Many years ago, when Tiger Woods seemed to be at the end of his rope with a bad back and golf was threatening to lose its figurehead, the then PGA Tour Commissioner Finchem once said that Tiger was the greatest, no question: “But no one is taller than the game itself.” He was sorely wrong. This is evident once once more these days, in which the professional business is being subjected to an unprecedented acid test – here the establishment of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour with its crusty structures that have been painstakingly pimped up to now, there LIV Golf and its billion-dollar Saudi Arabian royal family competition circuit.
“He came personally because the topic is really important to him”
So the light figure Woods descended from heaven on Tuesday to form the ranks of his here on earth. Literally, because he flew specially from Jupiter/Florida to Philadelphia in order to personally attend the meeting of the tour-loyal top players in a hotel in Wilmington, which was scheduled during the week of the BMW Championship and which he helped to initiate. “He came because the subject is really important to him; because it’s something he didn’t want to cover via zoom call or conference call,” says “younger brother” and best buddy Justin Thomas.
That justifies the somewhat lyrical-sacral description of the performance. The 15-time major winner has distanced himself from LIV Golf; yes, he also stated ahead of the Open Championship that he didn’t think Greg Norman’s ambitions were in the best interests of the game and that he disagreed with the behavior of the LIV defectors “because they trample on what makes them great has made”.
Anger at Monahan’s ‘warfare’
The “warfare”, however, has so far been left to “Commish” Jay Monahan. So far, criticism and suggestions for reform have mainly been behind the scenes; Woods himself has mentioned a number of conversations in which, according to him, some things were cleared up and others were initiated to his satisfaction.
But the displeasure is now audible: Rickie Fowler criticizes the tour and authorities such as R&A or USGA for only reacting despite the “foreseeable development instead of acting proactively”; Mike Lorenzo-Vera accuses Woods and Rory McIlroy, the establishment’s first standard-bearer and steward – aka player director in the Tour board – not doing enough once morest LIV Golf, not showing their “anger at what’s happening clearly enough.
“Anointed Leader of the Crusade Against LIV”
Therefore, Woods’ participation in the Wilmington conspiratorial meeting, which dealt not only with the further handling of and measures once morest LIV Golf, but also with the future of the PGA Tour, was a remarkable event of considerable importance. The other side sees it the same way and speaks of a “Tiger Summit”: “It seems as if the golf legend Tiger Woods has now been anointed to lead the crusade once morest Greg Norman’s LIV Golf,” sneered the “Asian Golf” portal, a spokesman for the Asian Tour collected by Norman with money from Riyadh. A little whistling in the dark forest?
This, from Rory on Tiger’s impact at yesterday’s meeting:
Q. Did Tiger take a leadership position or was he just one of the guys talking when you guys all met?
RORY: I think it’s pretty apparent that whenever we all get in the room there’s an alpha in there, and it’s not me.
— Joel Beall (@JoelMBeall) August 17, 2022
After all, Woods didn’t just attend the meeting. “It’s pretty obvious when we’re all in a room that there’s an alpha guy – and I’m not,” Rory McIlroy describes the importance and impact of Tiger’s presence. There’s a lot of prose involved: “He’s the hero we all looked up to. His voice carries farther than anyone else in the Gulf. We’re a bunch of good players, but none of us are Tiger Woods.”
Justin Thomas “Ultimately, only his place counts”
Even at 46, following countless injuries and miraculous resurrections, with a still crooked gait and a more than uncertain sporting future, the superstar is the axis around which the world of golf revolves. Or as “little brother” and best buddy Justin Thomas put it yesterday: “If Tiger doesn’t support something, then first of all, that cause isn’t a good idea – and second, it won’t work. Nothing once morest us, but in the end only his place counts.”
Not everyone has to like that, in professional golf it is still a fact to a large extent. Just as it was with Arnold Palmer, whose word everyone listened to and counted on. For example, when Greg Norman wanted to bring in his idea of a world tour for the first time in the 1980s, the “King” spoke out once morest it and the colleagues followed suit – because it was said at the time: “What’s not good for Arnie is not for us good.” What a duality of events.
Agree on where to go
Aside from the hymns to Woods, participants have agreed not to disclose the course of the meeting, the talking points, the outcome and the content of the agenda to be handed over to “Commish” Monahan. There was only talk of a “good, productive meeting in high solidarity”. What to say when you don’t want to say anything.
Excited and honored to be the cover athlete for #PGATOUR2K23! More to come on 8/22 from @PGATOUR2K! #MoreGolfMoreGame pic.twitter.com/sksyYxa7pF
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) August 17, 2022
McIlroy let it all out a bit though. “The purpose of our gathering was, above all, to get the key players on the PGA Tour to agree on their stance and where we want to go. It was a great meeting in that regard.” He also believes that a key concern of the tour – also in response to LIV Golf – should be “bringing the top guys together more often than before”: “I’m talking regarding everyone in the same tournaments, all in same weeks.”
The “status tournaments” lack myth
There he has a point. “The PGA Tour has an arrogant streak that runs a mile. This can become a numbing routine week following week,” Michael Bamberger recently wrote for the “FirePit Collective”. With the prize money increase for the “status tournaments” in the regular season calendar or the introduction of the three international events for the top 50 of the FedEx Cup, things might go exactly in the direction suggested by McIlroy.
However, there is still another shortcoming. In Ponte Vedra Beach, one has neglected to give said “status tournaments” – analogous to the majors – a myth, to form a legend and legends, to emphasize the tradition more clearly. All of this can be screwed up with the appropriate creativity and communication, with actions and arrangements.
More prize money alone is not enough
More prize money for the Sentry Tournament of Champions, for the Genesis and Arnold Palmer Invitational, for the Memorial Tournament and the WGC Match Play, even for The Players Championship alone is not enough if the events otherwise stand on their own in terms of Nimbus education and at best be promoted with dry PR. Not to mention that when it comes to cash, LIV Golf can kill whatever the PGA Tour throws at the table anyway.
And another aspect: “The players were robbed of their individuality by the modern hit-and-run mentality, the main thing was that,” believes not only Michael Bamberger. Art and hitting skills on the ball and in dealing with the design, if it is still or once more in the game, cause a stir and reputation – in terms of players, course and tournament. Cameron Smith recently proved this impressively with his wedge and putting magic in St. Andrews.
Woods points the way ‘that is for our own good’
But who knows, maybe Tiger Woods, the new “De Facto Commissioner” (Alan Shipnuck), has that in mind as well. In any case, for Rory McIlroy, his job is to “navigate us in the direction that is in our best interest”.
