“OFF the FRINGE” – Is Tiger Ready to Retire?

TIGER’S RETURN ANOTHER BUST

The golf world was atwitter when Tiger Woods returned to the PGA Tour at the Genesis Invitational where he is the host. It was his first PGA Tour event since last year’s Masters, and he lasted halfway through the second round before taking a WD. For the holes he played his game could be described as not quite ready for prime time, but his appearance did provide the opportunity for him to show off apparel from the new lifestyle clothing company called Sun Day Red he started with TaylorMade Golf who also supplies his clubs. It appears they also can give him something Nike couldn’t or wouldn’t in his almost 30 years under contract—part ownership of his own brand. Might there also be a similar deal for clubs in the works? Woods now has played six official tournaments since returning from a February 2021 car crash in Los Angeles that shattered bones in his right leg. He has pulled out of three of them — the 2022 PGA Championship after 54 holes, the 2023 Masters when he didn’t return Sunday morning to complete the third round.

LET & LPGA MERGER OFF

It seemed like a win-win and had been discussed for a couple of years, but the formal merger of the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour will not happen or at least not happen this year. LPGA Tour is growing and has seen a record increase in purses and the LET can use the help to provide playing opportunities for their players and rebuilding their circuit. But after the LET players voted for the merger Golf Saudi a division of Public Investment Fund asked for more information or they wouldn’t fund the LET tournaments for the $11 million for which they had previously committed. In case it doesn’t ring a bell, the Saudi-backed PIF is the money behind LIV Golf who are negotiating with the PGA Tour for an agreement to merge/blend/combine the two tours, an agreement that was supposed to be in place back in January.

FACT OR FICTION

Invited, the largest owner and operator of private golf and city and formerly known as ClubCorp, conducted a poll of members concerning the USGA’s rollback of allowable golf ball performance. For those interested 59% of respondents were strongly or moderately opposed and 58% said the rollback would worsen their golf while 41% said it will have no effect.

ARTHUR BLANK AWARD

The Sports Business Journal was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award to Arthur Blank in recognition of building a sports megacompany in Atlanta. The co-founder of Home Deport didn’t take a rest when he retired in 2000 and since purchased the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL, Atlanta United of Major League Soccer and operates the Mercedes-Benz Stadium where both teams play. For golfers his deep involvement in the game led to his purchase of PGA Tour Superstores, the largest golf-specific retailer in the country and a franchise team in the Tiger Woods/Rory McIlroy TGL simulator league.

PHOENIX ROWDINESS OVER THE TOP

At 2:00pm on Saturday of the WM Phoenix Open the Fire Department closed the tournament front gate to fans entering citing a backup of 25,000 to get on the TPC Scottsdale course. Scottsdale police stopped sales of alcohol as well and it was reported lines were up to 50 deep at bars and bartenders complained they lost large amounts of tip revenue which they rely on. On Sunday Zach Johnson, Billy Horschel and others raged at fans rants while hitting shots. To some of the crowd Nick Taylor’s playoff win over Charley Hoffman was incidental. Tournament officials have conceded changes will be made to rein in the overserved, over enthusiastic, over-the-top behavior.

PGAT/LIV MERGER

The big news about the merger of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf is there’s no news but there was an interesting development namely a group of U.S. investors the Strategic Sports Group coming to the table with a $3 billion investment in a for-profit PGA Tour Enterprises. Commissioner Jay Monahan announced some $750 million of the first $1.5 billion in equity in the new company will be split amongst 36 players selected by their performance the past five years, career performance and the Player Impact Program. My calculator says that’s an average of $21 million each, nowhere near some of the LIV Golf signing numbers but the fact that players will be part owners of the company should make a huge difference and maybe curtail any more defections to the new league.

TAYLORMADE SUES COSTCO

TaylorMade Golf has begun a lawsuit against Costco, the big box retailer with hundreds of their own brands, for patent infringement saying there are too many features in the Kirkland Signature Players Irons copying TaylorMade’s P790 irons. ⁠Like all cases of this type it will not be resolved soon.

Until next time keep it in the short grass!