The PGA Tour has made some interesting moves that will take effect next year. The PGA Tour will reduce the number of available cards from 125 to 100. In addition, Monday qualifiers for events will be reduced to just two qualifiers instead of four. Previously, there were four.
Starting this year, some of the Monday qualifiers will be played for the last time.
Golf star Padraig Harrington reacted to the changes via social media.
The WM Phoenix Open is played this week, but after the event they posted a photo of the staff with the caption: “This is the amazing @SWSectionPGA. They, and the people before them, have put on the WM Monday Q for 77 years. I’m mad for them, I’m mad for the players who won’t have opportunities at a great event any more. Thank you to the section for having me out. And hope that a policy board in the future brings it back.”
Padriag Harrington’s views
Harrington, an experienced golfer, retweeted the picture, stressing that he was surprised by the PGA Tour’s decision. Although he is aware that the PGA Tour leaders want to create a stronger competition, which will attract additional interest, this popular golfer has other ideas, which he believes would attract interest and create an excitement factor. However, it is obvious that PGA officials do not agree with his views.
“This has to be one of the strangest decisions of @pgatour when it comes to being in the entertainment business. If it was up to me I’d be focusing more on Monday qualifiers.
There’s a movie script story nearly every week. I’d give the leading qualifier a tv draw and get a tv crew to follow him for the week. I would do this even more so in the signature events. We could have a “tin cup” story any given week. Could you imagine a struggling pro finishing in the top 10 and winning half a million. Nobody would begrudge that payout.”
Tennis World USA