Detail-Lite Mandatory Play Clause Close To Happening; Awaits Tiger And Phil's Input

Doug Ferguson reports that a vote was cast last week by the PGA Tour Policy Board, now they have to decide what exactly it means.

In an effort to bolster tournaments that typically get weak fields, the concept is to designate a small number of events and demand players choose one to play. The policy board approved the idea at a meeting last week in West Virginia, which was the first step.

"Because it's a tournament regulation, it has to be passed twice," PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said. "It was preliminarily approved in concept. Now we go back to the PAC (Players Advisory Council) and work through the details, get some player input and bring it back to the fall meeting."

Finchem said he was "positively inclined" that it ultimately would be adopted.

What remains are the details, starting with how many tournaments would be designated and which players would be required to play. The tour could use the FedEx Cup standings, money list or even the world ranking from a previous year to determine who it affects.

It would be the closest thing the tour has had to mandatory participation, although it falls short of the "1-in-4" concept of the LPGA Tour in which players must compete in every tournament at least once over a four-year span.