World Golf Tour

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There are so many great courses around the world, hosting some top tournaments, but very few of the elite players travel to them. So I'd love to see a world tour taking in such events as the Australian Open, Indian Open, some of the top European events, Middle Eastern swing, bigger PGA events, South Africa etc etc etc

Could they make a tour (offering more ranking points) for the very best players to travel more and take the game around the globe more?

Surely the sponsors would follow the big name players?
 

r0wly86

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I would really hope so. The game is truly global now, it seems stupid just to stick to the PGA tour as the main one.

Maybe something like each tour can nominate 5 tournaments that have double ranking points or something like that. It's such a shame that the PGA sucks in all the best talent from the other tours. I don't blame them for going as the money and ranking points are much better. But it would be great to have McIlroy, Rose, Garcia ect all playing regularly in the European Tour
 
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It's a great idea but I am pretty certain that the PGA Tour would scupper it.

After all they successfully saw off Greg Norman's similar idea around 20 years ago.

If top players were to desert the PGA Tour then its TV and sponsorship revenues would take a massive hit and I can't see any Tour Commissioner accepting that without a fight

But if it were to take off then I would be all for it.
 

Imurg

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In theory it's an idea but there would be a lot of drawbacks
The lesser tours would take a hit as they'd never get any top players competing so the money will drain towards the World Tour

Offering more WR points - there would be more top 100 playing so that would be automatic- would make it very difficult for anyone to break into that top 100.

You'd be expecting the US players to travel more..much more.
A lot of them don't like traveling far that often.
Not saying it's a bad idea but it would need a lot of thought to iron out the many potential creases
 

HomerJSimpson

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There is absolutely no reason for members of the PGA Tour to do it though. They have the largest tour, and have it set for players to easily travel between events.
Exactly. The majority of the US based players are reluctant to travel overseas very often by perhaps the Open and the very highest ranked overseas events and are content to play the PGA tour. The PGA themselves won't want their brand watered down with players jumping ship to a world tour and so will block it.
 
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Isn't this basically what the Rolex series sets out to achieve?
No.
The Rolex is for the European Tour - has nothing to do with the Yank, Aussie, Saffer, Asian tours etc - I'm talking WORLD tour
 
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There is absolutely no reason for members of the PGA Tour to do it though. They have the largest tour, and have it set for players to easily travel between events.
World golf needs to give them a reason.

The Aussie Open was almost a 5th major back in the day, won by all the greats, but now very few top non-Aussies play it. Why not give them a reason to play it?
 

BTatHome

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World golf needs to give them a reason.

The Aussie Open was almost a 5th major back in the day, won by all the greats, but now very few top non-Aussies play it. Why not give them a reason to play it?
Usually because to travel to and from it means many many more hours and that probably means missing other tournaments.

The only way to do it is to give huge appearance fees, and make it away from any other tournaments that players will want to play. Appearance fees mean mega sponsors and even that doesn't guarantee players will attend.
 
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Unfortunately like most things in life, money talks, great idea, but unless they found sponsors to dwarf the rewards found on the US PGA Tour it wouldn’t get off the ground imo.
 

r0wly86

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does this all boil down to the fact that there isn't a true world governing body.

If there was a World Golf Union who were the sole body in charge of ranking points etc then they could spread some big tournaments around the world. But what we have now is the PGA has by far the biggest as the de facto governing body of the world and they will only do things in their own interest not in the greater interest of the sport
 

duncan mackie

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does this all boil down to the fact that there isn't a true world governing body.

If there was a World Golf Union who were the sole body in charge of ranking points etc then they could spread some big tournaments around the world. But what we have now is the PGA has by far the biggest as the de facto governing body of the world and they will only do things in their own interest not in the greater interest of the sport

The official World Golf Ranking points are already managed by a seperate body that was founded across the R&A, USGA, USPGA, PGATour, European Tour, Masters committee and at least one other group.
Just about every professional tour worldwide is eligible to operate events at which points can be achieved.
Is there any evidence that it's not balanced? Note, the whole purpose of a ranking system is to reflect relative capability and performance....points have to ultimately reflect the field.
Whilst there's inevitably chicken and egg issues, they get ironed out over time.
 

r0wly86

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The official World Golf Ranking points are already managed by a seperate body that was founded across the R&A, USGA, USPGA, PGATour, European Tour, Masters committee and at least one other group.
Just about every professional tour worldwide is eligible to operate events at which points can be achieved.
Is there any evidence that it's not balanced? Note, the whole purpose of a ranking system is to reflect relative capability and performance....points have to ultimately reflect the field.
Whilst there's inevitably chicken and egg issues, they get ironed out over time.

but they aren't a true governing body like in other sports. We have a silly situation where the R&A and USGA do their own rules, the handicap systems vary from union to union.

In other sports often the governing body will take actions that may reduce short term profit in the attempt to promote world wide participation. I think golf doesn't have that and will continue to be dominated by the PGA
 

duncan mackie

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but they aren't a true governing body like in other sports. We have a silly situation where the R&A and USGA do their own rules, the handicap systems vary from union to union.

In other sports often the governing body will take actions that may reduce short term profit in the attempt to promote world wide participation. I think golf doesn't have that and will continue to be dominated by the PGA

We will have to disagree - it's not dominated by the PGATour, it's dominated by money and the PGATour is extremely good at marketing the product and raising money.

The R&A and USGA no longer do their own rules and work continues to deliver a single core WHS, against which local conditions will continue have some element of differential for exactly the reason you highlight as the right reason - to promote participation.

My main point is that they are in sole charge of the ranking points, contrary to your post.
 

r0wly86

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We will have to disagree - it's not dominated by the PGATour, it's dominated by money and the PGATour is extremely good at marketing the product and raising money.

The R&A and USGA no longer do their own rules and work continues to deliver a single core WHS, against which local conditions will continue have some element of differential for exactly the reason you highlight as the right reason - to promote participation.

My main point is that they are in sole charge of the ranking points, contrary to your post.

The PGA do dominate, but down to the fact that they have all the money. It would be similar if UEFA dictated terms to the rest of the footballing world, of the RFU. The governing bodies are there to stop the biggest union from dominating all aspects of the game. So even though the RFU is richest union in rugby they have the same say as every other country in World Rugby.

My point about the ranking points was that the governing body could if they wished attribute greater ranking points to tournaments around the world, rather than it just be reflection of the field, where again the PGA will dominate as the richest union. It could be a policy where the governing body would attribute more point to the Aus Open, a few European Tour events, South African Open etc. Potentially then tempting players on the PGA to move around more and grow the game
 

r0wly86

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also the World Handicap system is a step in the right direction but won't mean all handicap systems are the same, just more similar.

As with the rules we are still in a situation where the 2 biggest unions have taken it upon themselves to keep and update the rules, rather than an international governing body with representatives from every country and tour
 

duncan mackie

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My point about the ranking points was that the governing body could if they wished attribute greater ranking points to tournaments around the world, rather than it just be reflection of the field, where again the PGA will dominate as the richest union. It could be a policy where the governing body would attribute more point to the Aus Open, a few European Tour events, South African Open etc. Potentially then tempting players on the PGA to move around more and grow the game

And my point is that then those world rankings wouldn't reflect the players relative capabilities, and would lose its value - and a third party would step in (as happens quite frequently)...

Rankings are the wrong target to manipulate, even if the reason has merit.
 
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