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Are the WGC Events Losing Luster?

JB

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The WGC was introduced as a way to develop an audience with high global awareness by having the leaders from all of the different tours together for more than the majors. They offer big prize money and at a time were considered one step below the big 4 or 5 (Players). Over the last year or so, it appears as though to the players they mean a little less going from can't miss event to a regular week.

What about you, does the WGC still bring must watch TV or caring?

WGC Mexico Championship
WGC Dell Technologies Match Play
WGC Fedex St Jude Invitational
WGC HSBC Champions
 
It's top 50 players right? Just seemed like at the beginning they all played the events so you were really getting the top 50. Now it seems like a handful miss each event for whatever reason. I still watch and pay attention but doesn't seem as "cool" anymore.
 
For me the only must watch tournaments are the 4 majors, the Ryder cup and the tour championship. I'll watch the WGC but I am not changing my schedule to do so.
 
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Nate said:
It's top 50 players right? Just seemed like at the beginning they all played the events so you were really getting the top 50. Now it seems like a handful miss each event for whatever reason. I still watch and pay attention but doesn't seem as "cool" anymore.
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I believe for this one, we have 42 of the top 50 players.
 
Just another tourney for me.....good events but I don't have to watch.
 
I am wondering if it isn't partly due to this new schedule that really never seems to end. Also, these top 50 guys make so much money without even winning that the purse alone is not a draw anymore.
 
These tournaments have lost their luster over the years. They obviously are big money, no cut events with small fields. I still watch them because I watch most any golf tournament on tv, but I don't have heightened interest in these other than to see what the course looks like. I didn't like the move from Doral but that was because I have played the Blue Monster a few times. All that said, I still enjoy the match play because of the different format (not stroke play) and the strategy involved.
 
Did they ever have much luster?

I think they should move the Mexico event around. One year in Mexico City, the next in the Caribbean, one year in Cabo, maybe back to Florida if they can get a premiere venue.
 
As soon as the WGC pulled out of Doral and then leaving Firestone I lost a lot of interest in them. I’ve played Firestone and TPC and found Firestone much harder And much more interesting. The match play Event is cool just because it’s different nit because it’s WGC. I couldn’t even tell you a thing about HSBC. It might as well be just another tournament.
 
I'll watch, but then again I will watch any week I have time available. For me, the only one that lost luster for me was removing one from Firestone. That one always had an obvious special tie in.
 
I like the smaller fields for better coverage of who is playing. I don’t know enough to have a opinion. I record all PGA events. Certainly not staying in the house to watch when I could be playing.
 
SlightDraw said:
For me the only must watch tournaments are the 4 majors, the Ryder cup and the tour championship. I'll watch the WGC but I am not changing my schedule to do so.
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Why is the PGA Championship "must-watch" but not the Players Championship? And please answer with something other than "because the PGA Championship is a major."
 
I really like the match play event. The other ones really aren't all that special/different to me.
 
This one is only missing a few big names... plus who doesnt want to see insane distances! Plus it means so much to the area around the course from a tourism and growing the game of golf! specifically to Mexico...

The others are fun to watch esp. Match Play
 
wubears71 said:
As soon as the WGC pulled out of Doral and then leaving Firestone I lost a lot of interest in them. I’ve played Firestone and TPC and found Firestone much harder And much more interesting. The match play Event is cool just because it’s different nit because it’s WGC. I couldn’t even tell you a thing about HSBC. It might as well be just another tournament.
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Firestone was terrible on the television screen. Every hole looks exactly the same and one tree-lined tunnel after another. No thanks to going back there.
 
LICC said:
Why is the PGA Championship "must-watch" but not the Players Championship? And please answer with something other than "because the PGA Championship is a major."
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The Players should be in there, my mistake leaving it out. So in the end there is usually only 6-7 Tour events that are must watch in my eyes.
 
LICC said:
Firestone was terrible on the television screen. Every hole looks exactly the same and one tree-lined tunnel after another. No thanks to going back there.
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I didn't think of it that way, but you are right. Every hole does look the same on TV - the course character really shines through playing the course. I found every hole memorable playing - TPC Southwind not so much. It was a beautiful course but didn't wow me from a design standpoint.
 
wubears71 said:
As soon as the WGC pulled out of Doral and then leaving Firestone I lost a lot of interest in them. I’ve played Firestone and TPC and found Firestone much harder And much more interesting. The match play Event is cool just because it’s different nit because it’s WGC. I couldn’t even tell you a thing about HSBC. It might as well be just another tournament.
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My sentiments exactly. Doral and Firestone were much better to watch. Think back to Lowry having to hit that perfect gap wedge through that tree out of 6 inch rough and make a putt to win that tournament. That course has history and makes moments. Besides, having to go to Mexico before the start of the Florida swing can't help. At least its not right in the middle of it like it used to be.
 
The Match Play still grabs my attention, but not as much because every match isn't do or die.

I thought the schedule ruined the FedEx St. Jude tournament last year being the week after The Open. When it sat the week before the PGA it carried a bunch of weight in my eye because you wanted to see who was playing well heading in to the final major. Now that it's the week before The Open, I still don't know if it will work out the same way as it did when it was at Firestone.

Mexico is a fun course to see the action on. But I still think it held more clout when it was at Doral. Could change over time though.

HSBC is kind of hard to watch at times. It's on the opposite side of the world, and during a funny time of year. I bet it is a huge draw over there though.
 
The event thought process is coming from a good spot to help grow the game, but with golfers having other options to make similar, in some cases more, money with other events and not having to travel, I think that's part of why you are seeing them lose a little bit of shine.

Where the Mexico WGC falls short imo is if I were a player, I would skip it and rest up for the upcoming Florida swing.
 
I will tune in, but I watch some of almost every event. I don't find them that much more enticing than any other event with a decent field.
 
I'm not nearly as interested as I used to be because they don't seem like as big of deal as they used to.

That said, back in the day when Tiger won all of them it was must watch tv.
 
mikeg_74 said:
The event thought process is coming from a good spot to help grow the game, but with golfers having other options to make similar, in some cases more, money with other events and not having to travel, I think that's part of why you are seeing them lose a little bit of shine.

Where the Mexico WGC falls short imo is if I were a player, I would skip it and rest up for the upcoming Florida swing.
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I'm a believer that the change in schedule has really hurt more events than it has helped. WGC events included.
 
LICC said:
Firestone was terrible on the television screen. Every hole looks exactly the same and one tree-lined tunnel after another. No thanks to going back there.
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It is tough to watch without walking the grounds because it is a up and back type course... you have some signatures like 3/16/18, but dont forget Tiger dominated which made these so much fun!
 
LICC said:
Why is the PGA Championship "must-watch" but not the Players Championship? And please answer with something other than "because the PGA Championship is a major."
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This wasn't aimed at me, but honestly, the PGA Championship is a Major, and the Players is not. Perhaps it is different in the US, but the Players is not universally regarded that highly. Prestigious - yes. Similar status to a major - not even close.

In terms of the WGC events, I also feel that the opportunity to grow the game around the world was missed. Rather than just getting the best 50 players together in the US (which, to be honest, happens pretty regularly anyway), there was terrific potential to hold them ALL outside of the US and rotate around lots of different countries. I absolutely acknowledge that my perspective is biased in this regard.
 
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