Stewart Cink, the veteran professional golfer and former British Open champion, is no stranger to change in the world of golf. At 50 years old, Cink is currently the only player at the Sony Open who will continue on to the PGA Tour Champions opener in Hawaii next week. His perspective on the new PGA Tour model, featuring signature events and $20 million purses with smaller fields and fewer cuts, is an intriguing one.
Cink, reflecting on his own position outside of the top 50 in the FedEx Cup standings, acknowledges that if he were among the elite golfers, he would likely appreciate the changes. However, since he falls outside that ranking, he finds it difficult to fully support the new format. The goal behind this revamped model is to bring together the best players on the PGA Tour more frequently, offering them substantial prize funds and additional perks, such as flushable toilets on the course for player families.
From Cink's perspective, while the new model may be beneficial for golf fans and players ranking within the top 50, it does not necessarily serve the entire membership of the PGA Tour. The tour has always strived to cater to the needs of all professionals, so there is a sense of mixed feelings among players regarding this significant shift.
This year, the PGA Tour faces a multitude of unknowns as a result of this radical change. The Sony Open, which traditionally served as a starting point for newcomers, now presents challenges since there is limited room for those who earned cards from the Korn Ferry Tour. Players with conditional status are also concerned that they may have even fewer opportunities to compete than before.
Another point of contention, voiced not only by Cink but by others as well, is the distribution of FedEx Cup points. The system heavily weighs these points towards the signature events, which creates a highly competitive environment. British Open champion Brian Harman refers to it as a 'cut-throat' model, suggesting that the pressure to perform is significantly heightened.
The PGA Tour claims to have carefully considered the turnover rate among the top 50 players affected by the new system. Nevertheless, the advantage that these players have in reaching the season-ending Tour Championship, held at East Lake, is yet to be determined. A spot in this finale guarantees entry into at least three of the four major tournaments and a coveted two-year exemption. Who would have thought that Atlanta would become the promised land in professional golf?
Cink reminisces about just a year ago when the term 'signature' events had not yet entered the golfing lexicon. These events, then known as 'elevated' tournaments, offered a $20 million purse and maintained full fields with cuts. The cream of the crop consistently rose to the occasion, producing thrilling competitions. However, the tides have now shifted, and these tournaments feature an estimated range of 70 to 80 players, with only player-hosted events still applying a cut.
Cink, along with many other players who are excluded from the smaller fields, questions the rationale behind favoring a limited number of participants. He fondly recalls participating in the first year of elevated tournaments where all the top players competed in full-field events with cuts. To him, the smaller field concept seems less convincing.
In addition to the intricacies of the new PGA Tour model, some players find themselves embarking on a grueling travel schedule at the start of the year. As many as 20 players will be competing in three consecutive weeks, but three of them face a particularly daunting journey. Brian Harman, Tyrrell Hatton, and Tommy Fleetwood recently jumped from Maui to Hawaii for the Sony Open and will now undertake a 9,000-mile trip to the Dubai Desert Classic. Despite the exhaustive travel, Hatton embraces the opportunity to feel even looser by the end of it.
As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how players adapt to the changes in the PGA Tour model and the impact it will have on the overall dynamics of the sport. While some golfers may benefit tremendously, others, like Cink, are left pondering the true intentions and implications of these new developments. As the tour strives to strike a balance between catering to the elite and providing opportunities for all its members, the future of professional golf hangs in the balance.
