Golf courses report that there has been a resurgence in golf attendance as the pandemic slowly diminishes. Golf courses seem to be the perfect venue for the family, especially Par-3 courses or even the pitch-and-putt places. The community in which I live is a golf haven and recently upgraded its Par-3 course changing its name from Peter Hay, who was the first professional, to “The Hay.” The upgrading was done with excellent style and class.
I recently read in Golfweek that the PGA (Professional Golf Association) is planning on a program to dispense $40 million in bonuses to some 10 stars deemed to have an impact in drawing the most fans to PGA tour events. Some of the star players mentioned were Tiger Woods who is in long-term recovery), Bryson DeChambeau, Ricky Fowler, Rory McIlroy among others. It seems here that money could be of more help elsewhere. First and foremost, golf tournaments are and have been very generous in giving monies to local and national charities. Further, the prize money awarded to winning golfers today is greater than ever before.
As the PGA tour unfolds, it seems that many unknown names are atop the leader board each week. As an example, where did Hideki Matsuyama, who won this 2021 Masters, appear from? If you follow golf you know he is well respected on the tour, but his name value hasn’t matched up with Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, or other names in that realm. However, please mark Matsuyama in your book as it is likely he’ll be atop the leaderboard quite often.
Maybe more importantly, is this PIP plan a proper way to attract patrons to the PGA golf tournaments? As the restrictions for the pandemic ease, most golf followers will be flocking to courses. This idea of rewarding some players, regardless of how they perform, is antithetical to the golf industry. If you attend NFL, NBA, NHL games, those players already have their paychecks deposited. Not so in golf! PGA golfers have upfront costs that are not compensated until they perform well enough to earn prize money. Moreover, while golf is not a T*E*A*M sport like others, there is a “golfing family” attached to the professional game. Will this bonus pool create a division?
Will you log-in your thoughts about this bonus pool for “stars”?
