Golf: Made for TV vs.Tradition

By Gregg Downey,

Corporate Golf Workshops
Loco4Golf Contributing Columnists

Golfers have been exposed to a stark contrast of golf events during the last two weeks. The FedEx Cup, the so called PGA Tour Playoffs now in its fourth season concluded last weekend. Congratulations to Jim Furyk for his win! The Ryder Cup, its 38^th match in 83 years between Europe and USA got underway in Wales this last week and so far is living up to its expectations.

The last six weeks it has been somewhat embarrassing to watch the PGA Tour struggle to make the FedEx Cup relevant, so much so there is a 10 million dollar check awarded to the champion. On the other hand The Ryder Cup progresses along business as usual; the winning team receives a cup……that must be one nice cup.

The PGA Tour tries to create a playoff system that rewards a season champion. The Ryder Cup continues its traditional process, displays little flash and continues to receive the attention it so richly deserves. The PGA Tour has created clever commercials selling golfers on its playoff system but one could argue it is more about giving FedEx the exposure they deserve for their sponsorship. It appears all too contrived for the viewers as they try to figure out the complicated point system.  It may take seed in a few years but it has many challenges ahead.  Let’s hope they don’t lose their sponsor along the way. I’m not sure if “The Home Depot Cup” will have much zing.

In contrast, The Ryder Cup is all drama, it is not about a paycheck, it is about playing for your eleven teammates and coach. It is about representing your countryman and trying to bring home a cup that represents a part of golf history. It is intense pressure that some players have described as nothing like they have ever experienced on the PGA Tour.

The PGA Tour in the fall has historically been a time of rabbits, struggling golfers trying to hit the big time, seeking a check, chasing the last bit of money left on tour in hopes of earning a spot on the sacred 125 money list. The Ryder Cup is a biannual event that has been played for 83 years. Recently added to the fall schedule is the Presidents Cup. In the off year it pits the USA Team against the International Team. These cups have provided the drama for golfers in the slow fall golf season.

The Ryder Cup is not seeking ratings, it is not seeking made up drama it is concerned about providing a challenging venue for golf. The play is not a long drawn out process that drags on like American Idol. The Ryder Cup is three days packed full of golf, a total of 90-holes played in a team format match play style. The courses they play are difficult and challenging but the true challenge is the match play and the pressure they feel as representatives of their country.

Maybe I have had my fill of Dan Hicks and Johnny Miller. When the announcer tells me that one putt will jump a player from 35^th to 21^st in the points I sense they are overdramatizing golf for the ratings.

The PGA Tour can have its playoffs but they need to get their act together and knock off the American Idol false drama. The real drama on the PGA Tour in the fall is when golfers are playing for their livelihood. A player adding a $225,000 check to his $5,000,000 career earnings is not high drama.  A player seeking a check of any size while his wife sits home barefoot and pregnant; that is drama. That is the best high drama “Reality TV” available to the PGA Tour.

The PGA Tour now has time to evaluate how to make the script better for next year. They should a more clever media package, more money, or a more complicated point system. The Ryder Cup will concentrate on qualifying its 12 players for another cup in 2012 with or without the cameras.

At this point of the 2010 Ryder Cup entering the final day of single matches the USA Team trails the European Team by 3 points and needs to mount a charge to retain the cup. It may be too much to overcome. It appears the USA players may have been on the “PGA Tour TV Set” too long. I guess the odds makers forgot to calculate how exhausting it can be to shoot a PGA Tour Playoff TV show.


Gregg Downey

Downey & Associates, Inc.
Office 480 832-3035 Fax 480 422-0057
http://www.corporategolfworkshops.com