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Leagues and Governing Bodies

How Finchem Handles Phil Mickelson's Insider Trading Involvement Remains To Be Seen

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem "has to do something" over golfer Phil Mickelson being forced to pay back nearly $1M plus interest for his involvement in a stock purchase and sale that was deemed to be insider training, but the problem is the Tour's "archaic policy of not disclosing player discipline," according to Bob Harig of ESPN.com. Whether it is a "suspension, a fine, a scolding, a public rebuke," Finchem "cannot hide behind his arcane privacy policy on this one." It would be "impossible not to notice a suspension with Mickelson, one of the game's most popular players." And if a suspension is "not the best solution here, perhaps there is some other censure that would be just as effective." But "to say nothing suggests Finchem did nothing -- which doesn't exactly help curb the behavior or scare others into thinking twice about doing something similar" (ESPN.com, 5/24). 

SYSTEM OVERHAUL? GOLFCHANNEL.com's Rex Hoggard noted this year "marks the 10th season of the FedEx Cup era," and money lists "have been replaced by points lists for all manner of benchmarks -- from the basic drive to keep one’s job (top 125) to qualifying for many of the game’s biggest events (top 30)." The "last vestiges of cash will likely be benched for good following initial approval by the policy board of a proposal to nix exemptions for players who finish inside the top 125 in earnings but not points." However, that creates some anomalies -- Greg Owen "currently holds down the 125th spot in earnings, but is 133rd on the points list," while Jamie Donaldson is 124th in cash and 135th in points. Golfer Charles Howell III said, "It’s not a perfect system and I honestly don’t know how you would do it unless you went back to money. ... I understand the FedEx Cup and I understand why they want to do it more based on equality than strength of purse ... per tournament" (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 5/25).  

GLOBAL REACH? PGATOUR.com's Mike McAllister noted golf's status as an Olympic sport "means showcasing its game in front of a global audience on a scale of unimaginable heights." Growing the game "has never been more important -- and never had such an opportunity." Finchem said, "It's a platform that is unique in sport and one that we wanted to take advantage of." But with the grow-the-game initiatives becoming "more urgent in recent years -- and the expansion into non-traditional golf markets becoming more important -- golf’s powers-that-be saw a natural progression into the Olympics and sought to be included in the program." Finchem said that the true impact "won't be known 'for a few years,' but he does consider golf's status as an Olympic sport key to its global health" (PGATOUR.com, 5/24). 

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