New PGA Tour Enterprises

[DataDude]

Basically this turns the PGA Tour into an equity owned organization. This group gets about 1/4 of the equity, the players get about 1/4 and the rest of the equity is still controlled by the PGA Tour with possibility to sell some of it later (possible deal with PIF).

My guess is they pretty quickly create their own media organization similar to what many of the college football conferences and whatnot have done and probably end up with their own TV Channel. Possibly expanding the relationship with ESPN.

 

[frontTsociety]

My guess is they pretty quickly create their own media organization similar to what many of the college football conferences and whatnot have done and probably end up with their own TV Channel. Possibly expanding the relationship with ESPN.

As long as it leads to a some sort of tiered system that has a commercial free option I’m game.

 

[WLG1952]

I'm still wanting to know how the golf fan benefits from all this .

 

[jdlive]

You have to wonder if the PIF is going to start up the lawsuits again. The PIF can't be happy campers with this PGA-SSG deal going through first and them being put on the back burner to say the least.

They can't. They were dismissed "with prejudice" meaning they can't re-file on these same claims.

What happened to the “play less golf narrative”

LIV has 14 events and some have eligibility for 4 Majors.

PGAT has a mandatory 20 events.

This all may have worked with the Saudi’s original plan of 8 LIV events (like the Aramco series) but they had to pivot to 14 after Jay wanted to play hardball.

Unless they’re going to give LIV players an exemption from the 20 mandatory PGAT tournaments I don't see it happening.

PGAT minimum is 15

 

[CrashTestDummy]

They can't. They were dismissed "with prejudice" meaning they can't re-file on these same claims.

PGAT minimum is 15

They changed around the PGAT minimum policies some where "top players" have to play more, but not sure about the players that are not "top players". I haven't seen much about it except this Sports Illustrated article and this is what was in the article regarding minimum events.

The 20-Event Minimum​

This is a huge change to the PGA Tour ethos. For years, the Tour has required a minimum of 15 events for membership. You were free to play when and where you wanted, and no event was required. Recently it’s been the standard pushback against the LIV model, which will requires its plays to compete in all 14 of its tournaments.

Now, those who are deemed a “top player’’ are required to commit to at least 20 events—assuming they qualify.

The 20 events will include 17 that are the same in an effort to bring all of the top players together more often.

Those 17 will consist of 12 elevated events, eight of which have been announced: the Sentry Tournament of Champions ($15 million), Genesis Invitational ($20 million), Arnold Palmer Invitational ($20 million), WGC-Dell Match Play ($20 million), Memorial Tournament $20 million), FedEx St. Jude Championship ($20 million), BMW Championship ($20 million), Tour Championship/FedEx Cup ($75 million bonus pool).

Five of the tournaments come from the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, British Open and Players Championship.

There will be four more elevated events with purses of $20 million each to be announced within the next two months.

And then there are three regular events from which players can choose to enter, bringing their total to 20.

A player must compete in all of these events—or ones he is eligible to compete in—in order to qualify for the Player Impact Program (PIP).

What Will the New PGA Tour Look Like? Here's an Analysis of the Changes - Sports Illustrated

Bob Harig digs deeper into the changes announced Wednesday.

www.si.com

 

[Nice 2]

They changed around the PGAT minimum policies some where "top players" have to play more, but not sure about the players that are not "top players". I haven't seen much about it except this Sports Illustrated article and this is what was in the article regarding minimum events.

The 20-Event Minimum​

This is a huge change to the PGA Tour ethos. For years, the Tour has required a minimum of 15 events for membership. You were free to play when and where you wanted, and no event was required. Recently it’s been the standard pushback against the LIV model, which will requires its plays to compete in all 14 of its tournaments.

Now, those who are deemed a “top player’’ are required to commit to at least 20 events—assuming they qualify.

The 20 events will include 17 that are the same in an effort to bring all of the top players together more often.

Those 17 will consist of 12 elevated events, eight of which have been announced: the Sentry Tournament of Champions ($15 million), Genesis Invitational ($20 million), Arnold Palmer Invitational ($20 million), WGC-Dell Match Play ($20 million), Memorial Tournament $20 million), FedEx St. Jude Championship ($20 million), BMW Championship ($20 million), Tour Championship/FedEx Cup ($75 million bonus pool).

Five of the tournaments come from the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, British Open and Players Championship.

There will be four more elevated events with purses of $20 million each to be announced within the next two months.

And then there are three regular events from which players can choose to enter, bringing their total to 20.

