Debating state of PGA Tour prestige, field size ahead of The Players | Golf Central | Golf Channel

Golf Central debates the level of prestige entering The Players Championship and if the impact of not having players like Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka playing, as well as the state of field sizes on the PGA Tour. #GolfChannel #GolfCentral #ThePlayers
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Debating state of PGA Tour prestige, field size ahead of The Players | Golf Central | Golf Channel
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KNAPP, JUST ONE LAST YEAR. BEFORE BAY HILL, THE SHORTEST FOR EVENTUAL CHAMP, JACK KNAPP. THAT’S IN MEXICO. BECAUSE OF THE 17 OF THE LAST 30 WINNERS NOT IN THE FIELD, CAN NO LONGER CLAIM TO BE THE BEST FIELD IN GOLF. >> NEVER THOUGHT IT WAS.

I THOUGHT THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP WAS THE BEST. AS EUROPEANS LOOKING OVER THE FENCE, WANTING TO PLAY, 51 IN THE WORLD, WEREN’T IN. IT’S ARROGANT TO CALL IT BEST FIELD IN GOLF WHEN THE 51 IS NOT GETTING IN. IF IT WANTS TO BE RECOGNIZED AS

A FIFTH MAJOR, SHOULD HAVE BEEN A LOT MORE OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS THAN IT WAS. IT’S A PGA TOUR EVENT, I GET THAT. BUT IF YOU WANT TO BE CONSIDERED UP IN THAT ECHELON, THAT CONVERSATION WITH MAJORS, YOU HAVE TO BE MORE OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS.

IN OUR DAY. IT’S DIFFERENT NOW WITH MORE AND MORE PLAYERS PLAYING THE PGA TOUR, BUT ALWAYS FELT THAT THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP HAD THE STRONGEST FIELD IN GOLF. >> IT’S A GOOD POINT. I LOOK AT THIS AS A PREMIER EVENT ON THE PGA TOUR WITH BEST

PLAYERS OF THE DP WORLD TOUR WITH ACCESS TO THE EVENT. >> ONLY TO THE WORLD RANKINGS. >> MY POINT WAS PLENTY OF YEARS THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD WERE NOT IN THE EVENT. I TAKE YOUR POINT. FACT THEY COULDN’T GET IN WIAS N OVERSIGHT CORRECTED OVER TIME.

BUT I DON’T THINK IT HIT THE PRESTIGE IN THAT ERA TERRIBLY. BUT DAMAGED TO SOME EXTENT. THIS EVENT, SOME OF THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD ARE NOT HERE IS A MILD DISAPPOINTMENT, BUT THIS EVENT IS — >> I THINK IT’S MORE THAN MILD. >> I DON’T.

>> YOU DON’T? >> IF YOU DO, THAT’S FAIR. >> JON RAHM AND CAMERON SMITH WOULD HAVE ADDED TO IT. >> THEY DECIDED TO PLAY ANOTHER TOUR. THIS IS TO CELEBRATE THE BEST OF THE PGA TOUR AND THE DP WORLD TOUR. PLAYERS GOING TO LIV HAVE BEEN

CORDED AWAY NOT WITH PRESTIGE BUT GREED. PRESTIGE COMES NOT BECAUSE OF THE MONEY BUT THE GAUNTLET, THE COURSE, TOUR THEY PLAY ON. I LOOK AT THIS EVENT AS A REWARD FOR SUPPORTING THE PGA TOUR AND ITS FOUNDATION OF PHILANTHROPY. THAT’S WHAT THE PGA TOUR HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT.

THIS IS MEANT TO BE A REWARD FOR BEING A PLAYER ON THE PGA TOUR AND ONE OF THE BEST ON THE DP WORLD TOUR. IT’S A MILD DISAPPOINTMENT, MAYBE YOURS IS MORE THAN MILD THEY’RE NOT HERE, BUT YJI DON’T THINK IT DETRACTS FROM THE

PRESTIGE IN A MAJOR WAY. >> IF IT WASN’T A MAJOR EVERY OTHER CLASSIFICATION, IT WAS CLOSE. IF YOU WON THIS, IT WAS VERY CLOSE TO WINNING A MAJOR. CAN YOU NOW SAY THAT SAME THING WITH RAHM AND KOEPKA AND DeCHAMBEAU AND THEM ALL GONE?

