WESTWOOD JOINS PGA TOUR

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Apparently everyone's favourite is off once again to grab the riches of the PGA Tour.
Explaining this decision, he says, inter alia, "The FedEx Cup looked pretty good on television this year, and I thought it would be great to give it a go, having never taken part." He also says "It just feels right to me in a Ryder Cup year to commit to a full programme in the United States."

I wish him well and hope that this will help him win the major(s) he so richly deserves.

Serving the better interests of golf, and the interests of the PGA Tour are mutually exclusive as far as Timmy's concerned.
No-one on the PGA Tour doubts the commercial wisdom of Finchem, though a later generation may find they have a heavy price to pay for Finchem's short-sighted, very America first-second-and-third policies and practices.

It's still worth noting that the Membership of the PGA Tour have still not gained any access to the books of the PGA Tour, despite the best efforts of Messrs Norman, Azinger, Edwards, Brooks, Rinker etc down the years. If one or two of these names are now less familiar than they should be, it's because they have been almost blackballed by Finchem.

kwini ... presumably though, Finchem must be accountable to someone or some persons though?

Not sure if I've remembered this correctly but didn't Norman practically accuse Finchem of raiding the players pension fund to buy Sawgrass? Up to that point, I'd always thought the players were his boss.

kwini

What is the setup of the PGA Tour, is it not classed as a company and therefore filing accounts to the US equivalent of Companies House? If that is the case, I thought these were then available for public viewing?

Has anyone ever seen Finchem and Blatter in the same room?

Maverick - Put yourself in a US tour player's shoes: you make a living chasing a little white ball. You can ply your trade close to your family and friends and in a culture you are intimately familiar with. The purses are huge and the endorsement deal potential is also significant. Putting your energy full time against the US tour makes perfect sense for most.

Shotrock wrote:Maverick - Put yourself in a US tour player's shoes: you make a living chasing a little white ball. You can ply your trade close to your family and friends and in a culture you are intimately familiar with. The purses are huge and the endorsement deal potential is also significant. Putting your energy full time against the US tour makes perfect sense for most.

Quite shortsighted and lacking imagination though in my opinion.

Many of the top American players are rich beyond what they could possibly spend. If I were in such an American pro's shoes, I'd be travelling the world playing top events, at the very least I'd be a member of both tours.
Although perhaps we're going back and confirming the stereotype of American insularity again.

Kwini - Exactly. If the better "interests" of golf as you or anyone sees them and the PGA tour happen to intersect it will be coincidence. Promoting the US PGA tour (events to be specific) is what Finchem is hired to do. Because we can never set aside a test group, impossible to say if his policies are maximizing short and long term profitability goals. Still, having top guns like West and Rory committing to more events is a good thing.

S_R - Freedom of choice in action. I know what could be classified as a "mid level" pro. I run into him somewhat frequently. He actually won on tour this year. Has 4 young kids. The US tour offers him great opportunity. Call is insular all you want, I'll guarantee you he calls it his best opportunity to work and maintain the family balance he desires.

I suppose so, It's just a shame that most American's "freedom of choice" is so predictable and doesn't seem to stretch to adventure.

Your mate isn't the only golfer to have children though, and I think you'll find plenty Europeans who have (shock horror) procreated several times yet still see the positives in doing a bit of moving around for their benefit and their children.

It might broaden their minds a bit too, "inbred rednecks" like Bubba Watson would do well to try a bit harder, might give Finchem something to think about too.

super_realist wrote:I suppose so, It's just a shame that most American's "freedom of choice" is so predictable and doesn't seem to stretch to adventure.

Your mate isn't the only golfer to have children though, and I think you'll find plenty Europeans who have (shock horror) procreated several times yet still see the positives in doing a bit of moving around for their benefit and their children.

It might broaden their minds a bit too, "inbred rednecks" like Bubba Watson would do well to try a bit harder, might give Finchem something to think about too.

How many European players would have moved over to the PGA Tour if it wasnt for the financial incentives. Probably a big fat zero.

That's the point though Diggers, people like Westwood, Donald, Poulter etc don't actually need to be there for the money, similarly Woods, Mickelson, Furyk etc have more than enough money for it to be an excuse to stay over there permanently.

Perhaps I just have more wanderlust than them, but I'd be incredibly bored if I spent my whole life working in just one country simply for convenience, especially when the opportunity is so readily available to these guys to spread their wings (and global reputations and test their skills elsewhere) a bit.

If I got to the end of my career and all I could say was that I won competitions but only in one place I'd be pretty disappointed. To me, it's far more impressive to say you won all over the world.
People like Furyk and Stricker simply can't say that.

Think you are confusing needing and wanting. You have no idea of their financial desires. look at Westwood if you want proof, one minute the Fedex is an obscene cash fest and the next he is lauding it as a great event. More like he thinks if Hass can win that much cash then so can I.
Also I really dont think you see that much of the world travelling around playing sports. This comes up time and time again when sportsmen are interviewed, they dont actually get to see the places they compete in, its just a blur of airports, hotels and limos.
Guys like Furyk will be well aware of this, if they want to go and see somewhere they can take their families on 5 star holidays there.

d4s,
Not completely sure and don't want to enter deep water by trying to interpret what I think.
Whatever it is, it's developing huge pension pay-out entitlements for its most successful members, including Shotrock's acquaintance who is by no means one of the more insular players. But salaries for Administrators within the Tour are also huge and make all their trumpetting about money raised for charity look more than hollow.
Primary charity is their salaries and, by extension their pension fund, anything going to needy causes is very much petty cash by comparison.

America in a nutshell.

Considering the huge prize that McIlroy won in China a few weeks ago, soon the far east will be the most lucrative destination to play professional golf. Maybe the players should be looking more in that direction in the future.

