Category: Panorama

Categories
Panorama

Golf in the UK and Ireland defies the Corona pandemic

Golf is experiencing a real boom despite Corona (Photo: Getty).
Golf is experiencing a real boom despite Corona (Photo: Getty).

While other sports had to take a break for months and it was difficult to practice under pandemic conditions, golf emerged from the pandemic as the lucky winner. Studies from the UK show that the number of golfers has increased, especially in Great Britain and Ireland. It is even higher than before the pandemic.

Strong figures in the UK and Ireland

The company Sports Marketing Surveys has been investigating developments in a wide variety of sports for over 30 years and always finds surprising things. Golf is also constantly analyzed and new studies from Great Britain and Ireland come to the conclusion that the participation in golf in these countries in 2021 was significantly above the level before the pandemic. In figures, this means that 5.3 million people played a golf course with 9 or 18 holes in the UK and Ireland in 2021. For the research, which was undertaken by Sports Marketing Surveys on behalf of a number of major golf associations, this represents the second-highest number since the surveys began more than 30 years ago.

In the UK alone, there have been around 4.8 million people actively playing golf in 2021. In 2017, the number was just 3 million. Even though there is a small decline compared to the previous year (5.2 million), participation in golf remains high and it is also evident that not only many new players are joining the game, but that long-time golfers are also remaining loyal to the game.

The number of women in golf also continues to increase. While the percentage of women in the UK is now 34%, it is also on the rise in Ireland at 21%. Furthermore, not only did the number of golfers record the second highest number since data collection began, but visitor numbers to driving ranges in the UK also reported the second best result in over 30 years. More than 3.5 million Britons used a driving range last year. Incidentally, in Ireland, 18% of all people tried golf or found a way back into the sport during the pandemic.

Golf boom despite Corona pandemic

As mentioned at the beginning, some sports had to take a forced break in the past two years due to the Covid 19 pandemic in order not to endanger the health of the players. Not only sports, but also large parts of public life experienced restrictions and can now enjoy fewer restrictions again.

A major beneficiary during the pandemic, however, was golf. During the last two years, the sport experienced a real upswing, because the outside practice, in smaller groups and with sufficient distance was possible almost the whole time.

Of course, golf has not remained unaffected by the Corona crisis, but looking at the figures there is a significant increase in the number of players. And despite the gradual reopening of other leisure activities, the sport was able to record rising numbers last year.

Categories
Panorama

US Masters: The development of prize money since the beginning

The prize money of the US Masters - The development over the last 85 years. (Photo: Getty)
The prize money of the US Masters - The development over the last 85 years. (Photo: Getty)

Tiger Woods was paid over two million dollars for his victory at the 2019 US Masters – a first. He also overtook Phil Mickelson in the list of prize money kings in Masters history with this whopping prize money. Tiger Woods now leads this one, too. How the prize money of the US Masters has developed over the years and how much money Horton Smith, the first champion in 1934, got for his triumph over 85 years ago. An overview.

The prize money kings of the Masters history

  1. Tiger Woods, $9,494,136
  2. Phil Mickelson, $8,018,037
  3. Jordan Spieth, $4,561,156
  4. bubba watson, $3,931,855
  5. Adam Scott, $3,635,277

Prize money at the Masters: Tiger, Mickelson, Spieth

The next list where Tiger Woods is at number one since last year. With his over two million dollars from last year, he overtook three-time “Green Jacket” winner Phil Mickelson. The two are well ahead of the rest. Jordan Spieth, who won the 2015 Masters, is third with earnings of under five million dollars, while Bubba Watson and Adam Scott are fourth and fifth with under four million dollars. What is striking about the list is that only players who are still active are in the top 5. Also, if you let your eyes wander further down the list, you’ll notice: Only players from the modern era of golf take place in this list. The reason for this is the development of the prize money paid out at the US Masters over the years.

Masters prize money: From under two thousand to over two million dollars

The prize money in golf has increased over the years, everyone is aware of that. The market has grown, there are more sponsors and the players are not just athletes but brands. Nevertheless, it is worth taking a look at the prize money development of the US Masters, because the difference between the first and last staging is incomparably large. Horton Smith, who won the first US Masters in 1934, was happy to receive 1500 dollars.

