Despite Tiger’s imminent return and the seasonal mood, there are few reasons to be thankful on the PGA Tour as the year 2023 draws to a close. Even winners who made us feel good, like Erik Van Rooyen or Camilo Villagas, provided only a short respite from the distrust and discord that shadow professional golf.
The portico principles, which have supported the Tour’s marketing for decades, are rapidly crumbling. The ideals of charity and comity, which were packaged so neatly in the mantra ‘These Guys Are Good,’ for years with the fervor of Beijing’s politburo. Comity is being undermined by grumbling — about other players, executives at HQ and the media. Meanwhile, the constant talk about money gives the impression that many Tour members believe charity begins at home.
The Tour’s most damaging and enduring narrative was that each event, like every member in an organization led by members, mattered equally. The storyline was only sustainable as long as all the rowers on the boat were aligned in the same direction. They are not what they were. On the tournament schedule, there is a clear caste structure and those who have the most influence are a small minority.
Like motion pictures, major sports leagues are fueled by stars, but staffed by extras. There’s a growing rift on the PGA Tour between cameos and main actors, those who steal scenes and those who are responsible for driving box office. The players at the top of the food-chain think that the Tour is too concerned about feeding the ranks and creating too many events which pay too much for not enough, while the journeymen feel squeezed by the management’s desire satisfy the elite. It’s just politics with a little more civility.
Lanto Griffin’s tee-shot on the eighth green during round two at the Shriners Children’s Open TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas on October 8, 2021. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images).
The divide between the Tour and its fans has never been greater. Lanto Griffin made a comment earlier this week after Rory McIlroy quit the Policy Board. Griffin stated that McIlroy was great because of his approachability, but he had also been bought by the Tour. The head of the Board has the same sponsors that the Tour and Players have, so there is influence. I’m talking about Workday, but I can’t recall all of them. Golfpass. It’s not clear to me that the guy running the board gets paid by the title sponsors.
Griffin’s error of fact is as frequent as the bogeys he has on his scorecards. But what’s notable here is how McIlroy’s success and marketability have been weaponized as a reason for suspicion. It’s evidence that McIlroy may be compromised. This will not be the last time that a prominent golfer is accused of making a false claim. The players who are in charge of making decisions on board are now blamed by those passengers on the Tour’s upper deck, who believe that the upper deck is leaning on it for selfish reasons. This division is expected to grow as the decision-making process nears. Many will feel that their concerns have been ignored, they are not being redressed for their grievances, and their future employment is not guaranteed.
The only thing that unites the locker room factions, is their mutual mistrust of Tour leadership. Jay Monahan’s June 6 blunder squandered all the trust and goodwill that he had built up over his six-year tenure as commissioner. The lack of clarity and slow progress in the Framework Agreement negotiation process — which Monahan described as “deliberate” in a memo he sent to players — exacerbates the situation. The private equity component may progress in the near future, much to the dismay of many. However, any Saudi involvement could be subjected to regulatory scrutiny and a lengthy process. Whatever the future of the Tour, and men’s professional golf in general, the journey to that point will be arduous. Media rights revenues of approximately $6 billion are guaranteed for the Tour through 2030. Any changes to its product before that date could jeopardize this cash. This gives grievances plenty of time to fester.
The PGA Tour’s painful reckoning has been a long-awaited event, a winter filled with discontent that will continue for many more seasons. Woods’ (pere and fils) promise of a few extra days to enjoy the world on the other side is enough to make you thank him.
