The PGA Championship moving from August to May and The Players going from May to March beginning in '19 are part of the "most dramatic makeover of the PGA Tour schedule" and are "ultimately aimed at being able to end the season before Labor Day, which would keep golf from being engulfed by the vast shadow of professional and college football," according to Rex Hoggard of GOLFCHANNEL.com. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan yesterday admitted the '18-19 schedule is "still very much a work in progress." The '19 calendar would "begin in familiar fashion, with two events in Hawaii followed by the traditional West Coast swing." Sources said that given the "need to condense the schedule," the Valspar Championship "could be relocated to the fall portion of the schedule" from its current March date. April would "remain unchanged depending on what happens at the Wells Fargo Championship." There have been rumors Quail Hollow Club, which hosts the Wells Fargo, "wants to be included in the rotation for the BMW Championship, which could put its future as a regular Tour stop in question." May would be the "most significant makeover of the schedule," with the PGA Championship breaking up the "normal Dallas-Fort Worth swing." The status of the Quicken Loans National is uncertain with the event "likely in the market for a new sponsor," while the Greenbrier Classic also could "move to the fall." One scenario has the Dell Technologies Championship playoff stop in Boston "no longer ... on the schedule." The Tour also would "remove the traditional 'bye' week in the playoffs to end the season on Sept. 1 in Atlanta, a week before football season gets underway." Officials would have the "flexibility to tinker with the dates of the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup," which would "provide a much-needed week off for top players before the matches, and the wraparound season would begin directly afterward" (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 8/8).
NO CHANGES TO ANNOUNCE YET: Monahan yesterday would not confirm any changes to the FedExCup playoff format or to any other PGA Tour stop changes that could result by the schedule changes. He said, “There are a number of other decisions we need to make. It is complicated” (John Lombardo, Staff Writer). Monahan said that the PGA Tour's "'wraparound schedule,' which includes six tournaments in the fall, will remain in some form." Monahan: "The wraparound seasons has elevated all of our events. I don't expect that to change. I think it works very well for our product" (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 8/9).
NO LONG BREAK EXPECTED: ESPN.com's Bob Harig wrote it is unlikely a "significant break" would exist in the schedule. The wraparound schedule "now has events played nearly year-round, with a break at Thanksgiving." The thought with finishing the FedEx Cup schedule by Labor Day is that "perhaps there will be a month before the new season begins, but perhaps not" (ESPN.com, 8/8). In N.Y., Karen Crouse notes the "more the schedule changes, the more men's professional golf remains the same: one endless loop of competition, with no downtime for the players." Rory McIlroy said, "I've always thought that an off-season in golf would be good. Not just for the players to get a little bit of rest and work on their games and whatever, but just from a fan perspective. You know, create a little bit of hype before the season starts again" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/9). Monahan said, "If you were to create a true offseason, there's so much demand for this game that the demand would be filled with other events. There's always going to be a demand for events, and we feel like ... we need to be out there creating those opportunities and those platforms" ("Live from the PGA Championship," Golf Channel, 8/9).
TEXAS TWO-STEP? In Dallas, Brad Townsend notes the PGA Championship's move "seemingly increases summer-singed North Texas' odds of hosting a major -- something it hasn't done since 1963 -- but also guarantees upheaval" for Dallas' AT&T Byron Nelson and Ft. Worth's Dean & DeLuca Invitational. Dallas-based AT&T is "signed on as the Nelson's title sponsor" through '21 and is "perhaps the tour's most influential sponsor." It is "doubtful AT&T will sit quietly while the tour revamps the schedule," and "allow the Nelson to wind up with an even worse placing than it's received in recent years" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 8/9).
OTHER FALLOUT: The AP's Doug Ferguson noted the European Tour's flagship event -- the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth -- "typically is played the last week in May." However, the European Tour is moving the event in '19 to September following the PGA of America's move. The Senior PGA Championship "will stay in May, played one week after the PGA Championship" (AP, 8/8).