Until the Second World War this prize money for the winner was not increased, only at the first Masters after the war the winner got 2500 dollars. Over the years, the prize money increased almost exponentially. In 1958, the winner was paid over 10,000 dollars for the first time, and in 1984 over 100,000 dollars for the first time. The magic mark of over one million dollars was not cracked until after the turn of the millennium in 2001 – the first winner to enjoy this prize money in new spheres was Tiger Woods. Within 18 years, this prize money has then doubled again, and once again Tiger Woods is the first player to have been paid prize money of over two million dollars.

1934-2021: The prize money of the winners at a glance

1934: $1,500
1935: $1,500
1936: $1,500
1937: $1,500
1938: $1,500
1939: $1,500
1940: $1,500
1941: $1,500
1942: $1,500
1943: –
1944: –
1945: –
1946: $2,500
1947: $2,500
1948: $2,500
1949: $2,750
1950: $2,400
1951: $3,000
1952: $4,000
1953: $4,000
1954: $5,000
1955: $5,000

1956: $6,000
1957: $8,750
1958: $11,250
1959: $15,000
1960: $17,500
1961: $20,000
1962: $20,000
1963: $20,000
1964: $20,000
1965: $20,000
1966: $20,000
1967: $20,000
1968: $20,000
1969: $20,000
1970: $25,000
1971: $25,000
1972: $25,000
1973: $30,000
1974: $35,000
1975: $40,000
1976: $40,000
1977: $40,000
1978: $45,000
1979: $50,000
1980: $55,000
1981: $60,000
1982: $64,000
1983: $90,000
1984: $108,000
1985: $126,000
1986: $144,000

1988: $183,800
1989: $200,000
1990: $225,000
1991: $243,000
1992: $270,000
1993: $306,000
1994: $360,000
1995: $396,000
1996: $450,000
1997: $486,000
1998: $576,000
1999: $720,000
2000: $828,000
2001: $1,008,000
2002: $1,008,000
2003: $1,080,000
2004: $1,117,000
2005: $1,260,000
2006: $1,260,000
2007: $1,305,000
2008: $1,350,000
2009: $1,350,000
2010: $1,350,000
2011: $1,440,000
2012: $1,440,000
2013: $1,440,000
2014: $1,620,000
2015: $1,800,000
2016: $1,800,000
2017: $1,980,000
2018: $1,980,000
2019: $2,070,000
2020: $2,070,000
2021: $2,070,000

Categories
Panorama

Study shows: One in 20 would quit their job for a round at Augusta National

The Mecca of Golf: Augusta National Golf Club (photo: Getty).
The Mecca of Golf: Augusta National Golf Club (photo: Getty).

It is probably the dream of every amateur golfer to play at Augusta National Golf Club once in their life. An American study has now found out what people would be willing to do to be able to tee it up on the “holy” turf. The survey also shows how much people would be willing to pay and who they would play the round with if the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented itself.

“Shave my head” is the undisputed number 1

In less than a week, the 86th Masters starts in Augusta. Reason enough to think about how far you would go to complete a round on the “holy” turf. The website time2play.com has dealt with precisely this question as part of a study and asked around 1,000 people this question and more.

By far the most common answer to the question “What would you do to play a round at Augusta National?” was “Shave my head.” 43.2% of all respondents would say goodbye to their hair in order to experience the 18 holes on what is probably the most famous golf course in the world. Also on the winner’s podium is “Stop drinking for a year” with 35.8%, closely followed by “Give up video games for three years” with 35.1%.

Other curious responses such as “Get a visible tattoo” or even “Put my kids up for adoption” can also be found among the answers. Somewhat surprisingly, one in 20 people would even be willing to give up their job just to be able to tee it off in Augusta. Giving away one’s own car, by the way, landed only on rank 14. Atleast a few people still have a little sense for clever decision because only 0.7% would be ready to give up their house for the 18-hole round. That would probably also be a bit too much of a good thing…

$1,165 for a round of golf at Augusta National with friends

The study also looked at how much people would be willing to pay instead of shaving their heads. The answers here ranged from $388 to well over $3,000. Of course, the sums differ depending on income, but on average, with an annual income of around $71,000, respondents are willing to pay a sum of $1,165 for an 18-hole round at Augusta. For the same money, you could book yourself a week’s vacation, but of course it’s up to each person to decide what they’d like to spend their money on.

If the opportunity to play on the “holy” turf should actually arise, the only question that remains is: Who should actually accompany me? The survey also found answers to this question. The top answer was: “With a friend. In second place was “Dad,” while third place went to the living legend of golf: Tiger Woods.

