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Blame Mercedes Championships yawner on PGA Tour boss Tim Finchem
Friday January 6, 2006 | 20:00:04 393 words, 6120 views
For all the criticism Bud Selig receives – and deservedly so – he’s no longer the worst commissioner in sports. Just days into the new year, PGA Tour boss Tim Finchem has successfully wrested away the title. In no other major sport does opening day receive as little attention as the Tour’s Mercedes Championships, which ranks right below the Meineke Bowl on your average fan’s winter radar. Tim McDonald and Chris Baldwin have already bashed the Mercedes, but they haven’t assessed enough blame. Why don’t Mickelson, Tiger and others even care about their season opener? Because nobody calls them on it. Can you imagine the uproar if Alex Rodriguez decided to skip the Yankees’ season opener? I’m guessing Steinbrenner wouldn’t push it aside by saying, “Well, it’s one of those things…” Yet that’s exactly what Finchem told USA Today this week when asked about Tiger’s absence. Talk about the differences between golf and baseball all you want, but it just looks bad when your two marquee players don’t show up for your season opener. And then what happens? Your opening tournament is banished to page six on sports pages across the country, and you’ve missed a golden opportunity to start the season off with a bang. For whatever reason, the Tour puts about as much promotional muscle behind the Mercedes as it does for the Southern Farm Bureau Classic. Granted, the Mercedes would’ve been in tough against the NFL playoffs this week, even with Tiger. All the more reason we should be blaming Finchem, who should maybe consider the entire sports calendar before scheduling his season opener. Guaranteed, the LPGA season opener in February gets more press than the Mercedes does this weekend. Credit Ty Votaw for that. Of course, Finchem is quick to remind us next year will be better. Forget that this season has plenty of good storylines. He’d much rather talk about next year’s schedule or the FedEx Cup points competition, even though he doesn’t really have any details on any of it yet. In that same USA Today interview, Finchem went so far as to call this season “a lame-duck year” for the Tour, which certainly explains Tiger’s absence this week, but does nothing to excite the occasional golf fan about this year’s Tour season. 
Comments:
Comment from: Jim COULTHARD [Visitor]
How about Tim Finchem as one of the best commisioners? He knows it is ridiculous for the PGA to begin the year in Hawaii with a Tournament that cannot invite Michelle Wie. This year's fiasco means it will be possible to change the format of the Mercedes next year to something like the LPGA's Samsung. I predict with a new format we will have Michelle Wie playing both the Mercedes and the Sony next January. There will be guaranteed interest the first two rounds, and a good chance Wie will make the cut in Hawaiian events.
2006-01-06 @ 20:35
Comment from: stone [Visitor]
Now I've heard it all, you want to change the format of the Mercedes(currently only limited to PGA tour winners from the previous year) so that Michelle Wie can play. I know, lets put in a provision that allows an exemption for women who have not won on the LPGA tour, or maybe an exemption for women who have never made a cut in a men's event, how about winners of the Hawaii junior golf pee wee title women's division these oughta get her in. We are now calling upon a 16 year-old girl to be the savior of the PGA tour, as well as the LPGA tour. Just out of curiosity Jim are you watching the Mercedes right now? The leader is at -4 midway through the second round and there are only 4 players under par, the wind is gusting up to 40 miles per hour and the greens are fooling everybody. Michelle Wie would not break 80 with the course playing the way it is. Who wants to see that, certainly not her fans. If the goal is to let her make a cut how about opening the tour season with the Michelle Wie Open and just invite her, she could win that couldn't she?
2006-01-06 @ 21:20
Comment from: jay [Visitor]
It might not be as rediculous as it sounds. Mercedes championship is one of few tournaments which has no sponsor's exemption. Now if so many big namnes don't bother to show up It might not be far fetched to think mercedes might want one sponsor's exemption at their disposal. They are spending more than 5 million and they should want return for their investment. I don't think it will happen but even if they are awarded one sponsor's exemption, there is no guarantee wie would be invited. It should be remmbered that mercedes is Annika's sponsor.
2006-01-06 @ 23:15
Comment from: Paul W [Visitor]
I think Wie played during the pro-am at the Mercedes last year. This year she was busy with mid-terms.
2006-01-07 @ 00:27
Comment from: Asia_Guy [Visitor]
A bud of mine in Honolulu sent me an e-mail and said the city is all abuzz with the Sony Open. They are adding nearly 4,000 parking spaces over last year and there are no hotel rooms left to book. Press credentials are also way over the top for the match.
I addition, they are expecting the largest gallery ever to witness a golf event in Hawaii. I wonder if they are all coming to see Vijay defend his title? Nah, they will be there to see the Home Girl.
2006-01-07 @ 04:39
Comment from: Asia_Guy [Visitor]
(In addition)
Where is that damn edit button?
2006-01-07 @ 04:41
Comment from: dave [Visitor] · http://harborhills.blogspot.com
I guess I missed some of the post didn't realize it was about Wie. I agree with the article.
2006-01-08 @ 06:31
Comment from: Ron Mon [Member]
In what other sport does anyone give a crap about what happens on opening day? Unless a twirler tosses a no-no, baseball's opening days are cold and in Chicago. I'll take Hawaii any day. In spite of the apparent class of the sponsor, the Mercedes is just like any other tournament in terms of importance. It is Finchem's Masters, where he invites/rewards the winners from the past year (like Augusta used to do.) The TPC is his Open. I'm ok with the format and the course.
2006-01-08 @ 09:08
Comment from: Simon [Visitor]
The reason so many people turn up to watch Wie in Hawaii compete with the men is because its the only time it happens. Its simple supply and demand, there is demand to watch Wie face-off against the men, but if she did it over and over it would just become tedious, nothing special and just another tournament.
2006-03-28 @ 18:05
Comment from: Joe [Visitor]
It is so much fun to see J Coulthard and his Michelle Mania. It seems all tradition and qualifying requirements should be dropped for MW. You have to WIN a PGA Tournament to play in the Mercedes.
I attended the Mercedes Championships as a Mercedes Guest. It was a fun Tournament and the fact the it is restricted to the previous years winners is great. It is unlike any other Tournament because it is small and one can spend time with the players off the course at the Hotel. NO ONE missed Michelle and if she ever wins a PGA Tournament (not likely) she would be welcome. The only notable player who has skipped frequently has been Phil and it is a shame but one hopes he will return next year. Tiger has been there for many years but this year was an exception for various reasons that are personal. He has already said he will be there next year. I do believe that the previous year winners have a resposibility to play in the Mercedes and it is disrespectful to the sponsor and fans to skip it without a very good reason. I also attended the Sony this year and watched Michelle miss many putts and it was a yawn in comparison to the Mercedes. I will attend the Mercedes next year but probably not the Sony because the field is not a strong one. Many of the players from the Mercedes skip the Sony.
2006-04-13 @ 10:46
Comment from: Jim halpert [Visitor]
I've been following Wie since 2002 when she won the Hawaii State Open Women's Division by thirteen shots. I think she is a great player with a very promising future and I can't wait to see her get her first professional win.
2008-07-03 @ 23:35 Leave a comment: |
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