Seems the life-support system has been removed from the Premier Golf League — yes, it’s still hanging around and, in fact, Iain Carter of the BBC tells everyone the aforementioned league has now set the goal of a 2023 start with weekly purses of $20 million.
Which once again begs the question — who is going to play in this Premier Golf League?
Not long ago, Lee Westwood seemed to imply that at his age (48), he might be tempted if they threw enough money at him and the second question would be — how much is enough money?
This upstart league proposes 18 tournaments with 48 players. Problem with that is that players these days do not like to be told where and when to show up and both the European Tour and PGA Tour have given their guys the old “them or us” mandate and no decent player wants to get the boot from either tour.
The Saudi Golf League has already taken it on the chin with world-wide editorials regarding the filthy Saudi money, Saudi Arabia’s “sports-washing” movement and basically no one wants to end up beholding to The Crown Prince.
There seem to be major barriers to this league but it’s so-called man-in-charge, Andy Gardiner had this to say:
The team is ready to go. We’ve used the last eight months to bring in externals to check through every single piece of the model to make sure the events of the last 12 months with COVID haven’t changed our thinking. The January 2023 date right now is entirely feasible. We will see how the conversations go with the community that we want to embrace.”
As far as the PGA Tour and European Tour uniting to squash this league, well, Andy threw this out:
“Different bodies create their own sets of rules to protect what they have and then it’s a question of whether the rules that they have in place are fair and that’s when you look at the relevant law. Imagine the reaction of the sponsors and the broadcasters if the world’s best players were all of a sudden banned. Common law in the US says that is a punishment, that’s not a protection. You’ve got to allow people to live their own lives. That’s why I’m confident.”
Okay, fine and dandy but there’s not one indication of any player wanting to buy what Andy is selling.
Stay tuned as the Premier Golf League, like that annoying pain in your back, just doesn’t seem to want to go away.
Marcus Armitrage Wins Porsche European Open:
The COVID-regulation-shortened Porsche European Open had a Monday finish and Brit Marcus Armitrage came from behind with a final round 65 at the Green Eagle Golf Club outside Hamburg to take the championship. Armitrage posted an eight-under par winning score.
Thomas Detry, Edoardo Molinari, Matthew Southgate and Darius Van Driel all tied for second at six-under.
The European Tour heads to Sweden this week for a first-ever event that will have 78 teams composed of male and female players. The Scandinavian Mixed is hosted by Annika Sorenstam and Henrik Stenson. Stenson and Sorenstam will be competing.
4 Comments
baxter cepeda
Informative.
Gardiner makes some good points regarding this “us or them” mentality of the status quo; seems not right on so many levels; From legally, to fair Competition, capitalism, and so forth.
Golf bodies have steadily crept up players share, but they also arguably continue to get away with keeping too much of the pie for themselves.
Dirty money or not these new suits raise the value of top golfers. And clearly the establishment doesn’t like it because every time this comes up they have to share more of that pie.
Top Golfers need to keep listening to offers. They need to take a United stance against these expulsion threats.
Now how this new organization will go from Westwood saying he may jump ship for a huge bounty, to many top players actually doing this, still seems insurmountable.
No doubt this thing would not work with just a bunch of borderline senior tour players like Westwood.
Personally the model they are proposing with this cheesy team concept is not something that will keep fans enthralled . Golf needs more alternate formats; but it does not need this giant gimmick.
So while It’s still much ado about nothing; the more players like Westwood listen, the more the status quo has to share that proverbial pie. This is why these smart golfers listen. It Would foolish of them not to pay attention to this information.
Tom Edrington
I can’t see any of these proposed leagues making it….one thing that all professional golfers have in common is that they WANT TO PLAY WHEN THEY WANT, WHERE THEY WANT…..this is too much structure, no world ranking points in an of itself is enough to squash these things.
baxter cepeda
It’s a tough one for them for sure.
They would need to edit their format more than the regular golf we have now.
I would think eventually the world tank points would come.
The whole thing is weird. But we know money talks.
Tom Edrington
The existing Tours can bring pressure to the keepers of the world ranking system, no doubt, to shut out this upstart effort.