Tour Players Embracing Fresh Ideas, For Now!
/For too long the average PGA Tour player has only cared about playing opportunities and little else. The mentality has been so pervasive to the point that many lost sight of any need to be part of something entertaining. Of course, if your "product" is not entertaining, those opportunities will not arise.
So it's refreshing to see news of a new format and scheduling adjustments (Web.com Tour) on both sides of the Atlantic are receiving a warm reaction from players.
ESPN.com's Jason Sobel reporting from the McGladrey Classic on St. Simon's Island:
"It's a trial and error process," added Jim Furyk. "If it's good and the fans like it and the sponsor likes it and the players like it, heck yeah, let's go. Let's keep doing it. If it doesn't work, we'll come up with some new ideas. There's nothing wrong with trying."
Therein lies an inherent issue with outside the box thinking: It can't only serve one master. These new ideas have to fit the desires of fans, sponsors and players, which is a more difficult concept than it might seem.
That the players are thinking beyond themselves is a sign of progress.
What's prompting the change? Maybe they get to gauge social media reaction, or its the new influences at headquarters or maybe it's just a growing realization that 72-holes of stroke play every Thursday-Sunday is not the Holy Grail. Either way, it's refreshing to finally see them budging off of the playing opportunities mantra.