A player must compete in all of these events—or ones he is eligible to compete in—in order to qualify for the Player Impact Program (PIP).

What Will the New PGA Tour Look Like? Here's an Analysis of the Changes - Sports Illustrated

Bob Harig digs deeper into the changes announced Wednesday.

www.si.com

You have heard the ole cliche “there is profit in confusion“, right?

Welcome to the PGA Tour, home of where players get used and abused.

 

[Templet0n]

I'm still wanting to know how the golf fan benefits from all this .

The theory is. That because it is now a for profit organization. They will want to put out the best product possible.

 

[Louis_Posture]

Spectating golf is relatively unpopular and the recent changes made by the PGA Tour will result in less television viewers and smaller galleries at Tour events.

 

[BigMac]

You have heard the ole cliche “there is profit in confusion“, right?

Welcome to the PGA Tour, home of where players get used and abused.

Phil was right all along.

 

[Louis_Posture]

Cantlay saying that PGA fans have suffered the last couple of years? Do you agree?

I do not agree. Before television, 75 years ago, attending an amateur or professional golf event was popular because people wanted something to do with their afternoon.
Once television came about watching golf was a way to see Arnold Palmer. 50 years later people wanted to see Tiger Woods play golf.
But since Tiger is essentially retired there is nobody people want to watch play golf, so I think Cantlay is wrong.
LIV is not the problem. PGA Tour management is not the problem. The problem is that without a young Arnold Palmer or Tiger Woods there is no compelling reason for people to buy tickets to a tournament or watch it on television.

 

[Hacker67]

So it seems when Tiger took a seat at the board the PIF negotiations started to stall and the SSG negotiations began to ramp up.

Tiger has a long-time working relationship with SSG including their investment into TGL.

Tiger wants no part of PIF contrary to his press conference rhetoric of “hoping to reach a deal with PIF by the end of the year”

Reading Yasir’s response to the SSG deal it seems PGAT and PIF are farther apart than ever and each side is just going to go forward with their own product.

So basically other than Majors we fans are not going to get the best players in the world competing against each other.

The divide seems bigger than ever at this point. Sad.

 

[Jeff Spicoli]

One more thing that doesn’t interest me relating to professional golf.

 

[USAF Retired]

The theory is. That because it is now a for profit organization. They will want to put out the best product possible.

Ha! So as a non profit, they weren’t trying to make their product the best it could be?

 

[Templet0n]

Ha! So as a non profit, they weren’t trying to make their product the best it could be?

Not what I said..

 

[USAF Retired]

Not what I said..

I can see the tour thinking this way tho

 

[WLG1952]

The theory is. That because it is now a for profit organization. They will want to put out the best product possible.

Yeah I understand the best product part, but they already had the best product, since it was the "only" PGA tour product.

Will the PGA tour change their format to mimic something like the LIV tour is doing?

Will they add more "party holes" like they have at the Phoenix stop?

Perhaps have more LPGA/PGA coed events?

Other?

If the PGA tour does nothing different, then it's still just the same old PGA tour from the fan's stand point. This would mean the the investment monies were put in place strictly for the benefit of the PGA tour players. Most likely to keep some them from migrating to the LIV tour.

 

[DataDude]

Yeah I understand the best product part, but they already had the best product, since it was the "only" PGA tour product.

Will the PGA tour change their format to mimic something like the LIV tour is doing?

Will they add more "party holes" like they have at the Phoenix stop?

Perhaps have more LPGA/PGA coed events?

Other?

If the PGA tour does nothing different, then it's still just the same old PGA tour from the fan's stand point. This would mean the the investment monies were put in place strictly for the benefit of the PGA tour players. Most likely to keep some them from migrating to the LIV tour.

My guess is there will be a tiring system (basically where it is at right now) play you’re way up into the top tier and you get to play the big events and get the profit sharing from the players equity ownership. Those big events will be the ones they really focus on moving forward. My advice to the Tour is to use events that already have tradition as stuff like LIV or the FedEx Cup where it’s just new tourneys with big purses don’t mean anything to the fans. Keep that part silent. If the purse is the only thing that makes a tourney interesting, it’s not interesting.

 

[jdlive]

They changed around the PGAT minimum policies some where "top players" have to play more, but not sure about the players that are not "top players". I haven't seen much about it except this Sports Illustrated article and this is what was in the article regarding minimum events.

The 20-Event Minimum​

This is a huge change to the PGA Tour ethos. For years, the Tour has required a minimum of 15 events for membership. You were free to play when and where you wanted, and no event was required. Recently it’s been the standard pushback against the LIV model, which will requires its plays to compete in all 14 of its tournaments.

