The PGA Tour in 2011 is going to realize more than ever it's not the only game in town, or on the planet. You can add Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, one of golf's brightest young talents, and PGA Championship winner Martin Kaymer of Germany to the list of top European players who will not be members of the PGA Tour this season.
England's Lee Westwood, the No. 1 player in the world, tops the list. All have decided to play primarily in Europe this season to support the European PGA Tour. All also were eligible to play in the PGA Tour season-opening Tournament of Champions in Hawaii last week and opted not to attend.
Some feel the loss of players like Westwood, Kaymer, third in the Official World Golf Ranking, and McIlroy, ranked 12th, won't be significant because they're still sure to play all four majors -the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship -as well as the four World Golf Championships events, which are not organized by the PGA Tour. But they will skip most if not all of the other events in North America, the vast number of which struggle to attract top fields.
McIlroy played 16 events on the PGA Tour last season, including the majors. The 21-year-old was in the field for four of the so-called "second-tier" events, including the Wells Fargo Championship, which he won.
If selling those other events to fans wasn't already difficult enough, those local tournament organizers have to try to do it without many of the big-name Europeans at a time when they have collectively emerged as the dominant force in the game. That was made quite clear in 2010 when, in addition to Westwood unseating Tiger Woods as the world No. 1, European Tour members won three of the four majors, three of the four WGC events, and the PGA Tour's showcase and "fifth major," the Players Championship.
They also took apart their American counterparts in the Ryder Cup. And as far as the world ranking, six of the top 10 are European Tour members and 13 are in the top 20.
The Europeans are between a rock and a hard place when it comes to the PGA Tour, thanks in large part to commissioner Tim Finchem. While Finchem said he supports a strong European Tour, he won't let them play more than 10 or 12 tournaments (depending on status) if they are not members.
PGA Tour members must play at least 15 events a year. Members of the European Tour are obliged to play 13.
Is money an issue? Not really.
It's true the PGA Tour offers considerably more prize money per event, but the European Tour to a degree makes up for that by extending promotional or appearance fees, not only to invitees from the U.S., but to its own stable of players as well.
It's something the PGA Tour should consider reinstituting in an effort to allow its tournaments the ability to attract not only the biggest names from Europe on a more regular basis, but even toward drawing on its own marquee lineup of players.
Appearance fees are why Americans Phil Mickelson and Steve Stricker will be playing in Abu Dhabi next week instead of at the Bob Hope Classic in Southern California. Weir has designs on Laval-sur-le-Lac: Mike Weir
and design partner Ian Andrew have been given the nod to fully renovate Laval-sur-le-Lac's Blue course. It will be the first job for Weir and Andrew since the two joined forces to create Weir Golf Design in March 2009.
Construction is scheduled to start at the end of the summer with a completion date next year. The course is expected to reopen in May 2013. The 36-hole facility played host to the Canadian Open in 1962.