PGA Tour May Add LPGA Winners To Season-Opening TOC?

Randall Mell at GolfChannel.com says a joint season-opening tournament of champions is one of the main revelations from an extensive Rich Lerner sitdown with new commissioner Jay Monahan.

The interview airs in two parts, Monday on Golf Central and Tuesday on Morning Drive. The key quote:

“You could see men and women here at the Tournament of Champions,” Monahan told Golf Channel’s Rich Lerner as part of a wide-ranging interview that will air Monday on Golf Central and Tuesday on Morning Drive. “That is something we are thinking about and talking to Mike and the LPGA about. We would like to see that happen. We have some interest from sponsors.”

News of efforts to rejuvenate that opening event comes at a good time, as this year's SBS at Kapalua has (so far) felt flat despite a nice field and leaderboard. Perhaps Kapalua playing soft has made the proceedings less compelling. After all, no course on the PGA Tour is more fun to watch when it's firey and players are feeding the ball to the hole.

Perhaps adding the winners of LPGA events and a second tournament conclusion could inject some fun.