Tiger Woods is back and, while the rise of young guns like Rickie Fowler, Keegan Bradley and Rory McIlroy certainly helped keep the game in the spotlight during his absence, golf continues to face off against the perception that it is a game for the elite, a perception that is golf’s greatest public relations challenge. Though Woods and his young successors have certainly made golf more “hip,” it is still considered a second-class citizen in the sports community.
Unfortunately, golf hasn’t done much on its own to counter that elitist perception. The start of the 2013 PGA Tour season has provided two perfect examples.
First and foremost was the debacle of the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Played at Kapalua in the tropical paradise of Maui, Hawaii, the TOC is about as close to a working vacation as it gets. But after curiously deciding to schedule a Monday finish, the Tour decided not once, but twice, to wipe out rounds when the island winds became too brisk for the Tour’s comfort.
It was windy at Kapalua. But wind is part of the game, especially at the Plantation Course. Though the wind did reach a point at which play was brutally difficult, it had not become impossible. Was it potentially unfair given that certain parts of the course were more exposed than others? Sure. But then again, luck is part of the game as well—a fact that is on display every year at The Open Championship, when early-round tee times can often mean the difference between victory and defeat. Never mind the fact that several players were under par during both of the canceled rounds: Kapalua was fair.
The tournament concluded Tuesday after just 54 holes.
This past weekend a similar situation arose at Torrey Pines outside San Diego. Calif. After playing in rainy conditions for two days, fog swept in early Saturday morning as the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open was about to get underway. After a three-hour “fog” delay, officials allowed the third round to finally begin, only to be halted yet again after just 10 minutes of play. With the fog never lifting, that was all the play that would commence Saturday, with the event forced into a Monday finish.
I have played at Torrey Pines. In fact, I played it in virtually identical conditions to what faced players Saturday morning. For the first several holes, I couldn’t see my ball the minute it left my clubface. Still, I never lost a ball. The fog was an added challenge, but it was not a detriment to fair play.
Such is the problem with the PGA Tour right now. Already subject to being seen as a group of spoiled men who travel around the country in luxury playing a game for millions of dollars, the Tour has chosen to take it a step further and ensure adversity simply never strikes the golfers.
Too windy? Stay in and wait until tomorrow. Foggy and drizzling? We can finish up Monday.
This is a disaster for golf’s fight against the perception it is somehow less worthy of inclusion in the world of sports than hockey, baseball, football or basketball. As long as a bit of wind or some thick fog keep PGA Tour players hauled up in the clubhouse, the game will never be a full-fledged member of the athletic fraternity.
Fortunately, golf isn’t the PGA Tour. Golfers around the country and around the world head out in a variety of conditions each and every day, playing courses ranging from the exclusive clubs of Long Island and Westchester to rock-hard and browned-out municipal tracks in the heart of cities as large as Chicago and as small as Gothenburg, Neb.
Right now, those in charge of competition on the Tour are completely ignorant of the public relations consequences to their stubborn actions. If playing in wind, rain, fog or snow means scores will be high and players will be uncomfortable, then so be it. The challenge presented by these conditions is what makes golf the great game it is, and until people see players out on tour face such a challenge, they will forever see golf as the elitist game it appears to be on television.
No matter how many wins Woods and McIlroy have, golf will never be able to capture the best young athletes and have the greatest reach possible without doing something about this negative perception. The Tour has to become more like the game it is supposed to represent, not a pampered and sheltered version of it.
Do you think the Tour officials need to let the players play? Let Max know by emailing him at sports@dailycardinal.com.
