The European Tour is in trouble?

[Captainron]

Read a very interesting article in The times this morning. Basic premise is that of the 11 of the 12 players in this years Ryder Cup team are going to ply their trade on the US tour next year. Only Paul Lawrie will remain affilliated to the European tour. Westwood is moving his enmtire family to Florida and Colsaerts is going to try and earn his card (although after his tryder Cup I am sure he will be inundated with sponsors exemptions).

Now Tiger might be looking to play a few more events on this tour but these will be the marquee events where he will earn a klarge dollop iof appearance fee. The worry is that after the false hope that the European Tour would be on a par with its big hitting cousin, the bubble has well and truly burst.

I am sadened by this but the main motivator is, as in all things, money and simply put, sponsors in the US are prepared to put more up. I do notice that very few of the US events are poorly attended whereas alot of the European events seem to have very few surrounding the fairways. Its the old chicken and egg theory - players bring spectators who bring cash. Cash brings players. round and round we go.

When all the best players play in America it provides more rankings points per event because the fields are stronger. Players will also be drawn to the opportunity to move up the rankings.

I fear for the European Tours reputation

 

[Hobbit]

I think its inevitable that the tour will diminish in the next few years because of the exodus of the top players and also the curtailing of some events, e.g. the recent last minute cancellation of one of the top tour events in Spain. It may well be a vicious circle for a wee while with events not getting the fields they'd expected so sponsors dry up leading to more cancellations, which leads to a few more players moving to where the money is.

At the end of the day, it will be cyclical. Finances will eventually improve and new stars will rise to fill the gaps but in the short term things might not be too good.

 

[6inchcup]

seems to be a trend these days,the top players are wanting to ply their trade against the other top players and the only way it seems is to be in the states,the european tour has lost a few tournaments over the years and one or two have gone by the wayside this year,how many top international tournaments are played on these shores in a given season as opposed to the ones in the states were at least half a dozen on the top 20 will play in and thus generate the crowds,add this to the better weather and lifestyle choices for the players familys it becomes a no brainer.Does the cost element come into it in this country for spectators,apart from the travel costs and the cost of entry it is all the other costs that make going to a top tournament restrictive for a vast majority who have to watch the pennies,most of the tournaments in asia are actually free to enter for the fans,this is to encourage more people to take up the sport and in the states it is a few dollars to go,cheap fuel and the food and drinks are cheap and what is nicer than sitting in the sunshine having a cold beer and burger watching top golfers do their thing as opposed to a rainy windswept bleak bit of ground wrapped up and sipping a bovril to keep warm moaning that you don't know any one playing and it costing £50 .

 

[PhilTheFragger]

I think that they need to play a few more tournaments in the UK
Especially the midlands and south, they would be full of spectators
The only tournament that I can easily get to is the BMW at Wentworth, I'd love to go to more
Fragger

 

[Deleted member 1418]

In the latest GM, think Westwood admitted that his move was more for career purposes in that the weather will provide him with the opportunities to work more on his game and get himself right for the majors and other big tournaments seeing as he only has between 5 - 8 years max left at the top of the game.

 

[Andy808]

Maybe it's time to rebrand the European tour as the World golf tour. Most events aren't played in Europe any more unlike the PGA tour which only has 2 events outside the US with one in Mexico and one in Puerto Rico. The European tour should be looking to expand the interest in the tour by having it back on terrestrial tv and not just on sky. If it's doesn't do anything it will end up as a feeder tour for the PGA.

 

[jimbob.someroo]

If it's doesn't do anything it will end up as a feeder tour for the PGA.

Unfortunately, this is the only thing I can see happening at the moment.

One reason for this (in my humble opinion) is that we don't provide enough quality options for top golfers aged 16-20 to study and play/compete at the highest level, so they start their careers (and probably remain) out in the states. If they start there, and see the money that can be made, they're unlikely to come back. This means that the 'new wave' of really top level golfers (not tour journeymen) are going to be in the states.

This, in turn, raises the quality of the tour which means the top Europeans who didn't go through the US college route will sooner or later head over to compete against the best (and earn more money).

Not the main reason (which I guess is simply the money offered) but I think it will be a contributing factor over the next 5 years as potential pro's look to get a qualification of sorts before going on tour.

 

[MegaSteve]

The collapse of the European economy has impacted greatly on sponsorship all round... Lots of events have been lost here in Europe with only a limited number of replacements being found in 'greater europe' [the middle and far east]... Only one event here in England is not a good sign to the players... Why would the players wish to travel the world for potentially lower paydays when there's plenty of cash to be had just accross the water...

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I don't think we need to hit the panic button just yet. These things are cyclical and I do think the tour could do with trimming itself down and losing some of the lesser events (St Omer etc). Perhaps it needs to limit the top 100 to retain their card to make it more competitive and it does need more events in the UK especially England but it can only do this if it has the sponsorship interest so becomes a chicken and egg situation.