>> IT’S A MOMENT OF TIME, ALL LIV IS. TEMPORARY. IF YOU GO BACK TO 2010 AND LOOK AT THE MONEY LIST, MOST OF THE PLAYERS ON THE TOP TEN ARE EITHER OUT OF THE GAME OR 3,000th IN THE WORLD RANKINGS. 2015, YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT LIST,

SAY YOU’VE GOT MARVELOUS PLAYERS STILL AROUND, SPIETH, DAY, FOWLER, McILROY, JOHNSON, ET CETERA. NOWHERE WERE THE GUYS AT THE TOP NOW. THE PGA TOUR HAS A FEEDER SYSTEM, DIRECT LINE TO CREATING STARS. THIS YEAR WE’VE BEGAN TO CREATE NEW STARS. FIVE MORE YEARS, MOST OF THE

STARS NOW WON’T BE TOP OF THE GAME. THE FACT THAT LIV BOUGHT A FEW PLAYERS, IT’S A PLACE IN TIME. >> FAIR POINT. >> THEY WON’T HAVE THAT GAME IN FOUR, FIVE YEARS AND THE PGA TOUR WILL CARRY ON DEVELOPING SUPERSTARS.

>> ALSO DISCUSSION IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS WHAT IS THE RIGHT NUMBER OF PLAYERS FOR AN EVENT. THIS WEEK IS FULL, 144. LAST WEEK 69 AS PART OF THE SIGNATURE EVENT SERIES. 80 AT PEBBLE, 70 AT RIVERA. >> WHERE WERE YOU ON THE IDEA OF

HAVING A CUT FOR THE EVENTS, LEGACY SIGNATURE EVENTS? WERE YOU GOOD, WOULD YOU PREFER NOT? >> I WAS INDIFFERENT. I THINK WHEN ALL THE SIGNATURE EVENTS WERE THOUGHT OF, WE WERE THINKING NO CUT. BUT IF IT’S IMPORTANT ENOUGH, OR NOT IMPORTANT TO TIGER AND JOCK,

IF ARNOLD WERE ALIVE, IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR HIM, IT’S THEIR TOURNAMENT END OF THE DAY, THEY CAN DO OF WHAT THEY WANT. I COULD HAVE WENT EITHER WAY. IF IT’S IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR THOSE GUYS, WE’LL HAVE A CUT. >> WOULD YOU HAVE PREFERRED MORE PLAYERS?

ONLY 69 IN THIS ONE, WAY IT WORKED OUT. DID THEY NEED TO LOOK AT THAT? >> NO, I’M ALL FOR MAKING IT MORE CUTTHROAT AND COMPETITIVE. PROBABLY WON’T BE POPULAR BUT I’M FOR LESS PLAYERS AND LESS TOUR CARDS, BEST OF THE BEST.

>> WHY DO YOU ALWAYS SPEAK YOUR MIND, THERE ARE A COUPLE GUYS NOT HAPPY WITH SMALLER FIELDS COMMENT YOU MADE YESTERDAY. >> WHY WOULDN’T I SPEAK MY MIND, I GUESS. YOU ASKED MY OPINION, I’LL GIVE IT TO YOU, NOT GOING TO STAND UP HERE AND LIE TO YOU.

>> SPEAKING OF YOUR OPINION, WHEN YOU SAY MORE CUTTHROAT, WHAT IS THE NUMBER OF GUYS KEEPING THEIR CARD EACH YEAR MOVING FORWARD IF YOU HAD YOUR WAY, TALKING LIKE 100, LESS? >> UM, I GUESS I HAVEN’T THOUGHT ABOUT IT THAT HARD.

I GUESS MY THING IS, I’M FOR MORE CUTTHROAT AND COMPETITIVE. AND TRYING TO GIVE PATHWAYS TO THE YOUNGER GENERATION THROUGH KORN FERRY, PGA TOUR U. RATHER HAVE MORE — YEAH, INSTEAD OF — FEEL LIKE THERE’S A LOT OF CATEGORIES ON TOUR, PEOPLE ARE SORT OF STILL

BENEFITTING OFF WHAT THEY DID FIVE, TEN YEARS AGO. I FEEL LIKE THE MOST COMPETITIVE PROFESSIONAL GOLF PRO IN THE WORLD SHOULD HAVE TO PROVE YOURSELF YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR. >> I THINK IT WOULD BE AMAZING IF OUR TOUR WAS 100 GUYS AND

I’VE SAID THIS A FEW TIMES, 100 GUYS, 20 RELEGATED EVERY TIME, DOESN’T MATTER WHO YOU ARE. I THINK IT WOULD BE EXCITING. COME DOWN TO THE END OF THE YEAR, WHO IS GOING TO WIN THE FEDEX, WHO IS NOT GOING TO BE HERE NEXT YEAR.

