Lee Iacocca was the legendary Ford Motor Company president. He once stated that great opportunities are often cleverly disguised as insoluble issues. This is the kind of homepun aphorism one would expect from a man who had only to deal with challenges such as exploding Pintos and not the mercurial demands made by PGA Tour stars.
Jay Monahan’s quest for opportunity in the midst of insoluble problems has seen him transform his altar-boy coif to white as he tries shape the PGA Tour schedule. He is trying to create events and not-around constituencies that are always competitive but not always friendly.
The Goliaths are like the Goliaths who recognize the need for Davids and don’t want to share too much with them. The Davids, who control a member-led organisation. Sponsors, who are against the idea of a tournament caste system. Tournament operators, whose financial guidelines aren’t as flexible and adaptable as those of Tour players.
All of the above factions have their interests at one intersection: field sizes at designated Tour events. Or, more precisely, their reduction.
Reality is that the PGA Tour’s ongoing reorganization will lead to greater wealth for the elite, but at the cost of the sackcloth contingent. These are the people who don’t sell tickets or draw attention and make a decent living. The new events are presenting many challenges. This week’s WM Phoenix Open shows this.
Simply put, how many and who should be allowed to play?
TPC Scottsdale has 136 golfers, 18 of which are among the top 20 in the world. Scrolling through the exemption criteria can dilute the impression of an elite meritocracy in work, as it is with many full-field events. The local PGA section’s player-of-the year is competing, a familiar, if not parochial, tradition on Tour. Fair enough. Horse racing is just as exciting if there’s a long shot. Sponsor exemptions are a new category that will be under increasing pressure. This is because those who pay the bill can reward rising talent and favored partners.
The Phoenix Open WM’s allow sponsors to have a lot of freedom in deciding how exemptions will be used. Taylor Montgomery, a rookie in his career, is deservedly lauded. Davis Thompson was also a recent Jon Rahm competitor in Palm Springs. However, he pulled out of last week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am because he was offered a spot, thereby denying a tournament that needed him. Because the event is being billed as an elite showdown, the other sponsors are more controversial.
Charley Hoffman was awarded one, but not because of his performance (he only made it to the top 20 in nearly two years), but because of his commercial relationship and partnership with WM. J.B. Holmes was awarded another, as the world’s No. 1,815 has reached the weekend in only five of his 20 previous starts dating back to 2020. This man is at least a twice winner, so it’s understandable that he feels a bit sentimental about the sponsor. Ricky Barnes won the last prize, for no other reason than that he resides locally.
Spectators, viewers, and competitors may wonder if the WM Phoenix Open truly has an elite field. Barnes, who is a mere 12 years away from qualifying for a major championship, walks to the tee with a current ranking at 1,669. His presence is proof that the elite status of designated tournaments cannot be “full field.”
The Tour announced that the field size at higher stops would not change as “designated” status was an added feature to the 2023 schedule. Monahan will have to deal with the difficult and contentious issue of how to winnow that number in ’24.
Designated events are not intended to attract the most talented players more often, that’s the consumer-facing reason. However, they also aim to pay them more. This means that the $20 million purses will be divided among smaller pockets. This means that top talent will be paid, even if they don’t make the cut. Both of these concepts are being considered for the next designated event. You can sell journeymen the idea of having fewer playing opportunities, while top-tier guys will make more money even if they don’t play well enough to make it to the weekend.
Many insiders claim that the top players suggested that the field size for designated events should be limited to 70. However, the actual number next season is expected to be around 80. This is similar to the World Golf Championships. If you apply that to the traditional field at a WM Phoenix Open then 50 guys will be missing a week of work. This is just one of the obvious fiscal consequences of reducing field sizes. A reduction in tee times will not be welcomed by tournament operators as it makes it more difficult to reach food and beverage revenue targets. This is trickle down economics at work.
These radical changes to the PGA Tour schedule will ensure that sponsors, broadcasters, and fans get the best product possible while also rewarding stars who are the driving force behind the business. It is difficult to balance this ambition with the Tour’s longstanding, democratic mandate to provide playing opportunities for members. Monahan will understand the truth of another Iacocca maxim: Success belongs to the leader who keeps the good things going and grabs the better stuff as soon as possible. Persuading the other constituencies will not be as difficult as selling one Iacocca’s dangerous old Pintos.