There are a few very good players in their early stages of their career on the tour and personally I think it will be good for our top players to improve their games playing against the best regularly. It may even help Europeans win more majors. I think the European Tour has a very strong business model and they won't let it go too far astray. I'm sure the "big guns" will play some events. In fact they have to to retain their European Tour status and be eligible for RC selection and so we won't lose them completely

 

[G1BB0]

Most of the top players cherry pick events, its more of a champions league mixture of all the tours for the top players than just playing one tour.

Some of the US events are crap as are some in Europe. we need to lose some of the mickey mouse events that dont attract the elite pro's as without them tv & sponsorship revenue will be minimal.

 

[thecraw]

Lawrie is a hero, that's my take on it all.

All hail Paul Lawrie the saviour of European Golf as we know it.

 

[Yer Maw]

As long as most Majors are in the US and players who don't want to play in relatively poor weather then the Euro Tour will struggle. It's sad that there isn't an English Open supported by the Brits, bit scandalous actually. But as Tom Watson and others say there's too much money in golf now so players don't really give one. It won't last though as it's all swings and roundabouts with sponsorship and the Asians will eventually have some impact too.
Why the Euro and PGA can't get together to create something which is the best of both and stronger is the most unfortunate aspect of it all.

 

[BTatHome]

Why the Euro and PGA can't get together to create something which is the best of both and stronger is the most unfortunate aspect of it all.

why would the PGA want to do such a thing? They have the biggest and most lucrative tour, that most players aspire to be part of. The vast majority of the guys that play on the PGA do not travel to other countries to play ... Why would they want to travel all over the world, why would they want to play less and getting less prize money?

 

[Captainron]

Lawrie is a hero, that's my take on it all.

All hail Paul Lawrie the saviour of European Golf as we know it.

Aberdeenshire does have the highest quality of life in the UK according to a recent survey.

 

[drutz]

As someone touched on here 3 of the majors are played for in the US. Now the Masters and the US Open need to be there but how about adding another major and having the British Open, Asian Open and a Middle East Open and as another poster said have a world tour not just a European.

 

[BTatHome]

As someone touched on here 3 of the majors are played for in the US. Now the Masters and the US Open need to be there but how about adding another major and having the British Open, Asian Open and a Middle East Open and as another poster said have a world tour not just a European.

because opens don't just happen like that ... And nobody would want to travel the world playing a single tour.

 

[hackerjack99]

I don't think we need to hit the panic button just yet. These things are cyclical and I do think the tour could do with trimming itself down and losing some of the lesser events (St Omer etc). Perhaps it needs to limit the top 100 to retain their card to make it more competitive and it does need more events in the UK especially England but it can only do this if it has the sponsorship interest so becomes a chicken and egg situation.

There are a few very good players in their early stages of their career on the tour and personally I think it will be good for our top players to improve their games playing against the best regularly. It may even help Europeans win more majors. I think the European Tour has a very strong business model and they won't let it go too far astray. I'm sure the "big guns" will play some events. In fact they have to to retain their European Tour status and be eligible for RC selection and so we won't lose them completely

Why would you say that? The debate was whether the euro tour was in trouble. That is just idiotic in my opinion. If sponsors aren't putting up the money anymore why bring the tour to england where there is no sponsorship money rather than expanding the tour where there is a commercial interest eg. Middle East

 

[thecraw]

because opens don't just happen like that ... And nobody would want to travel the world playing a single tour.

I disagree with that and I'm confident there will one day be a world tour. Greg Norman called for it for years and it will happen in my opinion. Why else do you think the USPGA is now trying to cash in on the far East Tours etc. Europe has done it and expanded into Australia, Africa, Middle East, Russia etc. Its only a matter of time!

 

[Tommo21]

Aberdeenshire does have the highest quality of life in the UK according to a recent survey.

I'm interested to know what that's about.

 

[BTatHome]

I disagree with that and I'm confident there will one day be a world tour. Greg Norman called for it for years and it will happen in my opinion. Why else do you think the USPGA is now trying to cash in on the far East Tours etc. Europe has done it and expanded into Australia, Africa, Middle East, Russia etc. Its only a matter of time!

mainly because at the moment, the busy in the us can play every single week if they want too because the tour locations are picked to allow easy travel. If you had tour events all over the world then they would have to have much bigger breaks inbetween. Less opportunities to play means less money. The big guys will still only play the same events they currently do.

Also having amalgamation between the tours means less opportunity for the lower ranked players, you can't combine 250 playes into e tournament, so the only way it will happen will be to have another tour still in operation, and that will piss off the majority of players as they would be relagated to another tour that would have a knock on effect to everyone below the top level and have even less prize money available. Suddenly you will have achieved very little but kill off a couple do the feeder tours.

I can see a time when a couple of events appear elsewhere ... Not sure the PGA tour would be looking too hard at that though, they already co sanction the wgc events and that's probably enough for them.