Welcome back to SI Golf’s Fact or Fiction, where we are not telling you how many balls we have hit into the water at 17 at TPC Sawgrass.
Following PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp’s significant news conference, we’re here to debate a series of statements for writers and editors to declare as “Fact” or “Fiction” along with a brief explanation. Responses may also (occasionally) be “Neutral” since there's a lot of gray area in golf.
Do you agree or disagree? Let us know on the SI Golf X account.
In his press conference Wednesday, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp offered a rough outline of a Tour schedule with 21 to 26 “first track” events overall, inclusive of majors, the Tour postseason and Ryder/Presidents Cups. That’s just the right amount of big-time golf.
Bob Harig: FACT. It actually seems about right. There’s a balance between too little and too much and that number probably tracks. Perhaps more important, Rolapp outlined a plan that will increase the field sizes of the biggest tournaments.
Jeff Ritter: FICTION. It’s a nice target, but are Rory and Scottie really playing that many? It’s probably the right number for a first track or top tier or whatever they call it, but I’m skeptical they can all be “big time” events.
Max Schreiber: FACT. For a fan, yes. Star players might feel differently, though, playing that much in a short amount of time.
John Schwarb: FACT. The question right now is “can you get Scottie and Rory to play in everything?” and a number of Tour events in the 15-to-17 range might get that done (then you add the majors). This is the “scarcity” we’ve been hearing about and, right now, it sounds good.
Rolapp said match play could be in play for the FedEx Cup, either for the Tour Championship or across the entire postseason, “bringing win-or-go-home moments.” The playoffs should be all match play.
Bob Harig: FICTION. Win or go home makes sense but match play is very tenuous. All it takes is a final with two players nobody’s ever heard of and you’ll hear cries about it not working. The problem with the current system is there is virtually no risk for the top players. If that can change, then they’re onto something.
Jeff Ritter: FICTION. Good start, but not drastic enough. The full plan for a reboot is here.
Max Schreiber: FICTION. The Tour Championship, fine. The other two or more events? No. Early in the week, with so many matches going on, it makes for bad television, in my opinion, trying to follow everything at once. One event with that format, with just 30 players, works.
John Schwarb: FACT. Yes, in a “postseason” that is just the Tour Championship. Rolapp sounds committed to maintaining the three-event structure and that’s too bad—why not have all your signature events feeding into one finale? Then take 30 (maybe even 50 or 60) players and play 36 holes of stroke play to set a “Sweet 16” bracket and have a match play weekend.
Rolapp said the Tour wants to “open big with a marquee event at an iconic venue in the west,” which could be interpreted that Hawaii is history. If so, that’s a big loss.
Bob Harig: FICTION. Hawaii itself might be a loss but the timing is not. Perhaps the late January opening Rolapp noted could be played in Hawaii. But what appears obvious the Tour has no desire to go up against a huge slate of NFL playoff games early in the new year.
Jeff Ritter: FACT. If Hawaii is actually lost, that would sting. But based on Rolapp’s broad comments I’m not writing it off just yet. Why can’t there be a Hawaiian swing in the late fall? It would be a fantastic way to wind down that stretch of the season, or even the “second tier.”
Max Schreiber: FICTION. Is anyone watching the Sony Open on Golf Channel, going head-to-head with the NFL playoffs? No. Kapalua’s a little better, with big names, an interesting course and some airtime on NBC, but we can do without both and start the season at Torrey Pines or Phoenix a few weeks later.
John Schwarb: NEUTRAL. A lot of Midwesterners like me will miss those Hawaii views on our flatscreens in January. But I’m not ignorant to the fact that private equity now must be served and staging a golf tournament in the middle of the Pacific Ocean isn’t going to line investors’ pockets.
Questions about LIV Golf were largely brushed aside by Rolapp, including whether its players could become eligible for the Players Championship. While Rolapp also downplayed the Players-as-a-major talk, it’s hard to take the event seriously as a marquee event without LIV representation.
Bob Harig: FICTION. It’s a big event regardless, missing a few marquee names. But there’s no question that the event is better with everyone eligible, including LIV players. Now that LIV has OWGR accreditation, it’s easy to simply stick the top 50 OWGR designation. If anyone from LIV is in the top 50, let them play.
Jeff Ritter: FICTION. The Players delivers year after year, with or without LIV. It doesn’t need to be the fifth major—just keep being the best PGA Tour event.
Max Schreiber: FICTION. Essentially, this event is missing two players: Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm. Maybe Cam Smith, Dustin Johnson and Joaquin Niemann. Perhaps there’s some people out there who want to see Mickelson and Sergio Garcia fight to make the cut for nostalgia purposes. But without them, it’s still the fifth-best stroke-play event in golf, with a loaded field and a diabolical golf course.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The PGA Tour’s Potential Future Schedule Is Promising.
