A lot has been said by the world’s best players about their packed schedules recently, but is it really possible to play too much golf?
It seems 2022 will be the year of division and debate in men’s professional golf. With the rise of LIV and the ensuing tweaks to the PGA Tour, it appears the top level of the sport is going to be changing a bit more in the months ahead – but is it better for us, the fans?
A great deal was said by several LIV players about their desire to play fewer tournaments when they made the move away from the PGA and DP World tours. A fair point – how many of us would like to work fewer hours, commute less, and receive greater pay? But what does this move mean for the fans?
I read with great interest the changes to the PGA Tour for 2023 following a players-only meeting led by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Among them is a move by the top-20 players, who will be identified by a revamped Player Impact Programme, to come together more often for an expanded list of elevated events. The release following that meeting suggests we’ll see them together at least 20 times per year. The small matter of the prize funds for these elevated events rising to at least $20 million was also mentioned.
For fans watching at home, this is a great move. I watch a lot of PGA Tour golf, but I dare say I’ll enjoy it more in the coming year when I know that the biggest stars are all teeing it up together. While there’s nothing wrong with one or two of the very best playing week to week, it does raise my interest when there are more star players competing together.
As for my own golf, would going down to 20, or even eight, competitions per year help? Looking back at 2020 and 2021, when Covid restrictions meant golf was one of the few things open to us, I played a hell of a lot, both practice rounds and competitive ones. There’s no doubt I improved because of the amount of play. But now life outside of golf is in full flow again, is it time to focus more on just a few playing windows? If it works for the world’s best, maybe it could work for me? Or is golf just too addictive? Perhaps the LIV guys will miss it once they’ve had a year or two of limited starts – only time will tell.
