December Silliness

The PGA Tour has graciously concluded the 1999 season. Instead of a well deserved break from televised golf, we must now endure the idiocy of a series of made specifically for TV events. "Skins Games", "Invitationals", mixed team tournaments, and events with just a handful of players in the field. The majority of these events are unwatchable.

Once upon a time, the tour season had a beginning and an end. There was time for the golfing public to focus on their own games instead of watching others play on television. No more. Televised golf is now a year round phenomenon. Apparently, the golfing demographic is so desirable to advertisers that events must be created out of thin air in order to anchor us in front of our TV sets every weekend. Don't some of these "tournaments" have the feel of the ridiculous and unworkable games we made up as eight year olds? And for the record, a "skins" game where one's own money isn't involved is sheer insanity. That's no game at all.

What would happen to these awkward spectacles if they were unwatched? If the events that are presently staged (and that word is chosen carefully)in December were ignored completely? Perhaps the sponsors of these fiascoes would get the message. Either have a real golf tournament or don't have one at all. We're throwing enough cash at the players as it is. They could probably use the break themselves.

The likelihood of December becoming televised golf free is remote at best. Okay, it won't happen. So let's make what we have to watch a little more like real life golf and a lot more entertaining. If you're going to manufacture tournaments, why not use a little imagination? Here are a couple of tournament format proposals that might make things interesting.

Format #1 - The four leading money winners on the PGA Tour bring their own checkbooks and go head to head in match play against four 18-36 handicappers. Handicap holders get all shots due to them. This event would be held on a strictly public golf course. One with unraked traps, and greens with weeds and bare spots. Pity the tour player with a bunker shot from a deep heel print to a tight pin on a green with no grass. Big fun.

Format #2 - The Top 60 (sorry, I'm old school and like the sound of it) money winners tee it up for tons of cash. If they normally play right handed, they have to play lefty, and vice versa. Ever try this ? It is exceptionally confusing. Mac O'Grady has retired so the

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