The PGA Tour have to make one big change in order to separate themselves from LIV Golf.
That’s according to a former PGA Tour winner who used Scottie Scheffler‘s dominance as an example of why the change has to be made.
LIV Golf was formed three years ago, and the Saudi-backed golf league instantly poached some of the PGA Tour’s biggest names.
However, the PGA Tour remains at the top of the tree, with LIV struggling to make inroads when it comes to attendance figures and television viewership numbers.
As the two parties continue to discuss a potential deal, the main sticking point between the PGA Tour and LIV is said to be the latter’s insistence on a team format.
There have been questions asked regarding whether Scheffler would have been as dominant on the PGA Tour if the likes of Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm were still playing.
The answer to that question is more than likely yes, but the PGA Tour have been told to make a big change in order to make their product a more attractive one for fans and sponsors.
PGA Tour must make a change due to Scottie Scheffler and LIV similarities
Arron Oberholser was speaking on the Golf Channel on Sunday, and the 2006 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am champion opened up on his desire for change.
The 50-year-old former PGA Tour player turned golf analyst has a problem with the way that Signature Events are constructed.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
And he has demanded a big change from the PGA Tour.
Oberholser said: “I’ll tell you what I want. This might be the player coming out in me. But what I want is I want cuts. I want cuts and to be different. Different than the LIV Tour. I want cuts at every Signature Event, I want a minimum of 100 guys. I don’t care if you cut it to 60 like the US Open or 55. But I want cuts and a minimum field of 100 at every event and maximum of 144.
“If you’re going to take away playing opportunities then I think you have got to increase fields somewhere. So increasing the field at Signature Events, I don’t think it takes anything away from the top players. It just gives those storylines an opportunity to brew and to potentially rise up. I like that.
“I think that creates more competition. I think some of the Signature Events actually get quite boring because when you get smaller fields like that you can get runaway winners on a regular basis to a certain extent, especially when you get a Scottie Scheffler who can dominate at times, or even a Rory. Any of those guys who can just roll up a bunch of 65’s in a row on a golf course and before you know it, it’s a snooze fest coming down the stretch. I don’t want that. I think the more guys you can get in the field, the more competition it’s potentially going to bring.
“So I want to see cuts everywhere and I want to see fields from 100 to 144. If you are going to cut from 156 to 144, then I think you have got to add to those other Signature Fields.“
One other change the PGA Tour must make to Signature Events
The suggestion from Oberholser regarding cuts being introduced to Signature Events is absolutely spot on.
However, further change is required.
The PGA Tour have to address how the elevated events are scheduled. Firstly, there should be no Signature Events held immediately after major championships.
The last thing players want after a mentally and physically draining week at a major is having to play another big tournament straight away.
Secondly, the PGA Tour need to space out the eight events more evenly throughout the calendar. All eight Signature Events have been played already and we’re not even in July!
With just a few small tweaks to the Signature Events, the PGA Tour would have a far better product.