It's perhaps worth remembering why the europeans had to go east in the first place viz an increasing dearth of sponsors on the european continent. Aside from the extra dosh, I think this has had the beneficial effect of toughening up players and is perhaps why we are now beginning to see european players (alright then Gareth ... irish golfers ) win some majors.

According to Martin Kaymer, both Mcilroy and Westwood are a "little strange"!!

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golftalkcentral/kaymer-finds-westwood-mcilroy-membership-odd/?hj=xfs

Spiffy, You could be right but I didn't get that impression. I thought it had more to do with being seen to do (and say) the politically correct thing at the time. Having said that, I totally agree that he is at liberty to choose and to change his mind however and whenever he sees fit, I just wish that some of the more extreme remarks that such decisions seem to bring out from some so called "fans", especially under the guise of patriotism, were a little more considered.
Gael, You could well be right there, I think after the giddy but short lived euphoria of reaching number 1 spot, there has been little to shout about.
I wonder if LW is as hungry now?
All of the above comments seem to suggest that there are more reasons for Europeans to play in the US than there are for Americans to play in Europe. I don't think it has anything to do with insularity. As someone else has suggested, Americans love to travel, but moreso for pleasure than for business perhaps.

I wonder if the understory here is that Chubby campaigned hard for some sort of semi-membership (play 11 or 12 events but no FedEx Cup) for Rory and LW and failed to achieve it?
That compromise was certainly being rumoured in the aftermath of Rory's Congressional win. Would go some way towards explaining both of McIlroy's Tour and agent decisions. Pure speculation.

kwini,

Your guess would add up. There did seem to be a conflict for Rory rejoining the US Tour and remaining with Chubby. No obvious advantages joining an Irish Management Team so could well be to dis-associate himself with Chubby.

Lets add to the speculation.

Rory probably decided to rejoin the US Tour within a few months of winning the US Open. I would expect his people were then busy securing as much off the course revenue States side as possible and perhaps "Chubby" is not a popular guys with US sponsers etc.

Scottie - I follow your logic and am inclined to agree. Chubby's primary job for Rory is to make sure he gets as much endorsement $ as possible. Rory's got the golf skill thing covered. I'm not sure if you live in the states, but if you do you're well aware of all the hype surrounding Rory ... his dramatic fall at Augusta, only to be followed up by an amazing US Open. He's got the potential to be a very hot commodity stateside for many, many years to come.

How popular and plugged into the US endorsement scene is Chubby? I have no idea, but you can be sure Horizon convinced team Rory they can do a fine job on that front.

Rory'll be wearing cardigans in no time.

The agent switch doesn't matter a hoot, Rory could have his Mum/Dad/Cousin/Best Mate/Mr. Blobby/You/I as his Agent and I bet it wouldn't make one slight bit of difference in terms of the money/contracts rolling in.

Sure, if your a young/inexperienced pro starting out it makes perfect sense to have a reputable agent who isn't going to shaft you and more importantly already has contacts for squaring up deals with the major equipment/clothing brands. Flip-reverse it and you have a young, gifted major winner and potential world #1. Does anyone think that the Oakley and Santander deals for example were signed and sealed because of Chubby? Obviously I don't know but I would strongly imagine they were signed because they wanted Rory.

I would say that Lee is joining the PGA Tour because he already has his exemption from European Tour and perhaps Finchem et al refused to budge with what Kwini mentioned with regard to loosening the terms of retaining your playing card?

Shotrock,

I'm in cold, wet and windy Scotland. Hope the weather in Phili is better.

I think 2012 should be a good year for the US Tour. Rory and Westwood back, Tiger on the way back (I thinks so, but others may not agree) and several young US players now established.

We get the US golf on sky every weekend over here. When Tiger and Rory play the same events it will be interesting who the cameras spend most time watching.

For the last 10 years we have became used to the "Tiger Show" in the UK when he has not been contending. Not a problems for me as I always liked to watch him play, but often disrespectfull to the other players not getting their fair share (especially Europeans only a couple of shots off the lead).

Will Rory be a bigger draw than Tiger in the US next year?

Gareth,

Your spot on. Oakley have realised their paying Rory a fortune for wearing a belt. He's actually an advert for not wearing sunglasses on a golf course.

Ship him to the States where there's a bit more sun.

Scottie,
I would think Oakley are using Rory (and Keegan Bradley) more to build up their "apparel" line, Oakley shirts; quite a nice change I would say, becoming more and more visible in retailers here. And presumably there.

ScottieD18 wrote:Gareth,

Your spot on. Oakley have realised their paying Rory a fortune for wearing a belt. He's actually an advert for not wearing sunglasses on a golf course.

Ship him to the States where there's a bit more sun.

I've found his non-wearing of the sun-glasses to be humerous, the only tourny I remember him wearing them was Chevron last year and I think that was only the first two rounds.

He wears their T's and Trousers also, never purchased (or indeed seen any in any of the local shops/superstores) would be interesting to see their sales of non-sunglasses products since he signed.

Gareth,

I recall he went through a phase of wearing them between shots, then a phase of keeping them on the back of the hat all the time.

I think he's lost them and doesn't want to ask for replacements in case they twig that he no longer wears them.

I've tried sunglasses a few times but a several problems for me.

1 - My big nose with a high bridge means I am seeing the ball under the lenses at address.
2 - With full shots I don't have the same awareness of the lie and any undulations.
3 - On the greens I can't read the putts as good.

Oh. Just remembered the main reason. You look like a prat playing with Sunglasses on in Scoltland - even in the summer.

Scottie - Weather in Philly great at the moment, but that can change quickly. In fact, played yesterday in short sleeves! ... and two groups behind was a touring pro who was simply blasting drives into parts unknown by us mere mortals.

Should be a great year for the US tour ... not long to wait.