PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem today was given a contract extension through June '16 by the PGA Tour Policy Board. Finchem became Commissioner in '94 and is just the third person to hold that position (PGA Tour). The AP notes Finchem is "coming off a demanding three years of an economic crisis in which the PGA Tour remained fully sponsored and recently signed a nine-year television deal with CBS Sports and NBC Sports." He "suggested last year that he might be willing to stay on the job after his contract was up in 2012" (AP, 1/11). In Jacksonville, Garry Smits notes Finchem has "overseen a period of substantial growth for the Tour, with earnings and charitable donations increasing." He also "oversaw the creation of the World Golf Championships, the FedEx Cup points race, the PGA Tour Playoffs, The First Tee youth development initiative and the moving of The Players Championship to its current date in May" (JACKSONVILLE.com, 1/11). ESPN.com's Bob Harig wrote on his Twitter feed, "Apparently PGA Tour commish Tim Finchem has no immediate plans to retire. ... He turns 65 in April." Bloomberg's Mike Buteau wrote golfer Joe Ogilvie, who has been suggested as a possible successor to Finchem, "will have to wait."
