PGA Tour, which, last I checked, does not sign Andy North's paycheck.

The small purse plus competition from international events allowed to pay appearance fees forbidden by the PGA Tour have hurt the Skins Game field, Renaud said.

“So you are competing in that atmosphere, plus the fact that you have the PGA Tour handcuffing you and saying here are the eligibility factors,” he said.

Unlike the earliest days of the event, where organizers merely invited the most appealing players, today's Skins Game field is governed by specific rules from the PGA Tour's competition committee. The defending champion is invited and the event gets one sponsor's exemption. The other two spots must be offered to the previous year's PGA Tour money leader and the winner of the current year's Players Championship. If those players decline their invitation, officials must invite players from the previous year's money list in descending order.

And from the City of Indian Wells perspective, where they spent too much money to pay for the event on courses where they spent too much money renovating, city manager Greg Johnson:

“I would say that IMG, ESPN and the PGA Tour have not delivered on the television ratings for the amount of money they are asking to be a host sponsor,” Johnson said. “Unless they are able to change that and show they are able to deliver a product that is worthy of the host sponsor fees they are requiring, I don't believe it would be appropriate to continue. The ball is in their court. I think they need to understand that they need to make changes.”

Sadly, they can point fingers all they want but unless they start going to dynamic courses, come up with an eye-opening amount of money to lure big names and do about five other things, the event has no chance. Unless...

I'm thinking a foursome of Tim Finchem, Renaud, an official from the City of Indian Wells and maybe Tom Watson to accuse someone of cheating on day two when things start to get redundant. We mike them and it's two days of bitching, finger pointing, catfights and excuses.

Couldn't be any less interesting than what they have now, which is a bastardization of a once great event.