Debuting Tonight: European Tour's First Tee Walk-Up Music
/Check out Steve Douglas' AP story on the European Tour debuting music this week. Namely, music on the range for all to enjoy, and music as players walk to the first tee.
It's what the kids want, say people who are not the kids.
Douglas paints a picture of players practicing to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Calvin Harris before talking to Chief Executive Keith Pelley.
"There will be a time in five years when you'll say, 'You mean there was a time when music wasn't on the range?'" said Pelley, his eyes lighting up. "I think the range represents a great opportunity that we have not explored in this game. It is a great opportunity for fans to sit and watch players and this unbelievable talent that they have."
Most players are embracing it, but they didn't get off to the best start, bothering Paul Lawrie.
"I didn't like it on Tuesday," said Paul Lawrie, a 48-year-old Scot who won the British Open in 1999. "When they turned it down, it was fine. But before that, you couldn't hear your caddie."
Lawrie is on the tour's committee that approved music on the range.
"You need to try (these ideas) to see if they work or not," he said. "Everyone seems to quite like it but I'm just old. I'm old-school."
Over/under on the first inappropriate song selection controversy?
Anyway, we may get a glimpse of the new musical additions when the HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship kicks off at 10:30 pm ET on Golf Channel.
DJ Reggie Yates kicked the proceedings off with some range spinning and an appearance with DJ, Rickie, Henrik and Ian Poulter. On the awkward scale, I'd call this one a 6 out of 10.