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Leagues and Governing Bodies

PGA Tour On Upward Trajectory With Collection Of Young Stars

Thomas at just 24 won last year's FedExCup and was named PGA Tour Player of the YearGETTY IMAGES

The PGA Tour is potentially experiencing a "new golden age," as the current crop of elite players is "possibly the greatest collection ever assembled," according to Gene Frenette of the FLORIDA TIMES-UNION. For the first time since the '70s, there is "legitimate star power" among players in their 20s, 30s and 40s. All are "plenty capable of either winning big tournaments, primed to become No. 1 in the world, or reclaim the top spot." Golf is "arguably the hardest sport for elite players to sustain excellence, which is why there’s been so few instances of the sport having a large galaxy of star performers." Golf fans should "embrace these next few years because there’s no guarantee" the game will "enjoy [these] many proven big-stage champions at different stages in their careers" (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 5/8). THE ATHLETIC's Rick Reilly wrote fans have been "watching some of the most thrilling, talented, goosebump-giving young studs the game has seen" in years with Jordan Spieth (24), Justin Thomas (25), Rory McIlroy (29) and Dustin Johnson (33). There "hasn’t been such a fabulous trove of young talent in golf" since '65, when Jack Nicklaus was 25, Lee Trevino 26 and Gary Player 30 (THEATHLETIC.com, 5/9).

PLACE YOUR BETS: PGA Tour Senior VP/Tournament Administration & Anti-Doping Andy Levinson said if sports betting is legalized in the U.S., the Tour would "want to make sure any regulation that is enacted includes protections for the integrity of the competition, protections for consumers, protections for the athletes, and protections for the leagues.” He said, “We want to see regulation that requires the sharing of data from the betting operators to the regulators to the leagues, so that we can monitor all of the betting activity going on in our sport and look for any anomalies.” Levinson noted the Tour this season launched an integrity program that "effects not only players, but it covers caddies, PGA Tour staff, tournament staff -- everybody who’s directly related to PGA Tour competitions." Levinson: “The only way to really have active in-play betting in our sport is to use official league data, in our case that’s our ShotLink data. If we get to the point where we decide to license that data for the purposes of sports betting, you could imagine all kinds of different markets that are going to be created” (“Live From The Players,” Golf Channel, 5/9).

SAY WHAT YOU WANT? In Jacksonville, Garry Smits noted fan decorum has "been more of an issue on the PGA Tour this season," with high-profile players like McIlroy and Thomas "voicing their concerns." PGA Tour Senior Dir of Corporate Security Steve Olson said that it is the "timing and the tone" of what fans say to players that will "cause tournament security to have a chat with fans or even remove them." Olson said, “We don’t have a list of things they can’t say. ... But you can yell almost anything, and it can disrupt play." Olson: "It’s not what you say. It’s how you say it” (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 5/9).

MAN OF THE PEOPLE: USA TODAY's Steve DiMeglio profiles PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and notes he has an "easy-going manner that connects with one and all, be it a player and his family, a caddie, an equipment rep, a volunteer." He has an "uncanny ability to remember names and make you feel like he's known you for years." Since taking over in January '17, Monahan and his team have "secured many sponsorship extensions, and there are now nine tournaments on board for at least 10 years (in 2013 there were zero)." In addition, a 10-year extension was "secured for the lucrative FedEx Cup." And recently, the Colonial in Ft. Worth, "one of the most revered and historic Tour events, was saved when officials secured sponsorship" through '22 from Charles Schwab (USA TODAY, 5/10).

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