I’M PROBABLY WITH RORY ON THAT. I DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER IS. BUT I THINK IT’S JUST NICE TO ELEVATE THE PRODUCT AND MAKE IT TO WHERE THE BEST PLAYERS ARE PLAYING ON TV MORE OFTEN AGAINST EACH OTHER. >> LUCAS GLOVER TOLD “GOLF WEEK”

HE DOESN’T LIKE THE IDEA AT ALL, SELFISH, A MONEY GRAB. NOTHING THAT’S HAPPENED IN THE LAST TWO YEARS OF GOLF WILL HELP THE GAME. WHAT’S SO BAD WE HAVE TO DO ALL THE THINGS WE’VE DONE. I’M GETTING TOWARDS THE GET OFF MY LAWN DAD, I DON’T SEE WHAT

WAS SO PAD WE HAD TO DO ALL THIS. RAISE PURSES TO KEEP GUYS AROUND BUT WE’VE ELIMINATED OPPORTUNITIES FOR REALLY GOOD PLAYERS. YOU DON’T LIKE WHERE IT’S HEADED, WHY? >> I ENJOYED THE DISCUSSION FROM RORY McILROY AND WYNDHAM CLARK AND LUCAS GLOVER. TALKING ABOUT THE PLAYERS

RUNNING THE TOUR RATHER THAN RUN BY SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMEN. TO THE POINT THAT PLAYERS ARE PINING TO REDUCE THE SIZE OF FIELDS, THE GAME HAS NEVER EXPANDED AT GREATER RATE, ECONOMICS EXPANSION, ET CETERA. SOME OF THE OTHER COMPETITIVE SPORTS ON THE MAJOR LANDSCAPE IN

THE UNITED STATES, HOW MANY PLAYERS IN THE NFL? ALMOST 2,000. IN THE NHL, OVER 1,000 PLAYERS IN THE NHL. NBA, 450. MLB, 780. START TO TALK ABOUT REDUCING THE SIZE OF THE PGA TOUR DOWN TO 100 — WHAT IS INTERESTING ABOUT THIS, ESSENTIALLY AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, CERTAINLY AFTER COLLEGE,

ALMOST NO ONE PLAYS THESE SPORTS ON THIS BOARD, YET THERE’S AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES TO PLAY THEM AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. GOLF AROUND THE GLOBE, 75 MILLION PEOPLE PLAY THE GAME OF GOLF. WITH ALL THE ECONOMIC EXPANSION AND GLOBAL EXPANSION OF THE GAME OF GOLF, PLAYERS TALKING ABOUT

NOT EXPANDING THE GAME BUT CONSTRICTING THE GAME AND REDUCING THE OPPORTUNITIES. IF IT WERE TRUE THAT SMALLER FIELD SIZE, LARGER PURSES, TO SOME EXTENT MANIPULATING THE WINNER OF CHAMPIONSHIPS THE WAY THEY DO AT LIV WERE MORE ENTERTAINING, THERE WOULD BE

MORE PEOPLE WATCHING LIV THAN WATCHING ME PLAY PEEWEE BASEBALL. THAT’S THE SAME NUMBER OF PEOPLE. IT WAS TRIED WITH WGCs, IT DIDN’T WORK, IT’S TRIED WITH LIV, IT’S FAILED. WHAT IS INTERESTING IS CREATING AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES AS POSSIBLE. FROM THOSE OPPORTUNITIES COME

SUPERSTARS AND GREAT STORIES. MUCH AS WE LOVE DOMINANT PERFORMANCE BY SUPERSTARS, WE REMEMBER WHEN FRANCIS WEMET WON THE U.S. OPEN, JACK FLECK UPSETTING HOGAN, JOHN DALY WINNING THE CHAMPIONSHIP, AND THE GREAT VICTORY BY SOPHIA POPOV AT THE WOMEN’S U.S. OPEN,

THE UNDERDOG STORY IS NOT THE DOMINANT STORY BUT IT’S RIGHT THERE AS ONE OF THE BEST STORIES IN ALL OF SPORTS. >> I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS, I DON’T THINK ANYBODY DOES. FIRST QUESTION IS WHAT DOES MARKET RESEARCH SHOW, TALK ABOUT THE FANS.

