Will ESPN’s Bob Harig please pick up the red courtesy phone
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Bill Jempty | Saturday, January 9, 2010 |
It didn’t take long at all for golf writer in 2010 to offer up a bad already tried idea. Harig writes-
To help, perhaps a new format for the season-opening tournament — whether it is in Hawaii or elsewhere — is in order. Does any sport have a meeker opening than golf? A winners-only event sounds fine, but just 28 players are in Hawaii this week.
Maybe one of the World Golf Championship events could kick off the season.
This has been done already.
January 8, 2001
Melbourne, Australia — Steve Stricker needed a lot of help to win the Match Play Championship, but not from anyone he played.
Three days before Christmas, Stricker was No. 90 in the world rankings and preparing to start his season next week in Tucson, Ariz., at a second-tier PGA Tour event. He wound up in Australia at a $5 million World Golf Championship event when Tiger Woods, David Duval and two dozen other top players decided against a trip halfway around the world.
So Hariq doesn’t just propose an idea that’s been tried already but one that was a abysmal failure as top ranked players skipped the tournament in droves. Remember only the top 64 go to the match play tournament. At least 26 players(and I think the actual total was in the low 30′s) skipped a WGC event when it was the season opener. Brilliant idea, let’s do it again. NOT!
Harig did say the tournament would be mandatory. Aren’t players independent contractors? If a healthy Woods or Mickelson says no, can the tour keep other players from bailing too?
Do note- Only 3 players are skipping this week’s season opener, the SBS Championship.
If Hariq picks up his call, I’d suggest he take he take some remedial lessons in golf history.
- Tiger Woods doesn’t enter WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship
- Steve Stricker wins the Deutsche Bank Championship
- Tiger Woods to Skip PGA Tour’s Season Opener
- HSBC Champions in China elevated to World Golf Championship event
- Season opener- PGA Tour SBS Championship begins today
- Daniel Chopra wins first PGA Tour event of 2008
- Declawed- Tiger Woods win streak ends at seven
- Tiger Woods’ foundation brings PGA event back to D.C.
- 2008 LPGA Tour schedule
- Tiger Woods to Skip the Nissan Open
- Eight is Enough- Edmonton beats Chicago 8-4
- Lydia Ko wins New South Wales Open
- The Comeback I- Pittsburgh Penguins beat NY Islanders 5-0
- Seattle Mariners Outfielder Greg Halman stabbed to death at age 24
- Hee Young Park wins CME Titleholders Championship
- Oklahoma State Women’s Basketball Coach Kurt Budke dead at 50
- Costly mistake- Blackhawks waive Rostislav Olesz
- Manager Tony La Russa announces retirement
- Puck Drop- Florida Panthers start the 2011-12 NHL season
- 13-time PGA Tour winner Dave Hill dead at 74
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