Now, those who are deemed a “top player’’ are required to commit to at least 20 events—assuming they qualify.

The 20 events will include 17 that are the same in an effort to bring all of the top players together more often.

Those 17 will consist of 12 elevated events, eight of which have been announced: the Sentry Tournament of Champions ($15 million), Genesis Invitational ($20 million), Arnold Palmer Invitational ($20 million), WGC-Dell Match Play ($20 million), Memorial Tournament $20 million), FedEx St. Jude Championship ($20 million), BMW Championship ($20 million), Tour Championship/FedEx Cup ($75 million bonus pool).

Five of the tournaments come from the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, British Open and Players Championship.

There will be four more elevated events with purses of $20 million each to be announced within the next two months.

And then there are three regular events from which players can choose to enter, bringing their total to 20.

A player must compete in all of these events—or ones he is eligible to compete in—in order to qualify for the Player Impact Program (PIP).

What Will the New PGA Tour Look Like? Here's an Analysis of the Changes - Sports Illustrated

Bob Harig digs deeper into the changes announced Wednesday.

www.si.com

That was for 2023. The mandatory participation in the signature events is no longer valid.

Breaking down the key pillars of the PGA Tour's 'Designated Event Model'

The PGA Tour unveiled the basic concepts behind what the circuit is calling the “Designated Event Model” in a memo sent to players.

www.nbcsports.com

The total number of designated events will be decreased by one, with the removal of the WGC-Match Play, and will no longer come with a mandatory participation requirement. The top 20 players from last season’s Player Impact Program (PIP) are required to play all but one of this season’s designated events. Starting next year, that minimum will no longer be required.

 

[CrashTestDummy]

That was for 2023. The mandatory participation in the signature events is no longer valid.

Breaking down the key pillars of the PGA Tour's 'Designated Event Model'

The PGA Tour unveiled the basic concepts behind what the circuit is calling the “Designated Event Model” in a memo sent to players.

www.nbcsports.com

The total number of designated events will be decreased by one, with the removal of the WGC-Match Play, and will no longer come with a mandatory participation requirement. The top 20 players from last season’s Player Impact Program (PIP) are required to play all but one of this season’s designated events. Starting next year, that minimum will no longer be required.

Yeah, like I said, I don't know for sure because I only found the Sports Illustrated article and could not find anything from the PGAT nor many articles about the PGA Tour minimums. I did looked for the 2024 PGA Handbook, but I couldn't find it. I still think there is more to the PGAT minimums because a lot has happened of late.

 

[jdlive]

Yeah, like I said, I don't know for sure because I only found the Sports Illustrated article and could not find anything from the PGAT nor many articles about the PGA Tour minimums. I did looked for the 2024 PGA Handbook, but I couldn't find it. I still think there is more to the PGAT minimums because a lot has happened of late.

It's pretty simple, it's always been 15. They changed it for the top guys to play 20 last year and have removed that requirement so it's back to 15.

 

[mikeg_74]

Interesting take from Rory

 

[Louis_Posture]

I'm still wanting to know how the golf fan benefits from all this .

The fans don't benefit. And I don't agree with the presumption that "fans want to see all the best players in the world playing in the same tournament". Recently this nonsense line of thinking has guided way too many PGA Tour management decisions. For example, the Crosby-AT&T has for about 70 years been a fun event for spectators played on 3 courses with a field of 156 professionals. This week it's 80 players and a no cut format. So, the tournament is now a lesser event than it's always been.

 

[jdlive]

Yeah, like I said, I don't know for sure because I only found the Sports Illustrated article and could not find anything from the PGAT nor many articles about the PGA Tour minimums. I did looked for the 2024 PGA Handbook, but I couldn't find it. I still think there is more to the PGAT minimums because a lot has happened of late.

Here's confirmation on the 15 event minimum. Also some info on the equity guys are getting in the new venture. Some obvious tiers, the stars get the big share and some older stars that no longer play are getting cut in as well.

 

[mson]

Here's confirmation on the 15 event minimum. Also some info on the equity guys are getting in the new venture. Some obvious tiers, the stars get the big share and some older stars that no longer play are getting cut in as well.

That's a lot for Group 1, but not super exciting for the others.

 

[CrashTestDummy]

Here's confirmation on the 15 event minimum. Also some info on the equity guys are getting in the new venture. Some obvious tiers, the stars get the big share and some older stars that no longer play are getting cut in as well.

Good info. What is even more interesting is the equity breakdowns. There is a lot to unpack there.