PGA Is Not Treating Tour as Major Threat

It won’t take long to find out whether the Major Champions Tour will make it, but there are indications that the PGA Tour isn’t too worried about it. So far, the only reaction from the tour is a one-page statement that basically said the players who made their reputations on the PGA Tour should stand by it.

Other than that, there’s been nothing going on officially at the tour headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., where insiders say the reason they’re being quiet is because they’re waiting for the proposed tour to fall flat.

In other words, the PGA Tour doesn’t expect the new tour to get enough players to sign up and relinquish their playing privileges on the established tour.

There are 35 players who in 2003 would be eligible for the tour, designed for players between 37 and 55 who have won at least one major. Sources say that as many as two dozen must commit to the tour by a deadline before the U.S. Open to satisfy possible television partner Fox. If there aren’t enough players convinced, the proposed tour is going to go down as the biggest project about nothing since

At least the Major Champions Tour has some major ingredients, specifically the backing of star players Fred Couples, Greg Norman and Nick Faldo, among others. It also benefits from the expertise of Terry Jastrow, a 28-year veteran producer of golf telecasts at ABC and one of the most influential and genial power brokers in the business. If anybody can make this thing work, it’s Jastrow.

Meanwhile, after a generally positive first impression from the media, other voices have been heard lately.

From Eddie Sefko of the Houston Chronicle: “These players made their careers on the PGA Tour. Abandoning it at age 42 seems to show a tremendous lack of loyalty and, perhaps, competitive fire.”

And from Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press: “The Majors Tour

Ferguson offered suggestions to the players, such as “get a real job,” and “practice harder.” Both Fuzzy Zoeller, who would be eligible to play, and Peter Jacobson, who wouldn’t, have weighed in with their opinions that the proposed tour isn’t going to happen.

Another viewpoint is that there’s nothing wrong with great players who have been around for more than 20 years trying to come up with an idea that works for them at this stage in their competitive careers. Hey, it’s their lives. Besides, unless we’re missing something here, it’s the players who made the PGA Tour, not the other way around.

The Monty File

Here’s the latest on Colin Montgomerie: He says he won’t play in the U.S. in 2003 because of the heckling he gets; then he says he’ll fulfill his U.S. tournament commitments this year; then he says he’s reconsidering his self-imposed ban in 2003 because of all the positive feedback he’s getting; then he pulls out of next week’s tournament at Bay Hill, where he had already committed to play.

What’s up with Colin? Stay tuned.

Charles in Charge?

News item: Charles Barkley accuses Augusta National of “blatant racism” for the course changes that he says are designed to keep Woods from winning the Masters.

Reaction: Sure, and the 18th green was expanded slightly to blow out Steve Elkington, who is allergic to grass and has to take medication daily.

(Never mind that every hole at Augusta has been altered at least once since the course opened in 1934, forget that the huge bunker at the left side of the 18th fairway was put there after Jack Nicklaus won in 1966, ignore the fact that that the recent changes were announced before Woods won last year, and never mind the notion that the changes probably improve his chances of winning more than anyone in the field.)

No Rules, Just Right

News item: The Buy.com Tour begins this week in Australia, the first time it has opened somewhere besides the U.S.

Reaction: Thus creating a new scoring stat, a Down Under par.

The Pepper Mill

The LPGA season is barely a week old, but it won’t start for at least the next two months for Dottie Pepper, who had shoulder surgery last week.

Pepper, 36, a 17-time winner, won’t be able to play in the Kraft Nabisco Championship in three weeks at Mission Hills. Pepper won the tournament, the LPGA’s first major of the year, in 1992 and 1999.

Hang Up

The PGA Tour has just adopted a new rule that prohibits players from using their cell phones on the practice range or the putting green. Also included in the cell phone ban are “caddies, managers, equipment representatives, staff and all others.” That sort of means everyone, doesn’t it?

Scoreboard

Remember all the way back to a year ago, when so much was being made about the winning scores in PGA Tour events dropping like rocks? Well, forget it. In nine tournaments so far (not counting the Accenture Match Play Championship), six have had higher winning scores. The only exceptions are at Tucson and the Nissan Open. Sergio Garcia’s winning score at the Mercedes Championships was the same as Jim Furyk’s last year.

Money News

As part of a new four-year extension as title sponsor of the Mercedes Championships, Mercedes-Benz kicked in an extra $600,000 to bring the total purse in 2003 to $5million, with $1 million going to the winner. Office Depot made a $100,000 increase to its purse to $1million for the Office Depot Championship Hosted by Amy Alcott, which will be played April 5-7 at El Caballero in Tarzana. The event benefits the City of Hope. The LPGA has 25 events with purses of at least $1 million.

Picture This

The LPGA is always on track for more exposure, as long as it’s good, but we’re not sure where this fits in: Playboy.com has a feature called “10 under par?” with pictures of nine LPGA stars and asks voters to log on and “Tell us what luscious live lynx should doff her kitschy golf togs for Playboy.”

The players are Jill McGill, Beth Bauer, Michelle McGann, Kris Tschetter, Catrin Nilsmark, Kelli Kuehne, Elizabeth Bowman, Carin Koch, Grace Park and the ever-popular “none of the above.”

New Kid

Bruce Lietzke isn’t only new on the Senior PGA Tour, he also has a new endorsement deal. Lietzke has joined Tom Watson in endorsing Adams Golf clubs. Lietzke had 13 Adams clubs in his bag, including the GT driver, when he won the Audi Senior Classic two weeks ago in Mexico City.