53 weeks in a year!

[furyk_or_unique]

I see on the European Tour International Schedule that there will now be 53 events next year. Correct me if I'm wrong, but are there not still 52 weeks in a year or has George O'Grady had words with the powers-that-be and got that changed? Is it just me or is there simply now too much tour golf, which could be construed as overkill and might actually prove detrimental to the game. What do other forum regulars think?

 

[pingpal]

agree - too much golf, need a 3 month close season from start November to end January. Do we really want to watch golf at Christmas?

 

[par_par_par_treble]

are you joking??

too much golf????

players can have a break when they like, but i will watch all year round

 

[muttleee]

We might not want to watch golf but golfers still want to earn money so you can't blame them for wanting to keep playing over the so-called closed season. Having said that though, they could find themselves killing the goose that laid the golden egg...

 

[Doh]

Dont agree that there is to much golf on t.v but do agree that the season needs a clear break so that the players can have time to tune their games and come back refreshed.Perhaps this is one advantage Tiger has over the rest is that he has self imposed break.

 

[pingpal]

We might not want to watch golf but golfers still want to earn money so you can't blame them for wanting to keep playing over the so-called closed season.

Difficult one this....but no-one owes these guys a living. If you ain't good enough to make a living in say a 9 month season then maybe you need to ask should I be doing something else. Like the rest of us these low ranking pros can change career or job, they dont have to play golf for a living even if they want to.
Professional sport is about entertainment for the public and these guys are riding on the coat-tails of the money generated by talented players that people do want to watch.
There is room for about 120 decent pros in the world, public doesn't want to watch players ranked lower than that unless they are former champs now playing in the seniors.

 

[furyk_or_unique]

With you on all of that PP except the bit about seniors. Personally I don't really want to see them either because if you cut through all the nostalgia, what you're really getting is second-tier golf. If they were still top tier they'd all still be on the main tour. It amazes me that so many companies still want to plough sponsorship money into the Seniors tours.
Maybe it's just me, but I think they've had their day - you wouldn't want to see Allan Wells take on Don Quarrie in the 100 metres now would you... on second thoughts, I think I'd quite like to see that (they'd probably both still beat me!)

 

[pingpal]

Seniors - Would still watch Tom Watson - that's about it though!

 

[viscount17]

There isn't too much golf on tv, but there is too much poor quality golf (mind you I get the drips that I get from the beeb and setanta). Is it the National that's the trials for the pga tour - some of them even give me hope!

Sorry pp, 'professional sport is about entertainment' - since when? in what sport?

53-a-year means that the pro's can get their break, safe in the knowledge that there will always be a cheque to come back to.
(I think I've got my cynical head on this morning!)

 

[pingpal]

Sorry pp, 'professional sport is about entertainment' - since when? in what sport?

Erm...all sport!
The reason Steven Gerrard takes home £100k+ a week is because premiership football is watched by billions of people who watch to be <u>entertained</u> which is funded by tv deals worth millions.
The reason you haven't heard of any weightlifters or synchronised swimmers is because the masses are not entertained by such sports hence there is no demand to watch them.

 

[John_Findlay]

Agree, pingpal.

I often wonder why such big crowds turn up to watch golf live. I'm guessing it's not to see who wins....only the crowd at the 18th on the final day actually see that. So it's not about the competition. Actually, it's to gaze in wonder at how far the pros hit the ball ( and sometimes to see the miracle chips ). That "entertains" them. It's the reason most come.

Oh...and the champagne tent, too, unfortunately.

 

[pingpal]

John
My last visit to a tournament was the 05 Open at St Andrews, final day. I wanted to be 'entertained' and to be honest just being there was good but I was more interested in the layout of the course and all those hunps and hollows you just can't see on tv than the players.
I saw a lot of the top players drive, hit irons and putt, the only one who interacted with the crowd in a good way was Calcavecchia, Poulter was quite unpleasant, big Phil looked bored.
I'm not sure why but I was more thrilled to see in the book section of the retail tent 'Statto' from Fantasy Football League fame.
The Road Hole took the biscuit for me. I sat on the bank behind the wall and watched probably 8 groups come through. I watched 5 players hit into the road hole bunker (Sands of Nakajima!) and every single one of them played out backwards away from the green and happily took their bogeys - I know you're all going to say that is good course management but where's the entertainment in that? They're supposed to be the best in the world and to me it just made watching these guys a bit dull.
The Tiger/Monty duel looked quite good but I couldn't see any of that!

 

[medwayjon]

I have to say that I am in agreement with you PP.

There are so many "journeyman" pro's on tour and these aren't the guys the paying public want to watch.

I don't blame them for getting a regular payday on the back of the elite guys. Must be better than being a teaching pro.

At the end of the day I agree that all sport is about entertainment and thats what governs the schedule and pay structure.

People knocked ernie for his comments but at least he was honest enough to admit that it was wheelbarrow time for him rather than dress it up some other way like so many would have done.

Obviously no player will play in all 53 tournaments. They will cherry pick whichever tournaments they want to play in.

 

[muttleee]

Even the supposedly elite World Golf Championships contain their fair share of journeymen. If you remove them, how would the lesser players break into the upper ranks of golf professionals? Not all players can burst onto the scene like Tiger or Sergio or dare I say it, Rory McIlroy.

 

[John_Findlay]

Can anyone explain why the LPGA are so reliant on people wanting to come to see Michelle Wie, then?

 

[medwayjon]

This is why I believe there should be a tier system.

There could be a system of leagues where you get promoted/relegated.

JF, my sentiments exactly. Michelle Wie is the most overrated person in sport - ever. It really, really gets me very annoyed when she gets to play in tournaments she does not warrant being in. Her place could go to somebody deserving of it.

I cannot see why anybody would want to watch her, only perhaps to laugh as the cards a 90 for the second round and shock! horror! misses yet another cut.

 

[par_par_par_treble]

i thought there was a tier system in place?

European Tour
Challenge Tour
Europro Tour

i think fields are a certain size because the big boys dont want to play every week, and sometimes one of the "lesser guys" actually plays well and wins

??

 

[medwayjon]

I am familiar with that system but what I am getting at is a division system like in football.

It would never happen as it would be just too radical but it would keep the standard.

I love watching tournaments where there is a smaller field of genuinly great golfers.

A system such as this would also stop has-beens playing events just because of past glories.

Regarding the seniors I don't see why they shouldn't have a tour of their own and as for sponsorship, a lot of older people play golf so there is a marketing opportunity. A guy who works for us is 80 next year and plays 5 times a week without electric trolley or buggy. He loves all golf especially the seniors.