Other popular answers included spouses, siblings or other family members. But other famous names such as Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Jack Nicklaus, Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson also received more than 2% of the votes each.

In the end, it will probably remain just a dream for the majority anyway, because the venue of the Masters is probably the most exclusive golf course of its kind.

For more information on the study check out https://time2play.com/blog/what-golfers-would-do-to-play-augusta/

Categories
Panorama

Far-reaching planning: venue for the 2051 U.S. Open has been determined

The USGA's plans for the U.S. Open extend into 2051. (Photo: Getty)
The USGA's plans for the U.S. Open extend into 2051. (Photo: Getty)

In a press conference with those responsible for the Oakland Hills Country Club, the USGA announced that the 2034 U.S. Open will be held in Oakland Hills. But that’s not all. The second U.S. Open date already set for Oakland Hills is to be in 2051. That’s a schedule that stretches nearly 30 years into the future.

We already know which golf club we’ll be looking at in 2051

It seems the USGA and PGA Tour can hardly fill their schedules soon enough. The DP World Tour and R&A also like to plan their schedules several years in advance, but their U.S. counterparts go one better. Recently, the USGA announced new dates for the U.S. Open in a press conference. The planning for the Major now reaches almost 30 years into the future, so we already know which golf course we will be looking at at the Major in 29 years. If you don’t want to miss the tournament, you can already keep the corresponding weekend in almost 30 years free.

The site of the 2051 (and 2034) U.S. Open will be Oakland Hills Country Club, which gratefully agreed to host more championships. The future of the golf club looked uncertain a few weeks ago when the clubhouse went up in flames.

Oakland Hills has had a rough couple of weeks

On Feb. 17, 2022, the previously newly renovated clubhouse went up in flames. It was almost completely destroyed, and firefighters had little chance against the blaze. Demolition work is already underway, building plans are being drafted and building applications submitted. The plan to continue to host major championships is to play a decisive role in the construction of the new clubhouse.

In a press conference, the president of Oakland Hills Country Club expressed confidence. He said the team led by Rick Palmer wanted to rebuild the clubhouse to be future-proof – just as they have already invested in the golf course and its future. With full confidence in the approximately 200 members who will decide the process, Palmer said, “I have no doubt that our membership will step to the plate, and we will have very soon a state of the art, beautiful iconic clubhouse.”

Categories
Panorama Top Tours

Super Golf League: Greg Norman reveals the plan

CEO Greg Norman has released specific plans for the new Super Golf League, including a new name and logo. (Photos: Getty/LIV)
CEO Greg Norman has released specific plans for the new Super Golf League, including a new name and logo. (Photos: Getty/LIV)

The new series of LIV Golf Investments with CEO Greg Norman has long been considered a controversial counter-project to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. And although big-name players have repeatedly spoken out against the new tour series, organizers released very specific plans for the new Super Golf League for the first time on Wednesday (March 16, 2022).

However, the new series turns out not to bear the name Super Golf League or Saudi Golf League, but, leaning on the investor, the LIV Golf Invitational Series will start in June this year, Golf.com reports the latest developments around the debatable tour.

Greg Norman: “I want golf to grow, players to have additional opportunities, and fans to have more fun”

In an official statement, Greg Norman, CEO of LIV Golf Investments, commented on the new developments. “I want golf to grow, players to have additional opportunities, and fans to have more fun”, Norman said. “My mission is to help the game reach its full potential and we know the role of golf as an entertainment product is critical to overall participation in the sport.”

To achieve this goal, organizers also set an initial schedule. The series, which will feature a total of eight events, will include four locations in the U.S., as well as individual events in the United Kingdom, Thailand and Saudi Arabia.

Nevertheless, a venue for the final championship has not yet been announced. Also, the first tournament will be held June 9 at Centurion Golf Club in London, England. Finally, the announcement did not mention TV partners or players participating so far.

Here is the full schedule for 2022:

June 9-11: Centurion Golf Club, London, England.
July 1-3: Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, Portland, Ore.
July 29-31: Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, Bedminster, N.J.
Sept. 2-4: The International, Boston, Mass.
Sept. 16-18: Rich Harvest Farms, Chicago, Ill.
Oct. 7 to 9: Stonehill Golf Club, Bangkok.
October 14 to 16 : Royal Greens Golf Club, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
October 28-30: Team Championship, TBA.

Super Golf League: Schedule not to clash with other tours

Actually, the press release goes on to say that the LIV Golf Invitational Series schedule is not intended to compete with the four majors or other international events. Therefore, allowing players to choose where they want to play.

