Greetings Golfers,

Golf is not all about the PGA TOUR. Most professional sports are about viewing – not playing. I watch the NFL, but I don’t play football. I have some crazy friends who still play hockey … but most of us are satisfied with playing golf.

So, the Tour is not vital to golf. Golf is more about playing the game than following the Tour. However, last week was not good for the PGA TOUR and golf.

The PGA TOUR was originally a winter tour of warm weather states for Northern PGA club pros to make some extra money. These were not rich guys. Television and Arnold Palmer changed everything. It became a tour of professional golfers – not golf professionals.

All professional sports have changed. I remember when MN Twins and Vikings used to have off season jobs such as selling cars or insurance.

Professional athletes were local heroes, but they were seldom rich.

Well, that’s all changed. Professional athletes are rich. The money is unbelievable. And, as we know, with money comes problems. Sure, money solves problems … but it creates other problems. Mainly in terms of perception and responsibility for those who have it.

Just ask Matt Kuchar. Last week, it became public that Kuchar only paid a caddie $5,000 after he won a tournament last fall in Mexico. He won $1,296,000. Normally, a caddie receives 10%. Well, this was a fill-in caddie and they had a last minute agreement.

This blew-up on social media … Kuchar at first defended his action by saying that $5,000 was a lot of money to this Mexican caddie. That did not help. After getting booed while playing in the Tour event at Riviera … Kuchar and his PR team came up with an apology and paid the caddie $50,000.

Perception. Ouch. Golf struggles with a perception as a rich guy game. This did not help.

Then, on Sunday, JB Holmes wins the tournament at Riviera playing a 5 1/2 hour round … 2 holes behind the rest of the field.

Slow play and entitled rich guys. If I’m the PGA TOUR Commissioner … I’ve got work to do.

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Deer Run Golf Club
8661 Deer Run Drive
Victoria, MN 55386
(952) 443-2351
www.deerrungolf.com
www.facebook.com/DeerRunGolf
www.twitter.com/DeerRunGolfClub