WHAT PLAYERS WANT AND WHAT PEOPLE AROUND THE GAME WANT, BUT REALLY IT’S THE FANS. THEY VOTE BY COMING TO EVENTS, BEING INTERESTED AND WATCHING ON TV. I WOULD LIKE TO START THERE. SECOND POINT IS ON THE GOVERNANCE OF THE GAME. I CAN SPEAK TO THIS, I WAS A

PLAYER, SAT ON THE PLAYERS COMMITTEE IN EUROPE FOR 17 YEARS, ON THE BOARD OF THE EUROPEAN TOUR FOR SIX YEARS. I KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE AND IT SEE IT FROM PLAYER, RYDER CUP CAPTAIN AND ON THE BOARD. I DO HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE

GOVERNANCE OF THE GAME THAT’S BEEN RUN BY THE PLAYERS. WE HAVE A SAYING, LAUGH THIS A, RICH, TURKEYS DON’T VOTE FOR CHRISTMAS. TURKEYS DON’T VOTE FOR THANKSGIVING OVER HERE. I’VE SEEN IT AND WITNESSED IT. IT’S NOT A CRITICISM, BEEN PART OF IT MYSELF.

PLAYERS VOTE TO PUSH THINGS THROUGH IN THEIR SELF-INTEREST. THAT’S HUMAN NATURE. SFG INVOLVED, SUPER, INTELLIGENT, SMART PLAYER, IN THE BUSINESS OF SPORT. ARE THEY INVOLVED, IS MARKET RESEARCH GOING ON, WHAT IS IS THE DIRECTION AND PLAN FOR THE PGA TOUR GOING FORWARD.

IT’S CLEAR FROM BOTH SIDES THERE IS NOT GOING TO BE ANY KIND OF DEAL, MAYBE IN A COUPLE OF YEARS. IF THE PGA TOUR IS GOING DOWN A PATH OF LIMITING FIELDS, IS IT THE RIGHT WAY? IS MARKET RESEARCH SAYING THAT? WHAT ARE THE BRAINY, SMART

PEOPLE THAT THE TOUR BROUGHT IN AS STRATEGIC PARTNERS, WHAT DO THEY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT? I WOULD LIKE THE CONTROL WRESTLED AWAY FROM THE OPINIONS OF THE PLAYERS AND THE PLAYERS ON THE BOARD. NOT TOTALLY DISMISS THEM, BUT A LITTLE BIT AWAY, LET THE

BUSINESS PEOPLE TAKE TO THE FRONT, LET THE FANS DETERMINE WHAT WE WANT THROUGH GOOD MARKET RESEARCH. >> WE’LL HEAR FROM JAY MONAHAN TOMORROW, “LIVE FROM” IS 9:00 EASTERN. RORY IS ALL FOR MAKING IT MORE CUTTHROAT AND COMPETITIVE. ISN’T IT HARDER IN A BIGGER FIELD? >> YES.

>> HARDER TO WIN 156-MAN VERSUS 70-MAN FIELD. >> REDUCE THE SIZE OF THE FIELD IS CUTTHROAT, MORE CONTENTIOUS, BUT MORE COMPETITIVE, IT’S HARDER TO BEAT A BIG THAN SMALL FIELD. CHANCES ARE PLAYERS THAT GET IN AT THE END, TWO, THREE, FOUR,

FIVE OF THOSE HAVING THE TOURNAMENT OF THEIR LIFE THAT PARTICULAR WEEK WHEN ONE OF THE BEST PLAYERS IS PLAYING JUST AVERAGE GOLF, THE POTENTIAL IS THERE. WE’VE SEEN IT THIS YEAR WITH VICTORY AFTER VICTORY OF PLAYERS 50th TO 150th IN THE WORLD

RANKINGS WHILE THE BEST IN THE WORLD SEEM OUT OF FORM. IS THAT THE BEST GOLF? JAKE KNAPP, DUNLAP, THE GUYS NOT IN THESE EVENTS WOULD WE B