The 19^th Hole

May 21, 2007

The Players’ Bounce?

The AT&T Classic used to have a pretty decent date on the PGA Tour schedule.  It was the week before the Masters in early April.  Usually, the tournaments stuck on the schedule a week before a major attract, how do I say, a lackluster field.  The field that played in the event was relatively strong considering that it was the week before a major championship.  Players that were not invited to the Masters wanted to get in some tournament play on a firm, but playable course at the TPC Sugarloaf.  Since the conditions at Sugarloaf vaguely resemble those of Augusta National, a number of players used the AT&T Classic as a tune up for the Masters.  The perfect combination of date and course kept the event in strong shape.

Then, the PGA Tour announced the 2007 schedule for the inaugural season of the FedEx Cup.  The date for the AT&T Classic had suddenly been moved.  The Shell Houston Open now occupied the space just before the Masters.  For its good service as a tour stop, the AT&T Classic was rewarded with a less desirable date – the week AFTER the Players Championship.

The date is much less desirable for a number of reasons.  First, even though the Players is not – and will never be – a major championship in an official sense, it is the strongest field of the year from top to bottom.  That means that all of the best are in the field.  Whenever that happens, for whatever reason, the highest ranked players in the world seem to collectively decide to not play at all the next week. 

For example, the field for the Verizon Heritage, the tournament after the Masters, is weaker than it would be were it at a different place on the schedule.  The host course, Harbour Town Golf Links, is one of Pete Dye’s best offerings (much like TPC Sawgrass) and would attract an even better field were it not for its tough date.

Next, the TPC Sugarloaf was a great course to help golfers prepare for Augusta National.  The greens are firm and fast like Augusta.  Players like the Norman design because it offers a lot of chances for birdies, but still requires precision to be successful.  It is located just a few hours away from Augusta in Duluth, so the proximity made for easy travel for Masters participants.  Also, the climate is very similar which gives the players a good feel for how the ball will behave.  The AT&T Classic was slotted perfectly as a preview for the Masters.

Now, though, there is not as much point to play in Duluth.  Sugarloaf does not really prepare players for another major venue or setup for later on in the season.  The purse for the event pales in comparison to the $9 million available at the Players.  After thinking and grinding so much at Sawgrass, a lot of players just want to take the week off to relax.

That leaves the most committed of the top tier players and those that are mediocre or struggling to populate the field at Sugarloaf. 

It is a common theme for this column to rag on the tournaments that produce lousy fields and the A-list players that do not commit more often to good events like the AT&T Classic.  This column is not an opportunity to lament either of those topics, though.  Rather, it is a chance to remark on another seemingly common theme – the mistakes of the PGA Tour.  For some reason, the PGA Tour could not recognize what I just laid out here in a few sentences.  They decided that it was a better decision to untie these perfectly aligned events and cause the AT&T Classic to suffer as a result.  Usually, the Tour schedules in its best interests – meaning that the Players would benefit.  In this case, it is not as though the Players got a better field because of moving this event.

I guess I am just confused by this move.  Last year, Phil Mickelson destroyed this event and finished thirteen clear of future major champion Zach Johnson and two-time Masters winner Jose Maria Olazabal.  This year, Zach Johnson (the 2004 champion of this event) beat Ryuji Imada in a playoff with such stars as Troy Matteson and Lee Janzen close behind. 

A solid event suffers for no good reason.  It is a decision like this that is in stark contrast to the series of very calculated behaviors related to last week’s Players Championship.  The bag pipes at the end of the round, the new clubhouse, the new date, and presentation area comprised a move set designed to make people think last week was a major.  That did not work. 

It seems that no matter if the Tour does something intentionally or for no good reason that golf fans suffer.  It almost is a good recommendation for the Tour to stop making decisions and let things work out themselves.  But, the history of bad decisions requires the Tour to continue to try and set things right.  It is a Catch 22 that hurts the Tour, its fan base, and credibility.  Perhaps then, it is time to have new people make key decisions and try to undo the mistakes that the same old group keeps making.

Ryan Ballengee is host of The 19th Hole Golf Show, found at The Golf Newsnet.com.  Having graduated from the University of Maryland in 2004 and 2006, Ballengee brings the perspective of the younger golf fan to the microphone and his columns.  Over the nearly five years he has been broadcasting and writing, Ballengee has developed a reputation for a unique interviewing style that asks both the difficult and fun questions. You can also get The 19th Hole on the go through podcasting by clicking here The Golf Newsnet Contact Ryan via e-mail at the19thholeshow@hotmail.com.