The PGA Tour, PGA European Tour, PGA Tour of Southern
Africa, the PGA of Australia, and the PGA Tour of Japan announced
a conceptual agreement to create new international events
starting in '99. The three events will include team
competition, stroke play and match play. No schedule has been
set and discussions with players and sponsors will continue on a
variety of topics related to the new events. The announcement
was made by PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem at the Presidents
Cup (PGA Tour).
SHARK BIT? ESPN's Jimmy Roberts noted that a group led by
Greg Norman proposed a similar event, known as the world tour to
be backed by the Fox network, less than two years ago. However,
the idea was "aggressively opposed" by the PGA Tour and Norman
was "roundly criticized and vilified" for the suggestion.
Roberts said that Norman told him that the announcement makes him
feel like he was "hung out to dry" for an idea which "apparently
wasn't such a bad idea in the first place" and that Norman had an
"angry confrontation" with Finchem Friday night. At the
Presidents Cup, Roberts said, "This is what the PGA Tour wanted
least -- something to draw attention away from an event which
desperately needs the attention" (ESPN, 9/15). Finchem said he
wanted to emphasize that the "new alliance of the tours was not
for the purpose of creating a new world tour for elite players
that would compete with current events." He confirmed he had
been approached by Norman, who had been told the federation would
be announcing a World Tour. Finchem: "I told Greg back then that
I wanted to keep him in the loop on this, and in this case, I
neglected to do so" (Leonard Shapiro, WASHINGTON POST, 9/16).
