In case you haven't noticed, a little more than six months of 2006 have passed and with it half the golf year. So how has Jan-Jul 2006 gone for the PGA and LPGA Tours? Obvious answer: It’s the year of the commissioner. Unfortunately, despite the trials and travails of Phil Mickelson and the heroics of Karrie Webb, Se Ri Pak, and Annika Sorenstam, Mr. Finchem and Ms. Bivens have been commanding the lion’s share of the attention.
Were it not for Tiger (three victories and the passing of his father) and Phil (a Masters victory and a U.S. Open debacle), the PGA Tour would be flying way below the radar. It is on the verge of becoming the Stealth Tour. Do you remember Chris Holmes and J.B. Couch? (Or is it J.B. Holmes and Chris Couch?) Regrettably, Finchem’s attempt to pick up the publicity slack has been weak at best.
In an attempt to make The Player’s Championship the fifth major, he commanded attention by announcing he was digging up the golf course and building a new clubhouse - all for a cool $22-28 million. Recently, in an attempt to make the PGA Tour an even more viable product, Finchem announced the details of the 2007 FedEx(lax) Cup Race.
Even the Great Debater with his eloquent rhetoric and deflecting prose had troubles explaining a season-long process that will generate as much fan excitement as the Senior Skins Game. In short it’s a season-long numbers’ game with a $10 million carrot at the end of the stick. In the process Finchy has managed to screw several longtime, loyal communities with great PGA Tour events. Let’s count the initial Finchem carnage: the 109-year old Western Open will be no more.
In fact, PGA Tour golf will return to golf-nuts Chicago just every other year. A PGA Tour stop in Washington, D.C. will be no more. Between the two of these that ought to alienate about 25 percent of the golf market, not to mention the loyal B.C. Open. Way to go Finchy! Oh, and one final thing, way to grow the game.
And how damn lucky is Carolyn Bivens, LPGA Czarina? If that’s not the question of the day in the golf world, then it sure should be. Annika is back on her game; Juli Inkster at the experienced competitive age of 46 is still taking it to the young girls; an unexpected young star is emerging in Brittany Lincicome; and Paula, Natalie, Morgan and Ai are front and center every week.
These ladies are doing everything they can to market the LPGA. This is a no-brainer. All Ms. Bivens has to do is show up, smile and maintain harmony. Harmony? Whoa! All is not well in Candyland. Staffers have departed LPGA Headquarters faster than a Tony Stewart pit stop in Daytona. The Tournament Organizers Association is slightly disgruntled to say the least.
And, as you might expect, it follows that there are a multitude of accusations and questions flying around. Come on, Ms. Bivens, when your actions steal the spotlight from the players, all cannot be in harmony.
We can only hope for golf, just golf, for the rest of the year.
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