OT: If the PGA TOUR is serious about slow play they should ..........

[MCirba]

Thing is… the Tour is mostly player run. If they want a change, they'll make a change. That they haven't says a lot, IMO…

Erik,


Like most addicts, they won't admit they have a problem until they hit rock bottom.   


In their case it will be a sharp drop in television revenues, viewership, and ultimately sponsor evaporation.


I had to laugh the other day when I read that the head of the PGA doesn't agree with the ball rollback.   Another pundit weighed in recently that the ball rollback is only to protect ANGC and The Old Course.   Do they really enjoy 350 yard drives and short-to-mid irons into par fives, some wedge variation into every par four?


Joe Bausch and I played with a young man last Saturday outside Philadelphia.   He was slim build, not a big guy but he was flying the ball about 340-350 yards in 40 degree weather!   Even on the longest par fours he had a half-wedge in.   You can't build golf courses long enough with technology that far out of control.

[Kalen Braley]

Mike,

Don't be absurd. Look at baseball...they've both limited how far the ball flies and sped up the game in the last few years and ratings/attendance are worse than ever.  Home runs are down, pitchers and hitters are being rushed thru at-bats, and its been an absolute disaster. 

https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-mlb-finishes-2024-season-with-highest-attendance-in-seven-years

[MCirba]

Mike,

Don't be absurd. Look at baseball...they've both limited how far the ball flies and sped up the game in the last few years and ratings/attendance are worse than ever.  Home runs are down, pitchers and hitters are being rushed thru at-bats, and its been an absolute disaster. 

https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-mlb-finishes-2024-season-with-highest-attendance-in-seven-years

Kalen,


Love your spot on sarcasm.   

[Chris Hughes]

Thing is… the Tour is mostly player run. If they want a change, they'll make a change. That they haven't says a lot, IMO…

Erik,

Like most addicts, they won't admit they have a problem until they hit rock bottom.   

Nothing has changed in 20 years (or more) -- has the PGA Tour been on some sort of unnoticed slow, steady decline?

In their case it will be a sharp drop in television revenues, viewership, and ultimately sponsor evaporation.

Really? 🤣 When does the fall off of this metaphorical cliff take place?

I had to laugh the other day when I read that the head of the PGA doesn't agree with the ball rollback. Do they really enjoy 350 yard drives and short-to-mid irons into par fives, some wedge variation into every par four?

Absolutely that's what the fans really enjoy.  I was pulling for and thrilled to see Brian Campbell (shortest hitter in the field) win in Mexico (a long hitters ballpark) but who do you think had bigger galleries, him or Aldrich Potgieter? (longest in pro golf)       

Joe Bausch and I played with a young man last Saturday outside Philadelphia.   He was slim build, not a big guy but he was flying the ball about 340-350 yards in 40 degree weather!   Even on the longest par fours he had a half-wedge in.   You can't build golf courses long enough with technology that far out of control.

What did he shoot?

[Sean_A]

It’s telling that Aldrich Potgieter’s name was explained. I never heard of the guy.

Most people can’t tell if a drive went 300 or 350 unless you are stood in a good spot along the fairway. In which case balls just land as if from anywhere because the player can rarely be identified from that distance. Even on tv most can’t tell the drive distance without being told. In any case, it is clear that elite golf as a viewing product is struggling. We came surmise many reasons why this is the case. For me slow play, poor tv coverage, lack of shot variety and a lack of golfers which I think are worth my time to pay attention to.

Ciao

[Chris Hughes]

For the last few years the PGA Tour's biggest headwind is the vast majority of the household/first-name-only players (and all of the villains) decamped for another tour, but that looks to be fixed soon.

An offsetting tailwind is exceptional young talent, both domestically and internationally, is constantly bubbling to the top and generating great stories (and results). 

Twenty-one year old American Luke Clanton has generated a lot of buzz and just yesterday secured his PGA Tour card (as an amateur) by making the cut at PGA National.  While he hasn't won anything of note (yet), his results are undeniable as he's played himself into the OWGR top-100 on the strength of three top-5 finishes on the PGA Tour.  Luke is on an awesome trajectory and it looks likely a win will come soon.

From the international well of talent, for some time the young South African Aldrich Potgieter has made a BIG impression on his professional peers around the globe.  While the majority of myopic PGA Tour fans probably weren't familiar with Aldrich until last week, it's clear he's a superstar in the making.  20 years old now, Aldrich was 2nd youngest to win British Am (17), youngest to win on Korn Ferry Tour (19), 2nd youngest to earn Tour card on Korn Ferry (Jason Day).  After missing the cut in his first 2 PGA Tour events, in the next 2 (Torrey & Mexico) he played in the final group.  Had he closed it out in Mexico (playoff loss) would have clipped Tiger by 7-months as youngest PGA Tour winner in modern era.  Keep an eye on this young fella...

It's been a turbulent few years in professional golf but given flight patterns of a trio of private jets in and out of Dulles, it appears smoother skies are on the horizon.

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