However, Jay Monahan, the commissioner of the PGA Tour, has already announced that any Tour players who join the new league will be banned from the PGA Tour. Norman had hit back in response, saying that’s not how it can be done.

“I believe players will increasingly make progress in achieving their right to play where they want. We will help in any way possible and will provide golfers with opportunities to achieve their full potential”, Norman concluded.

Categories
Panorama

Portrait: Sepp Straka – first Austrian-born winner on PGA Tour

Sepp Straka 2016 in his first year as a professional (l.) and after his historic victory on the PGA Tour 2022. (Photo: Getty)
Sepp Straka 2016 in his first year as a professional (l.) and after his historic victory on the PGA Tour 2022. (Photo: Getty)

Sepp Straka is one of the few Austrian professional golfers currently playing on the world’s major tours. At the Honda Classic he achieved something that no Austrian had ever done before: he left the rest of the field behind him at a PGA Tour tournament and climbed to the top of the leaderboard. In the world rankings, he thus moved into the top 100. What is behind the sympathetic Austrian and his path to becoming a professional golfer?

Sepp Straka crossed the Atlantic at an early age

Sepp Straka was practically born to play golf. His American mother and his Austrian father met while buying golf gloves in Salzburg, Austria. On 1 May 1993, Josef “Sepp” Straka was born – two minutes after his older twin brother Sam. The two boys initially spent their childhood in Austria mainly on the football pitch, with Sepp beeing the goalkeeper. When the two took part in a one-week golf camp at the age of eleven, no one imagined that this would be the start of an impressive career. Big brother Sam decided for himself and Sepp that they would play a bit of golf from then on. But it soon turned out that the Straka boys had talent. At the Fontana Golf Club in Oberwaltersdorf, they evolved into hard-working golfers who played their way into the junior national team of Austria.

When the sons were 14, the family decided to move to America. Here the basis for Straka’s career on the PGA Tour was laid. Besides finishing school and studying business administration in the US state of Georgia, Sepp and Sam continued to swing their golf clubs eagerly. Sepp initially remained in his brother’s shadow for years. While Sam Straka was then unable to gain a professional career, Sepp applied to the Q-School of the Korn Ferry Tour and European Challenge Tour, which offered him a suitable platform for the switch to the PGA Tour.

On PGA Tour since 2019

In 2019, Straka became the first Austrian to qualify for the PGA Tour. Since then, he has been trying to compete against the best golfers in the world. His biggest successes here so far have included a third-place finish at the 2019 Barbasol Championship and several other top-10 finishes. In 2021, Sepp Straka represented the country of his birth, Austria, at the Olympic Games. His brother Sam supported him as a caddie at his side. With a record round on day 1, Straka initially took the lead in Tokyo, but then finished the tournament in tenth place.

February 2022: Straka makes history on PGA Tour

For Sepp Straka, a long-cherished dream came true at the Honda Classic in February 2022: It is not only the first victory on the PGA Tour for him personally, but also the first victory ever by an Austrian on the PGA Tour. In Florida, he not only received fame and honour, but also 1.44 million US dollars in prize money, a place in the top 100 of the world rankings for the first time and an invitation to The Masters 2022. In the winner’s interview, Straka described his appearance at the Major tournament in Augusta as a “lifelong dream”.

Categories
Panorama

Ryder Cup 2023: Zach Johnson named captain of the USA

Zach Johnson is captain of the USA at the 2023 Ryder Cup. (Photo: Getty)
Zach Johnson is captain of the USA at the 2023 Ryder Cup. (Photo: Getty)

It’s been an open secret for a long time, but now it’s official: Zach Johnson was named captain of the USA for the 2023 Ryder Cup on Monday at the PGA of American headquarters in Palm Beach Garden, where the PGA Tour hosted the Honda Classic. At the continental competition of the world’s best golfers, the new team captain will be aiming to defend the title and win for the first time on European soil at Marco Simone Golf Club in Italy.

Zach Johnson captains USA

“Taking over as captain and leading the United States Ryder Cup team overseas – after what we accomplished at Whistling Straits last year – is simply the greatest honour of my professional career,” said Zach Johnson, who won the 2007 Masters and 2015 Open Championship, and has been a member of the USA team at the Ryder Cup five times. However, the 46-year-old has a big task ahead of him, as the last time the American team flew home victorious was in 1993. Back then, the USA won 15-13 against Europe in The Belfry. “As exciting as this is for my family and myself, it’s also sobering to understand the magnitude of our challenge in Rome because we haven’t won away from home in three decades,” Johnson knows of his task. “I’m just looking forward to leading these guys.”

