PGA Tour players "are organizing a negotiating and
bargaining unit," according to Lorne Rubenstein of the
Toronto GLOBE & MAIL. Players registering for the Greater
Vancouver Open "saw a notice announcing an information
meeting last night on the newly formed Tour Players
Association." The TPA's first two meetings were held in
Denver last week during the Sprint Int'l. The GLOBE & MAIL
obtained a copy of a document circulated to the players,
which includes "a membership subscription form, a seven-
paragraph letter to PGA Tour members and a copy of a letter
that the TPA sent Monday to PGA Tour commissioner Tim
Finchem." The TPA's current officers are: President Danny
Edwards, Secretary Larry Rinker and Treasurer Mark Brooks.
Attorney Leonard Decof is the TPA's General Counsel. The
PGA Tour "has not commented publicly on the TPA," but
Rubenstein writes that Finchem "will no doubt do so" during
a media conference this afternoon (GLOBE & MAIL, 8/26).
OBJECTIVE: Rubenstein writes that the letter "points
out that the TPA doesn't want an adversarial relationship
with the PGA Tour, but rather wants to learn more about how
it functions and to have more of a say in its decisions."
The letter states two "significant goals" for the non-profit
TPA: "to have the PGA Tour undergo an internal audit by an
accounting firm other than Ernst & Young," and to "give the
players more control of the PGA Tour." Among areas of
concern are players' pensions and "finding a way to
compensate all players who participate in a tournament," not
just those who make the cut (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 8/26).