Ryder Cup 2023 in Italy

Johnson takes over from Steve Stricker, who led his team to a record victory on home soil last year. Like his predecessor, the new captain will have six captain’s picks at his disposal next year, while the other half of the team will qualify via the points list. Who will take over the captaincy of the Europeans has not yet been decided. Lee Westwood, Luke Donald or Henrik Stenson are considered favourites. The Ryder Cup 2023, the 44th edition of the team competition, will be played from 29 September to 1 October at the Marco Simone Golf Club in Italy.

Categories
Panorama

Phil Mickelson apologizes and announces time out

Phil Mickelson has earned a lot of criticism lately. (Photo: Getty)
Phil Mickelson has earned a lot of criticism lately. (Photo: Getty)

In recent weeks and months, there have been repeated rumours that players like Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau would switch to the aspired Saudi League. Mickelson, in particular, continued to fuel the discussion about a move from the PGA Tour by regularly publicly criticising the American professional tour. Now, the multiple major winner posted a lengthy statement apologising for his choice of words in the interview with Alan Shipnuck and announcing a hiatus from professional golf.


Mickelson’s Saudi Support Caused Much Criticism

For a long time it was rumoured that the Saudi League wanted to lure the big names of the PGA Tour with surreal sums of money. Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson in particular were to be the focus of the tour. DeChambeau and Johnson, however, denied a move from the PGA Tour last week. The duo announced that they would continue to compete with the world’s best on the PGA Tour. American Mickelson has already been firing against the PGA Tour in recent weeks. At Saudi International, Mickelson attributed ‘vile greed’ to PGA Tour

Recently, golf author Alan Shipnuck published an interview with Phil Mickelson, in which Mickelson allowed himself a daring choice of words. According to Shipnuck, Mickelson called the people who finance the Super Golf League “scary motherfuckers to get involved with”. Furthermore, Mickelson added that he would not be involved at all with people from a country with such a poor human rights record, but that he saw it as an opportunity to improve the PGA Tour. Big names in golf criticised Mickelson for these words. For example, Rory McIlroy calling Mickelson’s statements a “selfish statement”.


Phil Mickelson regrets choice of words

Even the long-time partner KPMG declared their partnership to be over after Phil Mickelson’s statements. Following this severe criticism, Mickelson released a lengthy statement on Tuesday afternoon. “Although it doesn’t look this way now given my recent comments, my actions throughout this process have always been with the best interest of golf, my peers, sponsors, and fans.,” the 51-year-old wrote on Twitter. In addition, Mickelson said he deeply regretted his reckless and offensive choice of words and was deeply disappointed in himself.


However, Mickelson also stressed that the alleged interview with Alan Shipnuck were “off record comments”. These had been taken out of context and published without his consent. Golf writer Alan Shipnuck reacted angrily to Mickelson’s accusation. He said that Mickelson knew he was working on a biography about him. Moreover, asked Mickelson himself for the interview to discuss media rights and his complaints about the PGA Tour. “Not once in our texts or when we got on the phone did Mickelson request to go off-the-record”, Shipnuck elaborated on TheFirePitCollective. Moreover, he said, Mickelson texted him immediately after the publication denying any of this. Shipnuck called his actions “false and duplicitous”.

Mickelson: “Desperately need some time away”

Phil Mickelson also announced in his statement that he would retire from professional golf for a while. One of the reasons for this was that he had been letting himself down lately. Furthermore, he felt the pressure and stress affecting him, especially in the last ten years. In doing so, he added that he “desperately need some time away to prioritize the ones I love most and work on being the man I want to be.” Mickelson did not mention the PGA Tour in his statement.

Categories
Panorama

Venue of 14 Majors: Clubhouse in Michigan burns down

Even the fire brigade was unable to extinguish the fire in time. (Photo: Twitter/@PeterFinchGolf)
Even the fire brigade was unable to extinguish the fire in time. (Photo: Twitter/@PeterFinchGolf)

At 10 a.m., a fire broke out for unknown reasons in the clubhouse of the Oakland Hills Country Club in the US state of Michigan. Despite a large-scale firefighting effort, the fire could not be extinguished in time and the roof collapsed. Several hours after the fire broke out, a firefighter described the clubhouse as “almost a total loss”.


President Rick Palmer: “A painful day for Oakland Hills”

Oakland Hills Country Club has hosted 14 golf majors in the past, including six men’s U.S. Opens and two U.S. Senior Opens. With such a history of the club, irreplaceable golf tournament memorabilia as well as artwork accumulated in the clubhouse, all of which has now sadly been destroyed with the uncontrollable fire. The clubhouse was completed in 1922 and was the pride and joy of the golf club. The next two U.S. Women’s Opens are planned for 2031 and 2042 at the Oakland Hills Country Club, for which the South Course was even recently renovated by the two architects Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner.

“This is a painful day for Oakland Hills. While we know that none of the members or staff were injured, we have lost our iconic clubhouse,” Club President Rick Palmer said of the burnt clubhouse. Despite the sad incident, he said he was looking forward and wanted to pay special tribute to all those involved in the construction and maintenance of the building. Architect Gil Hanse also mourns the loss of the iconic Oakland Hills Country Club clubhouse. “This is a truly sad day for the history of American golf,” Hanse emphasised. Former professional golfer Andy North describes the situation as “unbelievable”, but is sure that a “great clubhouse” will be built again at the traditional golf course.


The clubhouse before the fire:

Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an
Ein Beitrag geteilt von Golf Clubhouses (@golfclubhouses)

The clubhouse during the fire:

Categories
Live Panorama PGA Tour

Phil Mickelson: “The PGA Tour is a dictatorship disguised as a democracy”.

Phil Mickelson calls the PGA Tour a dictatorship. (Photo: Getty)
Phil Mickelson calls the PGA Tour a dictatorship. (Photo: Getty)

Phil Mickelson has been in the headlines repeatedly for weeks and months. The reason for this is not his sporting achievements but his comments on the Saudi Golf League. In November, he spoke with Alan Shipnuck about his motives for his Saudi lobbying. In the conversation with Shipnuck, the American compares his (actual) home tour to a dictatorship and at the same time justifies his looking the other way when it comes to the origin of Saudi money.

Phil Mickelson: “They’re scary motherf_s to get involved with”

Phil Mickelson is well aware of who is behind the Saudi Golf League: “We know they murdered [Washington Post reporter and U.S. resident Jamal] Khashoggi and have a terrible human rights record. They execute people there because they are gay. Why would I even consider that, knowing all that?” For Mickelson, the answer is clearly summed up in one point: “Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape the way the PGA Tour operates.

They were able to deal with manipulative, coercive, strong-arm tactics because we, the players, had no way to fight back. As nice as [PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan] comes across, if you don’t have leverage, he’s not going to do the right thing. And the Saudi money has finally given us that leverage.” So it’s all about Mickelson taking a swipe at the PGA Tour and making big bucks in the process. But he doesn’t seem entirely convinced about the new league, as he let slip to Shipnuck. “I’m not sure I even want the SGL to succeed, but just the idea of it allows us to work things out with the PGA Tour.”

“The PGA Tour is sitting on billions of dollars”.

In the further course of the interview, Phil Mickelson explains his dissatisfaction and criticism of the PGA Tour’s media handling. He is concerned with the possible assets behind the media rights and image materials of the players and tournaments. According to Mickelson, these are worth billions of dollars in NFTs. But these digital value tokens of individual images are not due to the PGA Tour, according to Mickelson, but to the players who are featured on the media. “I don’t want to say it’s annoying, but it’s definitely beyond frustrating,” Mickelson said of the image and media rights situation.

“The Tour is sitting on billions of dollars worth of NFTs,” Mickelson said in the interview. “All of that has to belong to the players. We made these shots, we created these moments, we should be the ones benefiting from it.” Mickelson’s biggest point of criticism is the PGA Tour’s handling of its revenue. “How the hell is it legal for them to have that kind of money at their disposal?” he asks Shipnuck, noting that the Tour is actually a nonprofit organization. Mickelson promptly provides the answer himself, “Not at all. But they want more and more. They have to control everything. Their egos don’t allow them to make the concessions they need.”

“The PGA Tour is a dictatorship”

Mickelson has harsh words for the PGA Tour and the way it operates: “The Tour acts like it’s a democracy, but it’s really a dictatorship. Instead of catering to the broad mass of players, the PGA Tour only supports the top players, he says. Mickelson would like to see a turnaround and a better perception of the large mass of “middle-class players. He wants to achieve this with the Saudi money and the pressure on the American tour behind it.